Case Study: Honest Air – A Cool Culture Can Heat Things Up

How Honest Air tripled revenue and achieved a 95% retention through team culture.

The Challenge: Moving from “Steady” to “Earth-Shattering” Growth

In 2023, Honest Air was a successful but standard blue-collar operation. With 11 employees, they were building their business one day at a time. While they were growing, Owner Andrew Lohr felt there was a missing ingredient to take the company to the next level.

Like many trades-based business owners, Lohr was initially skeptical about the “soft skills” of leadership.

“My initial thoughts were that we’re a blue-collar company, we go out and fix things. I never really thought we needed this level of focus on culture and leadership,” Lohr admits.

After months of encouragement from his wife, Jen, who had seen the impact of Lead ‘Em Up firsthand, Lohr decided to pivot. He realized that to support his ambitions, he needed a foundation that went beyond technical expertise.

“My initial thoughts were that we’re a blue-collar company, we go out and fix things. I never really thought we needed this level of focus on culture and leadership”

Andrew Lohr | Owner

The Solution: Building a “Culture First” Foundation

The transformation wasn’t gradual, it was instant. After the very first Lead ‘Em Up session, the atmosphere in the shop shifted.

The Lead ‘Em Up integration included:

Monthly Strategic Coaching: A dedicated “Chief Culture Officer” (Adam Bradley) to oversee development.
Small Group & One-on-One Training: Tailored leadership tracks for different levels of the organization.
Culture-Based Hiring: Integrating Lead ‘Em Up into the interview process to ensure every new hire was a perfect fit.
Onboarding Excellence: Ensuring new employees understand the “Honest Air Way” from Day 1.

The engagement was so high that Lohr scrapped his year-long rollout plan, requesting to “knock it all out this quarter” to keep the momentum moving.

Game changer year 1. Even bigger game changer Year 2!

“I know a lot of companies talk about trying to create a family environment, but this work environment truly is different. I enjoy going to work every day, and I know many people can’t say the same.”

Gio Fuentes | Lead Installer

The Results: Triple Revenue and Unmatched Retention

Three years into their partnership with Lead ‘Em Up, the “blue-collar company” has transformed into a regional powerhouse.

1. Explosive Scaling

Honest Air has grown from 11 employees to 45, and their annual revenue has more than tripled. By pouring into their people, they built a structure capable of supporting rapid expansion without collapsing.

2. 95% Employee Retention

In an industry plagued by high turnover and constant “poaching” of technicians, Honest Air boasts an elite 95% retention rate over the last three years. This stability has allowed them to focus on growth rather than the constant, costly cycle of rehiring.

“I know a lot of companies talk about trying to create a family environment, but this work environment truly is different,” says Gio Fuentes, Lead Installer. “I enjoy going to work every day, and I know many people can’t say the same.”

3. Integration of a Chief Culture Officer

The partnership became so vital that Lead ‘Em Up’s Adam Bradley was given the title of Chief Culture Officer. He now participates in interviews to protect the “culture fit” of the growing team.

The Lead ‘Em Up Takeaway

We often tell our partners: “Don’t let your ambitions take your company to heights your leadership and culture aren’t strong enough to support.”

Honest Air is the gold standard of this philosophy. By choosing to “heat up” their culture, they built a business that isn’t just bigger, it’s better, stronger, and built to last.