Clarity, control and consistency at scale
Discover how a consumer services business streamlined reporting and scaled operations using field service finance tools — without growing the team.
Client background
Redwood Services is rapidly building a network of premier residential HVAC, plumbing and electrical businesses across the U.S. By partnering with trusted local brands and providing strategic support, Redwood helps those companies grow, operate more efficiently and deliver exceptional service to homeowners. Since its founding in 2020, the Memphis-based company has expanded to include 19 platform brands and countless tuck-in acquisitions.
The business challenge
Scaling fast without adding friction
Redwood’s growth strategy is both ambitious and intentional: identify strong local businesses, partner with them and help them thrive as part of a national network. But behind that strategy lies enormous financial reporting complexity. Every new platform brings new processes, new systems and a new set of reporting requirements.
“We’re extremely partner-friendly,” says Lauren Pelkey, vice president and controller at Redwood Services. “We don’t come in and force change — we meet partners where they are. That means our systems have to be flexible and scalable enough to support the way each company works while still delivering consolidated insight.”
In the early days, consolidating results meant pulling data from separate QuickBooks files. Financial closes took weeks. Reporting was inconsistent. And the finance team was spending more time troubleshooting spreadsheets than driving insights.
“We were growing too fast for that to be sustainable,” Lauren says. “We needed a better way to onboard new partners, consolidate our data and support smarter decisions across the portfolio — without having to double the size of our team.”
Strategy and solution
Redwood selected Sage Intacct, implemented and continually supported by Baker Tilly and powered by Baker Tilly’s Home and Commercial Services Module. The solution gives Redwood the ability to standardize financial processes across dozens of companies — without sacrificing the flexibility needed for effective onboarding.
“Baker Tilly has been extremely helpful,” Lauren says. “They understand our industry and our model and assist us in implementing Intacct in a way that aligns with our strategy. They’ve helped us create a playbook that we can use repeatedly with each new partnership.”
The playbook includes a structured process for converting legacy systems like QuickBooks into Sage Intacct, mapping each new partner to a standardized chart of accounts and integrating field services management tools like ServiceTitan. With this repeatable model, Redwood can complete implementations in just a few weeks — without interrupting day-to-day operations.
That process begins with importing historical data from each partner’s legacy system, usually QuickBooks, and mapping it to Redwood’s standardized chart of accounts. Phase one offers visibility for corporate stakeholders while helping partners ease into the new system. From there, Baker Tilly oversees an average eight-week implementation tailored to each business, including comprehensive training and support.
Because we've already loaded the structure, implementation is focused on adoption and training. Baker Tilly does the heavy lifting, and we stay focused on the business.Lauren Pelkey, Vice President and Controller, Redwood Services
Redwood also utilizes ServiceTitan for operational metrics and integrates it with Sage Intacct using the solution’s application programming interface. “We pair gross margin from Sage Intacct with call volume and close rates from ServiceTitan,” Lauren says. “That’s what gives our operations teams real-time insight.”
The consistent chart of accounts across entities makes this level of analysis possible. “Before, we had 19 different businesses to explain to auditors,” she adds. “Now they see one unified structure, which makes our audit go faster and smoother.”
Sustained growth, without added headcount
With Sage Intacct and Baker Tilly, Redwood has developed the financial reporting infrastructure to support their rapidly growing business. The team handling consolidated reporting has remained just three people, even as the portfolio has scaled. Lauren estimates the team would have needed several additional full-time hires to keep up using legacy systems. Instead, automation and standardized processes have kept the team lean and focused.
Close and reporting cycles that once took up to 45 days now take fewer than 10. Each operating company can close books within seven business days — something previously unheard of. The team has also built an onboarding model that supports simultaneous implementations, allowing Redwood to maintain its growth pace without creating operational bottlenecks.
That consistency extends to performance measurement as well. With all entities using the same chart of accounts, Sage Intacct enables Redwood to define KPIs — such as gross margin and profitability benchmarks — that are instantly visible across the entire portfolio. “If something’s off, we know where to look and what to fix,” Lauren says.
Our investors, our partners and our internal teams all rely on the consistency we've built. And with Baker Tilly and Sage Intacct, we know we can keep scaling without slowing down.Lauren Pelkey, Vice President and Controller, Redwood Services
Beyond the numbers, the finance team has more time to support operations, surface insights and engage with the board. “We’re spending less time compiling and more time analyzing,” Lauren says. “That allows us to engage more meaningfully with the board and elevate the role of finance across the organization.”
With the playbook in place and the right alliance by their side, Redwood is ready for whatever comes next.