--- ---  # Building the Right Team to Build Something That Lasts: How Trevor and Kristen Franco Are Growing Vessel Home Services  Vessel Home Services LLC Vessel Home Services LLCImage Credit: Vessel Home Services LLC Vessel Home Services LLC Image Credit: Vessel Home Services LLC Entrepreneurship often begins with a vision, but building a business that continues creating value over time requires thoughtful leadership and the willingness to grow alongside others. Those principles have shaped [Vessel Home Services LLC](https://www.vesselhomeservices.com/ "undefined"), where co-founders Trevor and Kristen Franco have built a residential and commercial home services company providing heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, installation, maintenance, duct cleaning, and system optimization. According to the founders, the company’s growth has centered on acquiring established home service businesses while preserving the relationships, employees, and community trust those companies have built over many years. Their philosophy aligns with growing recognition that businesses are shaped by the people who lead them. Research shows that [managers influence 70% of the variance in employee engagement](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236927/employee-engagement-drives-growth.aspx "undefined"), highlighting the role leadership plays in building resilient organizations. Trevor says that understanding leadership and culture has become a central part of how Vessel approaches every opportunity, particularly when working alongside family-owned businesses that have spent years earning trust within their communities. “We’ve always believed that growth comes with responsibility,” Trevor says. “When someone entrusts us with the business they’ve spent years building, our goal is to protect that legacy, support the employees, and continue serving the community that helped make the company successful.” Kristen says that philosophy also guides how Vessel Home Services evaluates acquisition opportunities. Financial performance matters, but cultural alignment is equally important because the company looks for businesses whose values complement its own long-term approach to customer service and employee development. According to her, the objective is to strengthen existing organizations rather than redefine what made them successful.  Trevor and Kristen Franco Image Credit: Vessel Home Services LLC As Vessel Home Services expanded through acquisitions, the founders recognized that long-term growth also required expertise beyond their own backgrounds. Trevor brought HVAC experience, while Kristen focused on operations and organizational development. Together, they believed the next stage of growth depended on building a leadership team with complementary perspectives. “We never expected to have every answer ourselves,” Kristen says. “Building the right team has been just as important as building the business because different experiences help us make better decisions.” One of those perspectives came through Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer [Marquise Boyd](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marquisejboyd "undefined"), whose Wall Street background introduced a disciplined approach to due diligence and strategic growth. Marquise explains that after years of evaluating businesses from the investment side, he wanted the opportunity to help build one from within, believing Vessel's long-term vision aligned with that goal. Marquise says his experience analyzing businesses also reinforced the importance of leadership behind financial performance. While his background provided expertise in investment analysis and due diligence, he explains that joining Vessel offered an opportunity to apply those skills within a company whose leadership placed equal importance on people, culture, and long-term relationships. “My experience taught me that strong businesses begin with strong leadership teams,” Marquise says. “I wanted to help build a company from the inside, and Trevor and Kristen had a vision that focused on creating something sustainable for employees, business owners, and the communities they serve.” According to Marquise, his outside perspective has strengthened the company’s acquisition process by combining financial discipline with careful evaluation of cultural fit. He notes that every opportunity is assessed not only for operational potential but also for whether the business shares Vessel Homes Services’ values and commitment to customers and employees.  Marquise Boyd Image Credit: Vessel Home Services LLC Trevor explains that this philosophy became especially meaningful during the company’s most recent acquisition of another family-owned business. Rather than viewing the transition simply as a change in ownership, Vessel worked to preserve the company’s legacy while supporting its employees and continuing the relationships built with customers over many years. “Every business has a story,” Trevor says. “Our responsibility is to respect what has already been built while helping create opportunities for the future. When owners know their employees, customers, and legacy will continue to be cared for, that creates confidence throughout the transition.” That collaborative approach has supported [Vessel Home Services](https://www.vesselhomeservices.com/ "undefined")’ continued expansion while reinforcing the leadership principles that have guided the company since its founding. Kristen believes the experience offers a broader lesson for entrepreneurs building growing organizations. According to her, sustainable businesses are created by leaders who recognize the value of bringing together people with different expertise but a shared purpose. “Growth is ultimately about people,” Kristen says. “When you surround yourself with individuals who challenge your thinking, complement your strengths, and believe in the same mission, you create a business that can continue growing long into the future.” Building the Right Team to Build Something That Lasts: How Trevor and Kristen Franco Are Growing Vessel Home Services ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/-partner-name-/building-the-right-team-to-build-something-that-lasts-how-trevor-and-kristen-franco-are-growing-vessel-home-services/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/-partner-name-/building-the-right-team-to-build-something-that-lasts-how-trevor-and-kristen-franco-are-growing-vessel-home-services/"},"headline":"Building the Right Team to Build Something That Lasts: How Trevor and Kristen Franco Are Growing Vessel Home Services","datePublished":"2026-07-28T16:10:52.441Z","dateModified":"2026-07-15T21:31:47.988Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/branded-content/-partner-name-/building-the-right-team-to-build-something-that-lasts-how-trevor-and-kristen-franco-are-growing-vessel-home-services/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/-partner-name-/building-the-right-team-to-build-something-that-lasts-how-trevor-and-kristen-franco-are-growing-vessel-home-services/","name":"Building the Right Team to Build Something That Lasts: How Trevor and Kristen Franco Are Growing Vessel Home Services"}}]}] ```