Serve First, Scale Smart: Lessons from Tom Heaviland’s Journey

This week on Trades Talk, host Justin White sits down with Tom Heaviland, a landscape industry veteran whose journey began in 1985 when he bought a small company in Carlsbad, California and turned it into one of the most respected operations in the region.

Tom started with just one truck, a few workers, and $11,000, billing around $14,000 a month. After weathering a major recession in the 1990s and learning hard lessons about risk and diversification, he grew the business by focusing on contract stability, recurring revenue, and strategic pricing. In 2019, Tom sold the company to Brightview, and went on to work with their M and A team identifying strong acquisition targets in underserved markets.

In this episode, Tom shares: • Why customer diversity and contract size were central to his growth strategy • How he prepared his company for sale and stood out to Brightview • What he looks for in a business when evaluating M and A opportunities • His current mission at Verde Property Services, targeting over $100 million in revenue • Why he leads with a servant leadership philosophy and puts team growth first

Tom also opens up about the challenges of performance management, the importance of financial literacy, and his goal to create $150 million in employee wealth by 2035. If you are in the trades and thinking about scale, exit strategy, or how to build a company with lasting impact, this episode is a masterclass.