British company buys Clockwork

Sarasota entrepreneur Jim Abrams wanted Centrica, a British-based energy and home services conglomerate, to buy his company in 2002.

Back then, Abrams had run VenVest, a home services repair company with $14.3 million in annual sales. “I thought it would be a great marriage,” recalls Abrams. “They declined the opportunity.”

Abrams instead led VenVest on a major acquisition and growth plan. The company was renamed Clockwork Home Services in 2006 and by 2008, after a series of acquisitions and organic growth, it had $215 million in annual revenues. Growth like that finally got Centrica's attention.