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Exclusively serving plumbing contractors and franchisees | plumbermag.com March 2021
OLD-SCHOOL
OPERATION From humble origins, the
Peña family built a nearly
60-year-old business
based on basics Page 14
On The Road
REFERRAL PROGRAMS CAN HELP
CUSTOMERS, AND YOUR COMPANY
Page 24
In The Shop
TIME TO GO GREEN WITH
NEW COMPANY VEHICLES
Page 28
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CONTENTS March 2021
8 From the Editor:
Looking for Improvement
Take time to work with your team one-on-one
to build a love and dedication to the industry
and your company.
- By Cory Dellenbach
10 @plumbermag.com
Check out our exclusive online content.
14 Profile:
Old-School Operation
From humble origins, the Peña family built a
nearly 60-year-old business based on basics.
- By Ken Wyscoky
24 On The Road:
Very Verbal Marketing
Revenue-boosting referral program urges
customers to become blabbermouths.
- By Ken Wysocky
28
32 Smart Business:
Focusing on Your Website
There are some basic necessities that any
plumbing company should have prominently
displayed on its website.
- By Alicia Johnston
34 Industry Insider:
The Importance of Brand Consistency
Embracing Green
In the SHOP
Keeping elements consistent in advertising will
allow customers to easily recognize your
plumbing company.
CNG, electric vehicles provide - By Anthony Pacilla
options for plumbers looking to
become more environmentally
friendly and see cost savings. 36 Product Focus:
Pipeline and Lateral Rehabilitation
- By Craig Mandli
- By Tim Dobbins
Exclusively serving plumbing contractors and franchisees | plumbermag.com March 2021
On the Cover
40 Case Studies:
Pipeline and Lateral Rehabilitation
Valley Plumbing, Heating & Cooling - By Craig Mandli
plumbing technician Jake Johnson uses a
OLD-SCHOOL
pipe wrench to tighten a gas piping union
on a chile seed dryer. Johnson has worked 42 Industry News
OPERATION
44
From humble origins, the
Peña family built a nearly
for the company for 25-plus years. The Product News:
company was founded in 1963 by Raul
Product Spotlight: Camera ideal for
60-year-old business
based on basics Page 14
Peña and is now operated by Raul’s son
On The Road
REFERRAL PROGRAMS CAN HELP
Steve. The company services an area 15 small-diameter pipe inspection
miles around Mesilla, New Mexico.
CUSTOMERS, AND YOUR COMPANY
- By Tim Dobbins
Page 24
In The Shop
TIME TO GO GREEN WITH
(Photography by Brian Kanof)
NEW COMPANY VEHICLES
Page 28
Coming Next Month - 48 Calendar
Inspection, Location and Leak Detection
Plumber Profile: Kegonsa Plumbing (Madison, Wisconsin)
Industry Insider: Randy Lorge
On The Road: Coming Up With Company Names
4
ADVERTISER INDEX
ALLAN J. COLEMAN Mark’s Plumbing Parts . . . . . . 26, 33
SINCE 1905
Allan J. Coleman Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Exclusively serving plumbing contractors and franchisees
Your Equipment SUPERSTORE Since 1995
MaxLiner USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Published monthly by COLE Publishing, Inc.
1720 Maple Lake Dam Rd., PO Box 220
McCormick Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . 48 Three Lakes, WI 54562
Amazing Machinery, LLC . . . . . . . . .13
American Jetter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Call toll-free 800-257-7222
Outside of U.S. or Canada call 715-546-3346
Arctic Blaster, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Mon.- Fri., 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. CST
Nexstar Network, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .22 Website: www.plumbermag.com
Email: info@plumbermag.com | Fax: 715-546-3786
Bradford White Water Heaters . . . .27
NuFlow Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . .11
BrassCraft Mfg. Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: A one-year (12-issue) subscription
to Plumber in the United States or Canada is free to qualified
BRIGHT DYES - subscribers. A qualified subscriber is any individual or
Division of Kingscote Chemicals . 48 company in the United States or Canada that is involved in
Picote Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 the inspection, cleaning, repair and installation of residential
and commercial sewer lines. Non-qualified subscriptions are
available at a cost of $60 per year in the United States and
Canada/Mexico. Subscriptions to all other foreign countries
Cam Spray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 cost $80 per year. To qualify, visit www.plumbermag.com/
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Central Oklahoma Winnelson . . . . 26 may be of interest to you. Your privacy is important to us. If
you prefer not to be a part of these lists, please contact Holly
at holly.gensler@colepublishing.com.
Pulsar 2000, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Rinnai America Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: RATE: No Photo Classified $25 for
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Duracable Manufacturing Co. . . . . 43 Service Nation/Roundtable. . . . . . .12 must be PAID IN ADVANCE. DEADLINE: Classifieds must
be received by the first of the month for insertion in the next
Flows.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 SharkBite (RWC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 month’s edition. PHONE-IN ADS ARE NOT ACCEPTED. Ads
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General Pipe Cleaners, Publishing Inc. and mail with classified ad to the address
div. of General Wire Spring . . . . . . 52 Spartan Tool LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 above. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING APPEARS NATIONWIDE
Superior Signal Company LLC . . . 48 AND ON THE INTERNET. Not responsible for errors beyond
first insertion.
DISPLAY ADVERTISING: Contact
one of our sales staff at 800-
Trojan Worldwide, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .51 994-7990. Publisher reserves
HammerHead Trenchless . . . . . . . 47 the right to reject advertising
that in its opinion is misleading,
unfair or incompatible with the Ann Richmond Winnie May
character of the publication.
