TradeWins Launches in Bloomington to Help Contractors Build Businesses That Last

TradeWins, a locally based blue-collar collective, has officially launched with a mission to help residential contractors build stronger, more sustainable businesses. The organization was created to address a challenge common across the trades: most contractors were taught how to do the work, but very few were ever taught how to intentionally build the business underneath it.

As trade businesses grow, that missing foundation often shows up as owner dependency, stress, unclear decision-making, and limited long-term options. TradeWins exists to close that gap through education, structure, and hands-on support, delivered locally by experienced operators who have built and run trade businesses themselves.

“Most contractors aren’t failing,” said Jay Nelson, co-founder of TradeWins. “They were never taught how to build a business. I started a roofing company from the back of my car and learned that lesson the hard way. Hiring a coach and learning structure changed not just the company, but my life. I was a contractor first. Now I’m also a coach because I don’t think others should have to figure this out alone. TradeWins exists to help owners build businesses that work without burning them out.”

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TradeWins was co-founded by Jay Nelson alongside Dan Crites and Jerad Oren, bringing together complementary experience across trade operations, leadership, and long-term business building. The founding team shares a belief that contractor businesses deserve the same level of structure, clarity, and intentional design as any other serious enterprise, and that those lessons are best taught by people who have lived them firsthand.

A Local, Operator-Led Collective
TradeWins is built as a blue-collar collective, not a networking group, coaching funnel, or software platform. The focus is on practical education, shared operating language, and real-world application. Everything is done locally and in person, with an emphasis on long-term relationships rather than quick transactions.
The collective serves residential contractors at all stages, from solo operators and growing teams to established owners beginning to think about the future of their business. Education comes first. Deeper support follows only when it makes sense.

TradeWins operates by four core values:

• Willingness – being open to reality and change
• Intentional – designing the business on purpose, not by reaction
• Networked – building strong businesses through trusted local relationships
• Sustainable – creating companies that work without burning out the owner

What TradeWins Offers
TradeWins supports contractors through several connected paths, each designed to stand on its own while working together as a system.

Classes and Workshops
In-person education focused on the business fundamentals most contractors were never taught. Topics include structure, roles, numbers, accountability, and operating rhythm. These sessions are educational, not sales-driven.

The Business Behind Blue-Collar – Monthly Series
A recurring monthly series built around the idea of Connect. Learn. Discuss. These sessions create space for real conversations about how trade businesses actually work, why common problems show up as companies grow, and how structure changes outcomes.

One-on-One Operating Support
Hands-on support for owners who want deeper help installing structure into their business. This work focuses on clear roles, meetings, accountability, and numbers to reduce owner dependency and create clarity.

Long-Term Planning and Exit Readiness
For established owners, TradeWins also supports long-term planning around stability, succession, and exit options. The goal is to give owners real choices and prepare the business for the future, whatever that looks like.

Community Kickoff Events
TradeWins is launching its public presence with two education-focused initiatives open to the local trade community.

The first is the kickoff of The Business Behind Blue-Collar, a free monthly series beginning Friday, March 6, from 5:00–7:00 PM at Heartwork Brewing in Bloomington. The event introduces the TradeWins philosophy and includes discussion around business structure, modern marketing realities, and why owner dependency is so common in the trades.

TradeWins is also partnering with Ivy Tech Community College to deliver an eight-week, in-person course titled Business Foundations for the Trades, beginning March 24. The course is designed for trade professionals who want a clear, practical understanding of how a contracting business should be structured, managed, and grown.

Built for the Community and the Long Term
TradeWins’ broader mission is to strengthen the local trade community by helping businesses run better and last longer. By focusing on education first and relationships over time, the organization aims to improve the quality, stability, and sustainability of local contractor businesses while keeping opportunity and ownership rooted in the community.

“This is about building the business under the work,” Nelson added. “When contractors have structure, everyone benefits – owners, employees, customers, and the local economy.”

Learn More
The Business Behind Blue-Collar – Monthly Series Kickoff
Friday, March 6 | 5:00–7:00 PM
Heartwork Brewing, Bloomington, IN
Registration:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-business-behind-blue-collar-tickets-1981585013117?aff=oddtdtcreator

Business Foundations for the Trades – Ivy Tech Course
Starts March 24
Ivy Tech Community College, Bloomington
Registration:
https://ivyforce.my.site.com/skills/s/login?crn=41461

​For more information about TradeWins and upcoming programs, visit tradewinscollective.com.