Chad Connor started Affordable Fire and Safety in 1998, building a family-owned company that installed
A Family Legacy at a Crossroads C&S Roofing traces its roots back to 1958, when
Shannon Carfield and Dean Eckonrode started Kitchens by Good Guys the way a lot of contractors do:
The skilled trades shortage isn’t just a headache—it’s a wide-open door for the businesses smart enough to walk through it. As qualified workers become harder to find, the ones who invest in training and retention gain outsized leverage over competitors who don’t. Here’s how a labor crunch can become your biggest competitive advantage.
Recruiting young talent into the trades is only half the fight—keeping them is where most companies actually fail. The difference between a revolving door and a loyal crew often comes down to leadership, community, and how well you respect the way a new generation wants to work. Here’s what separates companies that retain from those that don’t.
Hiring entry-level workers and hoping they figure it out isn’t a training program—it’s a gamble. The trade businesses building real skill and lasting loyalty are the ones running structured apprenticeships with clear milestones, hands-on mentorship, and visible recognition for progress along the way. Here’s what actually works when you get it right.
Gen Z isn’t avoiding the trades because the work is bad—they’re avoiding companies that recruit the wrong way. If you want to land and keep young talent, you need to rethink how you talk about purpose, career growth, and flexibility. Here’s what trade businesses need to change to win over the next generation.
The trades are entering a new era, and the next decade will reshape workforce demographics, technology, and how these businesses operate. The companies still standing in ten years won’t be the biggest—they’ll be the ones investing in leadership, systems, and the next generation of talent today. Here’s what building a lasting trade business actually requires.