# The Origin Story of a Compounder ($80m and Counting)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/acquiring-minds-3909119/the-origin-story-of-a-compounder-80m-and-counting
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/acquiring-minds-3909119/the-origin-story-of-a-compounder-80m-and-counting.md
Podcast: [Acquiring Minds](https://stenobird.com/podcast/acquiring-minds-3909119)
Published: 2026-06-04T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://acquiringminds.co/articles/greg-shapiro-zach-cooper-vastola-hickory
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/dcfe90dd/baf03db2.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/acquiring-minds-3909119/episodes/the-origin-story-of-a-compounder-80m-and-counting
Duration seconds: 5123

## Resource

Greg Shapiro & Zach Cooper-Vastola are building a long-term, compounding business they see as the anti-PE of the trades. Register for the webinar: Franchising for the ETA Buyer: Resales, Roll-Ups, and Real Deals - TODAY - https://bit.ly/49sKF4H Topics in Greg and Zach’s interview: Founders combined technical and financial expertise Shifted from SaaS to long-term ownership Acquired century-old Manhattan HVAC company High cost and complexities of New York market Avoided SBA limits to scale acquisitions What “Anti-PE” means to them Digitization takes longer than you think Living lean on low salaries Predicting HVAC roll-up market shakeout ahead Influence and investment from Will Thorndike References and how to contact Greg and Zach: Hickory Greg Shapiro LinkedIn Zach Cooper-Vastola LinkedIn Will Thorndike Steve Carroll on Acquiring Minds: ETA Unicorn: $1 Billion in Revenue in 5 Years Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition. Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta . The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business: The Acquisition Lab Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program: Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team Connect with Acquiring Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn Follow Will on Twitter Edited by Anton Rohozov and produced by Pam Cameron

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## Transcript

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