Once David’s boss, Stephanie now runs their business with him as an equal partner.
A South Carolina couple who lost their jobs during the Covid started an air-conditioning business with just $2,000. Stephanie Postell and her husband, David Postell, founded Anchor Heating and Air in 2021 after being fired in December 2020. Nearly five years later, the company is on track to generate more than $8 million in annual revenue, according to Stephanie’s account on the Blue Collar StartUp podcast. They used their $2,000 to purchase equipment and began taking on jobs independently. In a podcast episode released September 9, Stephanie explained how they built the business and managed its growth. They brought more than 30 years of combined experience when they started the business in 2021, according to their company’s website. They had also helped build an earlier HVAC company that reached $5 million in revenue within 20 months. However, losing their jobs in December 2020 meant starting again.
Stephanie had previously been David’s boss, but their new venture required them to share ownership and divide responsibilities according to their strengths. Both had years of experience in the heating and air-conditioning industry, but starting their own company meant working with limited resources. The company, Anchor Heating and Air, now provides heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) services in Charleston, South Carolina, and surrounding areas. The couple also had to adjust to working together as business partners.
Rather than purchasing an existing business, they established their own company with $2,000 for equipment.
Stephanie said they reinvested the money earned from their first HVAC job into securing the next opportunity.