451 Building a Culture of Innovation and Customer Service with Frank Lecrone

What happens when you build a company around one niche, listen obsessively to customers, and never stop improving? In this episode, host Trace Blackmore finally sits down for a full-length conversation with Frank Lecrone, Founder, President, and CEO of AquaPhoenix Scientific. What started in a small 60' x 60' space in Hanover, Pennsylvania, with three employees, maxed-out credit cards, and endless Staples runs has grown into a 300+-person organization serving industrial water professionals around the world. Frank shares how AquaPhoenix became "the booth everyone wants to be next to" at AWT, why they built their entire business around industrial water treatment instead of trying to be everything to everyone, and how a simple continuous improvement system now generates hundreds of ideas a year from frontline team members. He also pulls back the curtain on acquisitions and private equity, explaining EBITDA in plain language, how to think about "add-backs," and what owners should understand long before they think about selling. Whether you're leading a growing company, running a route, or thinking about your own "second chapter," this conversation is a masterclass in culture, courage, and caring deeply about the people you serve. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge! Timestamps 02:20 - Trace Blackmore shares a recap from the recent 2025 AWT Conference, The Hang, and a Blood Donation Story 14:02 - Water You Know with James McDonald 15:20 - Upcoming Conference for Water Professionals 18:16 – Introduction of Frank Lecrone, CEO of AquaPhoenix Scientific (eight years in the making) 24:52 – Why Hanover? 26:59 – Supporting AWT 37:38 – Color-coded caps & QR Codes 42:30 – Learning from mistakes 45:31 – Core Values 48:26 – Acquisitions and Culture 1:03:32 – Valuations and EBITDA Quotes "We didn't grow by doing everything for everyone. We grew by doing exactly what one market needed and wanted—and then doing it better every year." "The lack of information is almost always interpreted negatively. That's why you have to over-communicate, especially during acquisitions." "EBITDA equals freedom. The more EBITDA you have, the less anybody can tell you what to do with your own company." "We're not perfect. We screw things up like everyone else—but we fix it, and we fix it quickly, and we make doing business with us as easy as possible." "I don't want to be the smartest person in the room. I want great people around me, giving ideas and pushing things forward, so I'm not the bottleneck." "Business is like standing in a bathtub while the water rises. It feels fine until it reaches your mouth. The trick is noticing when it's at your knees and fixing the bottleneck then." "We give a darn. We have 'GAS'—Give a #$%@—and if we can make it right and do it better, we absolutely will." Connect with Frank Lecrone Email: [e-mail] Website: Water Quality Testing Products | AquaPhoenix Scientific LinkedIn: Frank Lecrone | LinkedIn Guest Resources Mentioned AquaPhoenix Scientific Aliquot – AquaPhoenix's Water Management Software QR-coded Custom Test Kits (AquaPhoenix EndPoint® ID) Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned AWT (Association of Water Technologies) Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses Submit a Show Idea The Rising Tide Mastermind American Red Cross Water You Know with James McDonald Question: What industrial water treatment word is derived from the Greek word meaning "claw?" 2025 Events for Water Professionals Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we've listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE.