This blog post was originally written by Patrick Lange of Business Modification Group published on June 9th, 2025 and is shared here with permission.
When someone is interested in buying your business, they look at a wide variety of factors. Their primary goal is of course, to make money, but they also want to know that the company has purpose beyond the P&L sheet. Many businesses I work with are multi-generational, and their narrative is about honoring the founder’s legacy while building the future. That’s a great story to tell, but new ownership ends the family legacy.
But if your company is affiliated with another organization doing good work in the community, you have more to offer the new owner, and a way for them to continue that good work.
I’ve written before about how challenging it is to find and retain the best talent. It’s the primary job of every business owner. And it’s an uphill battle. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this reality is unlikely to change anytime soon. They estimate that the industry will need 50% more skilled technicians than we currently have over the next few years.
If you are looking for a good cause to invest in, building a talent pipeline for your industry is a great place to start. We’re partnering with Explore The Trades, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources to young students, their parents, and teachers about opportunities in the skilled trades. Founded in 2005, Explore The Trades is committed to bridging the technical talent gap in the plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical service trades.
They provide classroom and on-demand resources to educators, including a partnership with Ferguson a North American plumbing and HVAC distributor, which awards schools Explore The Trades Skills Labs, Built by Ferguson equipment grants. The grants allow students to acquire skills in the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC trades. Since launching the program in 2021, 35 skills labs have been established across 17 states, reaching over 3,500 students. Each lab provides hands-on training designed to prepare learners for the complexity — and opportunity — of modern trades careers.
Explore the Trades also provides career posters, labor market information, and other materials to teachers and parents. Their goal is to raise awareness of the trades as a viable and well-paying career opportunity for students, whose career path includes the opportunity for management jobs and business ownership.
They also partner with many Nexstar Network members, contractors who are working on plans to grow their business and their profitability. Explore The Trades has free resources for business owners, including advice on how to recruit the next generation of technical talent. They also offer the chance to participate in annual fishing and hunting fundraising events, which come with sponsorship opportunities and heightened visibility in the community.
Engaging with a good cause helps boost employee morale; younger workers in particular seek out employers that are connected to causes they care about. Investing in building a talent pipeline is a long-term strategy; you won’t get immediate rewards for supporting youth programs. But it’s a way to build awareness of and pride in the kinds of jobs that are the backbone of our economy, and a way to give back to the industry that has made you so successful.