The Origin Story of a Compounder ($80m and Counting)
From Acquiring Minds by Will Smith
June 4, 2026 · 1h 25m
About this episode
Greg Shapiro and Zach Cooper-Vastola discuss their approach to building a long-term compounding business in the HVAC industry.
Greg Shapiro & Zach Cooper-Vastola are building a long-term, compounding business they see as the anti-PE of the trades. Register for the webinar: Franchising for the ETA Buyer: Resales, Roll-Ups, and Real Deals - TODAY - https://bit.ly/49sKF4H Topics in Greg and Zach’s interview: Founders combined technical and financial expertise Shifted from SaaS to long-term ownership Acquired century-old Manhattan HVAC company High cost and complexities of New York market Avoided SBA limits to scale acquisitions What “Anti-PE” means to them Digitization takes longer than you think Living lean on low salaries Predicting HVAC roll-up market shakeout ahead Influence and investment from Will Thorndike References and how to contact Greg and Zach: Hickory Greg Shapiro LinkedIn Zach Cooper-Vastola LinkedIn Will Thorndike Steve Carroll on Acquiring Minds: ETA Unicorn: $1 Billion in Revenue in 5 Years Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition. Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta . The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business: The Acquisition Lab Get complimentary due diligence…
People in this episode
Host: Will Smith
Guests: Greg Shapiro, Zach Cooper-Vastola
Topics covered
- business acquisition
- long-term ownership
- HVAC industry
- entrepreneurship
- investment strategies
- digital transformation
Keywords
- compounder
- HVAC
- acquisition
- anti-PE
- SaaS
- New York market
- roll-up
- digitization
- entrepreneurship
Sponsors
Inzo Technologies, Oberle Risk Strategies
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Hickory, Acquiring Minds, Oberle Risk Strategies, Inzo Technologies, The Acquisition Lab
More episodes of Acquiring Minds
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- How to De-Risk the Personal Guarantee · June 8, 2026 · 1h 11m
- Started as SBA Searcher, Built to a PE Fund · June 1, 2026 · 1h 46m
- Buying $1.5m of Earnings Without an SBA Loan · May 28, 2026 · 1h 23m
- The Magic of Low Multiple + Growth · May 25, 2026 · 1h 34m
- Rolling Up an Industry with 1.5x Multiples · May 21, 2026 · 1h 56m
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