For years, COR Solar & Electric (COR) operated with vision and grit, serving rural communities in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma with solar energy systems designed to reduce costs and support sustainable agriculture. But even the strongest intentions can only carry a business so far without foundational systems, cohesive processes, and a clear strategic direction.
That’s where LeadWell Advisory Partners came in—not as external consultants, but as invested co-owners determined to help rebuild the company from the inside out.
In a candid conversation with John Freese and Amanda Trevillion, two operational leaders within COR Solar, a portrait of transformation emerges—one marked by transparency, process building, and the kind of trust that only comes when you’re in the trenches together.
Diagnosing the core Problem
“If LeadWell and our owners hadn’t stepped up in it, I don’t think COR would be here,” said John Freese, who oversees all Engineering, Design, and Electrical services at the company.
It wasn’t a lack of dedication or expertise that threatened COR’s future—it was the absence of structure. Inconsistent handoffs, scattered documentation, and undefined roles had turned daily operations into a guessing game. Contracts got delayed. Clients went unnotified. Projects lingered in limbo.
Amanda Trevillion, who leads all Financial, Legal/Regulatory and Business Development efforts, remembers the uncertainty. “We had people doing the work, but we didn’t have a clear process for who was responsible for what,” she said. “We had no idea where to start with a roadmap, but we knew we needed something in place.”
Ownership with Intention
When Torrey and Jason Barnhouse, brothers and co-founders of LeadWell Advisory Partners and LeadWell Capital Partners invested in COR Solar, they did so with a unique posture—not as distant financiers, but as collaborators embedded within the team. The Barnhouse’s, solicited the investment, wisdom and experience of another local financial professional and recurring, collaborative investor, to assist them with the governance and restructuring of the company. Combined, the experienced team brought with them a systems-oriented approach, a background in advisory services, and a deep respect for the people already doing the work.
“They didn’t just come in and start changing everything,” Amanda noted. “They asked questions. They listened. They looked at what was working and what wasn’t. Then they helped us rebuild—piece by piece.”
That rebuilding began with restructuring management, defining roles, and laying the groundwork for communication across departments. LeadWell focused on three critical challenges: culture, operational efficiency and go-to-market precision and professionalism. These critical pillars required collaboration and thoughtful evaluation of operational design and backend systems, new sales process, CRM implementation, product modeling, and legal infrastructure for the new tax credit business model.
“They’ve all been working non-stop,” John said. “Completely overhauling the sales program, re-designing an entirely new business model, and implementing clear costing, approvals, and design oversight processes.”
Designing for Clarity
One of the most impactful changes was the introduction of Zoho—a CRM and project management suite that became the digital spine of COR’s new operations.
“Before they came in, I didn’t even know what Zoho was,” John stated. “Now we use Zoho Projects, Zoho Sign, Zoho Desk. It’s streamlined everything.”
With Zoho in place, COR Solar & Electric began centralizing its workflow. Every signed proposal now triggered a predictable sequence of events: documentation collection, engineering plan reviews, contract generation, client communication, and project monitoring. That clarity has saved countless hours and minimized the risk of human error.
Amanda described it as a relief. “Now, we have order. We know who collects the utility bills. Who builds the estimates, budgets, proposals and contracts. We’re dedicated to the structure, process and tools that we’ve collaboratively designed and implemented with our investor/advisory partners.”
And it’s not just about internal convenience. The new system has also improved communication with clients, contractors, and utility providers—some of whom, don’t rely heavily on communication technology, rather spending most of their time and technology investment on the systems they rely on to manage their modern farm operations. What they don’t want is one-more email to respond to when their workday is final over.
“One of our farmers couldn’t use DocuSign because he didn’t own a laptop,” John said. “We had to create signature workarounds. But now, even that has a process.”
Managing the Transition with Trust
For all the technical improvements, what stands out most to both John and Amanda is the relational equity that LeadWell brought to the table.
“No micromanagement,” John said. “Just support and insight. No nonsense, no ego. Just straight answers.”
Amanda echoed the same sentiment. ” They’re partners. I feel like I can ask questions. I can tell them if I made a mistake. And I know they’ll respond with honesty and support.”
That level of mutual trust has made room for something rare in post-acquisition or turnaround scenarios: stability.
“Even though I don’t work in the office with them, I come in every day knowing that someone has our back,” Amanda said. “That makes a huge difference.”
Measuring Success — And What Comes Next
When asked how they define success, both John and Amanda give answers grounded in realism.
For John, it’s all about clean execution. “A successful project is one that goes from a signed proposal to a fully installed and functioning system without hiccups, delays, or lost documentation. That’s it.”
That might sound simple, but in the solar world—especially in rural America—timelines are unpredictable, clients are hard to reach, and bureaucratic hurdles abound. With LeadWell’s support, COR is finally creating systems that account for those variables without derailing progress.
“My real goal is to have one project go through where everything works the way it’s supposed to,” John said. “All the documents in one place. No last-minute scrambles. Just smooth execution.”
Amanda, meanwhile, views success as a long-term climb. “I think we’re almost at the top of the hill,” she said. “Not all the way there yet, but close. We’ve come so far from where we started. And that’s because of the structure Leadwell helped us put in place.”
As for company-wide metrics? “Profitability,” John said without hesitation. “We can’t fulfill our mission of helping farmers go solar if we’re not profitable. That’s the baseline. Everything else builds from there.”
Always Room to Improve
Both John and Amanda are eager to continue improving, inspired by the progress they’ve seen thus far. John points out that the pipeline between sales and operations is his next mountain to climb, eager to modernize the communication from their current email-chain process to something quick, sleek, and automated.
Amanda agrees but frames it in the context of growth. “We’re never going to stop improving or learning –so much has already been accomplished, but in a few months we will see the next growth phase that we’ve been preparing for.”
And that’s the prevailing theme at COR Solar today: momentum. Not perfection. Not a polished turnaround story. COR Solar works with farmers, beautifully integrating the old-world craft with new and modern power and do so by prioritizing meaningful, measurable progress that’s making work more enjoyable, more productive, and more sustainable.
More Than a Turnaround
LeadWell’s role at COR Solar goes far beyond ownership. It’s a case study in what’s possible when advisors roll up their sleeves, align with values, and rebuild side-by-side with the teams they support.
“They didn’t have to take this on,” Amanda said. “But they believed in us. And now, we believe in what we’re building.”
If there’s one lesson that applies beyond COR’s story, it’s this: Transformation doesn’t happen through strategy alone. It happens when good people step into hard situations and commit to making them better—day by day, system by system, person by person.
And at COR Solar, that’s exactly what’s happening.
What LeadWell can Offer
LeadWell Advisory Partners stands apart by embedding directly into the growth and transition moments that most firms only advise on from the outside. In addition to a focus on transactions, reports, or executive optics, LeadWell delivers hands-on strategy, interim leadership, and proprietary marketing intelligence, working shoulder-to-shoulder with founders and operators in motion. Built for the middle market, grounded in human relationships, and driven by real outcomes, LeadWell combines elite insight with real-world execution when it matters most.