Episode 14

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Published on:

6th May 2025

From Legacy to Leadership: Scaling Tonkin with Shane Pinner

How Shane Pinner of Tonkin grew a trade business from 7M to 25M+ by merging vision, leadership, and heart

In this compelling episode of TradesFormation Unlocked, Adrian Fadini sits down with Shane Pinner, co-founder of Tonkin, to unpack the incredible journey of merging two legacy trade businesses into a powerhouse of growth and leadership. Shane shares the real story behind Tonkin’s expansion from a local operation into a 25M+ enterprise, revealing the mindset, structure, and shared vision that fueled this transformation. From navigating partnerships to building internal leadership academies, Shane pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to create sustainable growth while staying rooted in community and values.

🧠 What You'll Learn

The critical factors for a successful business partnership

How Tonkin scaled from 7M to 25M in just five years

The value of shared vision and complimenting leadership styles

Why training and leadership development is essential in trades

How Tonkin redefined what a "trade business" can look like

Lessons from failed ventures and how they shaped future wins

The impact of data-driven decision making on profitability

Why you need to treat your business like a living, evolving entity

đź’¬ Memorable Quotes

"If you can't control the numbers in your business, then you're not in control of your life."
"We’re not just a trade business. We’re a training organization disguised as one."
"Knowledge without action is just knowledge — you’ve got to do something with it.
"We grew because we shared the vision, not the spotlight."

Trades business growth, partnerships in trades, Shane Pinner, Adrian Fadini, Tonkin Plumbing, leadership in trades, business systems, ServiceTitan, training culture, TradesFormation Unlocked, HVAC growth, trades leadership, profitability in trades

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About the Podcast

TradesFormation Unlocked
Sell. Scale. Systemise - The no BS podcast for Tradies
🔥 Description:
Welcome to TradesFormation Unlocked with Adrian Fadini — the no-BS podcast for tradies ready to break free from the tools and build real businesses. We dive deep into the sales, systems, and strategies that drive serious profit and sustainable growth. Whether you’re scaling your team, systemizing your ops, or just sick of doing it all yourself — this is your blueprint to sell smarter, scale faster, and systemize like a pro.

Raw insights. Real stories. Tactical gold.
Let’s get you off the tools and into control.

About your host

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Adrian Fadini

Adrian Fadini built Plumber To The Rescue from the ground up and turned it into one of Sydney’s most respected service trade businesses. He knows what it takes to build something that lasts—because he’s lived it.

After selling the business to his biggest competitor in 2012, he stayed on for two years, securing major commercial accounts—strata firms, pub groups, and businesses needing ongoing plumbing and electrical services.

Through it all, Adrian learned the power of training—not as a nice-to-have, but as a non-negotiable. It’s how he levelled up his team, created consistency, and built a business that could grow without him in the driver’s seat.

For over a decade, Adrian’s been coaching tradies across the service trades—plumbing, electrical, HVAC—you name it. He’s worked with clients at every stage, from solo operators trying to get off the tools to multi-million dollar businesses chasing serious scale.

Now, he brings all that experience to the table—real-world strategies, proven systems, and a genuine drive to help other tradies sell better, scale stronger, and systemize for long-term success.