Purchasing an HVACR contracting firm can be extremely profitable for a distributor if done with the right people and the right motivation.
I wasn't too shocked the other day when I read that Lennox (the two-step HVAC manufacturer) has started to buy out some of its HVAC contractor dealers. Its unorthodox direct-to-contractor sales strategy would naturally allow this. And besides, the privately held company went public just a few months ago, and in a hot stock market, it had to find some ways to invest all the money coming in to grow the company.
So the quick fix is to buy someone out. That's what several manufacturers have done lately, buying out competitor manufacturers - it's what the consolidators are all about, and it's what several public utilities are doing (buying out contractors). So is it your turn?