Check Out Will Bumgarner’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Will Bumgarner.

Will, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started Vanco Crawlspace in 2019-2020. I was working for my in-laws who owned a grocery store and I was buying real estate part time. Every house that I bought or flipped had a crawlspace problem or basement problem. After paying other large, national chains tens of thousands of dollars to repair these issues I decided there was a need for this type of service in our market. Prior to starting Vanco, I grew up with a grandfather who owned and operated an electrical service and I worked construction jobs out of high school. This gave me an adequate enough backing to take this leap and start Vanco Crawlspace. Vanco has been a learning experience. Our business is founded on two basic core principles which are honesty and integrity. Our work is often performed in tight or confined spaces in areas where homeowners don’t want to go. There is a certain level of trust that’s involved as a contractor when you’re doing work that isn’t readily available for the customer to see. Often we get called to fix work by other companies who have misled and deceived homeowners and it’s always disheartening to see this. We strive to always do work and be honest and forthcoming. We make a point to provide a quality solution, even when the customer can’t see our product and goes off of pictures alone. I started Vanco with $1200 in savings and a 20 year old pickup truck. Within 6-8 months I had grown this into a full time job. I hired a helper and we fielded jobs weekly. After a year we grew and got busier and my helper turned into a crew leader, who I hired a helper for. Over the years we have grown to 6 employees and are still growing. It has been a humbling experience starting a company with $1200 and growing it to a company that has annual sales in the 7 figure range. I didn’t learn crawlspace repair overnight. It was at the hand of YouTube, trial and error, and friends who knew the business. I firmly believe anyone has the ability to become a business owner. Entrepreneurship in my opinion is a skill set you’re born with or your not. Many entrepreneurs I know started at a young age having a desire to promote and offer a service to people at a young age. I started at 6 years old at my grandmother’s home in a subdivision in Louisburg nc selling pine straw. She had a pine tree grove and pine straw was everywhere. I heard her one day talk about buying clean pine straw to use for landscaping around the house. It inspired me to go and collect her pinestraw that was already there and clean it and sell it to her and her neighbors. Our opportunities are only limited by our own personal goals and desires. A human can achieve anything they set their mind to. Vanco Crawlspace and my entrepreneurial spirit have driven and delivered me into success. I have a wife Destinie, as well as two children, Scarlett (9) and Wells (4). Vanco has provided a stability in our lives to live comfortably.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Start up alone has been a struggle. Navigating business laws and regulations is a hurdle. In my opinion the next biggest hurdle is capital to get started. Not all businesses require a massive startup budget. The barrier to entry is lower in a trade. But finding and securing a good relationship with a bank is critical. We’ve been fortunate enough to work with Benchmark Community Bank, which is a small local bank operating in NC and southern Virginia. Another struggle is hiring and finding employees. It’s difficult to find someone who you can entrust to share the same vision as you for your business. We have been through employees until we found a few great guys who share our vision and values.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We do crawlspace waterproofing, crawlspace drainage/encapsulation, basement waterproofing, and foundation repair. Anything crawlspace, basement, or foundation related we can help. We are most proud of our quality of work. I’ve traveled the country testing products and in search of suppliers who provide only the best quality materials. We have tested and gone through many trials ensuring we are installing only the best products that’s available. In addition our attention to detail sets us apart. Under your home isn’t normally an area where you can showcase a skill set as a tradesmen. We have broken that barrier to create spaces that are clean and even welcome homeowners who would never climb under there home to bring them into that space.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I foresee a large growth in crawlspace and basement repair industry. Here recently the biggest trend is large, private equity firms acquiring small, reputable companies like myself. Anytime private equity enters an industry, that signals growth to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vancocrawlspace.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BRLWa8D9A/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-bumgarner-24868b64
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@vancocrawlspacerestoration