In this episode, Jonathan Cor interviews Jeff White, President and CEO of Holmberg Mechanical, a 75-year-old mechanical contractor based in Seattle. Jeff shares his journey from apprentice to CEO and what it takes to lead a company through growth, recessions, and industry change. They discuss why the next generation should consider the trades, how strong relationships matter more than winning every project, why private work often beats public, and what disciplined growth really looks like. Jeff also explains how investing in employees, hiring from within, maintaining mechanical quality, and learning from mistakes have shaped Holmberg’s long-term success.
Key takeaways
01The client's experience will never exceed the employee's experience.
02Controlled, disciplined growth beats aggressive expansion.
03Career advancement came from asking, educating himself, and building a network — not from titles being handed out.
04Trades careers are being reframed as a legitimate, even lucrative, path — not a fallback from college.
05Values and risk tolerance have to be non-negotiable, learned the hard way.