Who is Donnie McMillan Jr., founder of DaBella?

Snapshot

Who is Donnie McMillan Jr.?

Donnie McMillan Jr. is the founder and CEO of DaBella, an exterior home-improvement company he started in 2011 in Portland, Oregon and has grown into one of the largest remodelers in the country, without taking private equity. He named the company after his twins, David and Isabella. DaBella reported roughly $387 million in remodeling revenue in 2024 and ranks among the top of the Qualified Remodeler Top 500.

Grow from within, and without private equity

McMillan's model rests on two rules. First, no outside capital: he is trying to scale nationally on operations alone.

We're trying to attempt something that's never been done before, which is to grow from sea to shining sea without any private equity money.

Second, promote strictly from within. DaBella does not acquire other companies or hire outside leaders into senior roles, so branch managers and regional leaders all start on the front line. The company pairs that with heavy investment in professional development, including leadership certification for hundreds of employees.

We don't acquire anybody. You have to start off as an entry-level person.

Why Donnie McMillan matters

In an industry being rapidly consolidated by private equity, McMillan is one of the most vocal advocates for the opposite path: bootstrapped, no acquisitions, culture and promotion as the growth engine. DaBella is a leading test of whether that model can reach national scale on its own terms.