In the 70s, Jim led Trane’s entry into the residential HVAC business and took Trane’s “Five Saluting Men” nationwide. Perfecting the “add-on” business, he created a prosperous model for residential service and replacement contractors.

 

Jim’s unending entrepreneurial spirit led to the opening of his own business in the 80s. Peers called him “The King of Replacements” as he rapidly built the largest residential service company in North America. His innovations continued. By using unconventional methods such as telemarketing, foot canvassers, and direct mail, Jim was the first contractor with over 10,000 service agreements.

 

Demonstrating a keen business intellect, Jim realized he could increase profitability by entering the distribution business in order to supply his own company with equipment. Throughout this portion of his career, he shifted the marketplace from one that was considered too cold for heat pumps into one where heat pumps were a hot commodity. The first contractor to offer 10-year parts and labor, Jim was also the first to private-label HVAC equipment.

 

In the 90s, Jim invented the “best practices” concept when he founded Contractors’ Success Group, which taught contractors how to provide superior customer service and gave them the essential business skills needed to achieve success and prosperity.          

 

Also, during this time, Jim recognized the role employees play in contributing to the success of a contractor’s business. This led him to found Future University providing top-notch training to front-line employees. Future University was widely recognized as the elite training organization for contractors in the industry.  

 

Through Future University, Jim introduced contractors to Terry Nicholson, a top-producing residential replacement salesperson in his company. Jim selected Terry to teach “The Abrams Method” to thousands of Contractors’ Success Group Members. Terry Nicholson quickly established himself as the leading sales trainer in the industry. Today, Terry has achieved legendary status and is known as the foremost educator in the world of home services.       

 

Through the knowledge provided via Contractors’ Success Group and Future University, two out of every three contractors who followed Jim’s wisdom, techniques, and best-business practices went on to become millionaires and multi-millionaires. A staggering statistic considering that at the time, less than 1% of all contractors ever became millionaires.

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Next, Jim pioneered HVAC consolidation when he founded Service Experts, which eventually became the first publicly traded HVAC company. As president of Service Experts, he appointed Terry Nicholson to the position of National Sales Training Director. At its peak, Service Experts grew to become almost a one-billion-dollar company. The year following the initial IPO, Jim took a brief retirement – but he did not stay retired for long.

 

Within the first decade of the 21st century, Jim founded Clockwork Home Services (CHS). With ambitious growth goals and an eye for recognizing talent, he called upon a reliable source once again by inviting Terry Nicholson to join the leadership team to help him launch the company; and, a short time later, asked him to be his business partner in CHS.

 

Through Jim’s guidance, CHS quickly became the industry’s largest “Best Practice” organization comprised of AirTime 500, Plumbers’ Success International, Electricians’ Success International, and Roofers’ Success International.  

 

Demonstrating yet another industry innovation, Jim then introduced branding to the contracting industry when he founded One-Hour Air Conditioning and Heating, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, and Mister Sparky Electric. 

 

To serve the needs of the best practice groups and branded identity clients of CHS, Jim founded client service companies Success Academy, SuccessWare21, and BuyMax. During this same time period of building these 10 companies within the CHS family of brands, Jim built an eleventh company specializing in home services.    

 

The eleventh company became one of the fastest growing and largest independently-owned residential service contracting companies in the United States and Canada generating over 188 million dollars in residential service revenue annually.

 

While Jim was serving as CEO of CHS and President of the 188 million dollar residential service division, Terry Nicholson took on the responsibility of serving as Group President of the 10 portfolio companies of CHS.   

By this time, Jim had clearly demonstrated his extraordinary business skill and industry insight. After helping thousands of contractors achieve phenomenal success through his companies and unique business model, Direct Energy acquired Clockwork Home Services for 183 million dollars in 2010. Soon after, Jim retired and Terry Nicholson followed suit a short while later.  

 

After both served a brief retirement, in the spirit of entrepreneurship, Jim and Terry launched a new venture in 2012 and founded FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers. FYZICAL, a physical therapy franchise, has experienced rapid growth and now boasts over 400 locations across the U.S., becoming the fastest growing franchise in healthcare.

 

But, the forces of the contracting world kept drawing Jim and Terry in. Long-time contracting friends continued to reach out to them seeking guidance on how to handle the changes taking place in the industry. Experienced and highly intelligent contractors were cognizant that the contracting industry was changing. Relying only upon the original business model created by Jim many years prior would almost certainly doom their business. A new model was needed.

 

The landscape of contracting is different now. Consumers are different with instant access to information and comparison shopping. Employees are different too. Marketing is different, how to grow a business is different, and how to make money is different. Consumers are now driving change, and the HVAC industry has reached a point of inflection.  

 

With their insatiable desire to help contractors and their love of contracting, Jim and Terry decided to take action in this next chapter of their unrivaled history of helping contractors succeed by forming PRAXIS S-10.    

 

Providing a much needed change in the industry, PRAXIS S- 10 is custom built to serve today’s consumers, custom-built to recruit and retain today’s top talent, custom-built to train today’s employees, custom-built to attract today’s customers; and custom-built to provide today’s contractors with the tools, skills, and knowledge they need to successfully grow and make money in HVAC – NOW.

 

Almost all of the largest and most successful HVAC contractors in the United States and Canada are, or have been, clients of companies built by Jim and Terry, are former employees of those companies, or are using the business model created and developed by Jim Abrams and taught by Terry Nicholson.

 

With the enhancements added to Jim’s proven success system to meet the demands of today’s ever-changing consumer, success is virtually guaranteed for any contractor using PRAXIS S-10’s ten-step formula for success.    

 

Today, Jim Abrams’ unparalleled business knowledge and intuitive industry insight continues to make hundreds of contractors successful and wealthy through his “Guiding Principles for HVAC Success,” now being taught exclusively at PRAXIS S-10, the Success College for Contractors.