TRY TEK Machine Works, Inc. . . . . .12
REPRINTS AND BACK ISSUES: Visit www.plumbermag.com
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plumbermag.com | March 2021 7
FROM THE EDITOR
Cory Dellenbach
Looking for Improvement
Take time to work with your team one-on-one to build a love
and dedication to the industry and your company
’ve said it before in this column, but I enjoy it
Having a team that shows that dedication
I when I hear from our readers. I’ll get an email
from a reader telling me about his or her busi- and love for what they do each day starts at
ness, how they entered the industry, or about a
job they took on.
the top, with the owner of the company.
Last year Steve Peña, owner of Valley Plumbing, Heat-
ing & Cooling in Mesilla, New Mexico, reached out to me the company. That individual needs to show that them-
to introduce himself and sent along a photo of some old selves and then train the rest of the staff to have that
plumbing tools. dedication.
Those tools were his dads when he first started the com- It really isn’t that hard. Sit the crew down, tell and show
pany in the 1960s. You could tell in Steve’s email that he was them how you expect them to be on job sites, why you feel
proud of his company, proud of the tools he had on display, it’s important for them to be that way and tell them why you
and thoroughly enjoyed working in the industry. have that dedication to the industry.
If you do that enough, the crew will start to buy into it,
DEDICATION and it will pay off for your company. Your customers will
Steve took over the company from his dad and mom in see the quality work being done by dedicated staff and they’ll
the early 2000s and decided to keep it a small operation. want to keep coming to your plumbing company.
We’ve run profiles on companies that are both huge In a normal year the owner of the company and their
and small in the pages of Plumber magazine over the last crews could attend trade shows to start building that dedi-
few years. They all have one thing in common typically — cation and getting some training in, but with the COVID-
the love for the industry and the dedication to customers 19 pandemic many of those trade shows aren’t being held
they serve. now or have gone all digital.
You can see that love for what they do in how the That doesn’t mean you have to stop with the training.
businesses are run. Those who truly care about the industry The crews can still undergo training on their own. Have a
and what they do are typically more professional; they take more experienced plumber go out with a less experienced
pride in what they do for their customers and their own one and teach them. Have the owner go out with their crew
employees. and see what needs to be improved.
Having that love and dedication for what you do is what Use this time that you might have on your hands now
your customers will see before anything else. If I am look- and put it back into your company by way of training and
ing for a plumber, I want someone who enjoys what he or working with your crews more closely.
she does and not someone who is going to hate every min-
ute of it and not do quality work. REACH OUT
As I said at the start, I enjoy hearing from you. Let me
AT THE TOP know about your company or a job you’re working on. Email
Having a team that shows that dedication and love for me at editor@plumbermag.com or call 715-350-8436.
what they do each day starts at the top, with the owner of Enjoy this issue!
8
plumbermag.com | March 2021 9
@ plumbermag.com
Visit the site daily for new, exclusive content.
Read our blogs, find resources and get the most out of Plumber Magazine.
OVERHEARD ONLINE
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— Remove Barriers That Prevent Potential
Customers From Calling You
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2195.00 FREE FreightSteve Peña, owner of Valley
Plumbing, Heating & Cooling,
stands in front of a work bench
and a wall displaying antique
tools his dad plumbed with
when he started the company
in 1963. Steve took over the
company after his mom
passed away in 2012.
OLD-SCHOOL
OPERATION
From humble origins, the Peña family built a
nearly 60-year-old business based on basics
By Ken Wysocky | Photography by Brian Kanof
Valley Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Inc., Mesilla, New Mexico
OWNER Steve Peña
FOUNDED 1963
EMPLOYEES Four
SERVICES Residential service/repair, drain cleaning
SERVICE AREA 15-mile radius around Mesilla
14F
or a classic American business suc-
cess story, look no further than
Valley Plumbing, Heating & Cool-
ing in Mesilla, New Mexico.
“ We want to make sure clients get a good quality job
every time. But we’re not infallible and I will never claim
to be. So when screwups happen, we remedy them
The late Raul Peña, who came from a family
of farm laborers, founded the company back in
right away, even if we lose money on the job.”
1963. He was equipped with little more than Steve Peña
utilities experience gleaned from a stint in the
U.S. Army (which included serving in the Korean
War), a mechanical contractor’s license, basic tools and the kitchen table as his desk and a small detached garage
a boundless work ethic. as his shop. Very humble beginnings.
Peña also had a steadfast partner — his wife, Beatrice, “Eventually he started to hire employees,” he contin-
whom he married in 1953 — as well as a strong desire to ues. “I remember that at one time he had 15 employees
ply a trade instead of farming. punching a time clock. But some of them were tempo-
Nearly six decades later, his son, Steve, owns the com- rary; he usually had about five full-time employees.”
pany and carries on his parents’ legacy: passionately and Why did he choose plumbing as a career? “He joined
compassionately providing essential home services in the Army at age 17 and the skills he developed there and
and around Mesilla, located on the southwest outskirts later on while working for a propane company were a
of Las Cruces in the Mesilla Valley. good fit,” Peña explains. “He loved mechanical work.”
“When my father started out, he would do everything The elder Peña wanted to call the company Mesilla
and anything, from service and repair work to new con- Plumbing. But the name already was taken, so he named it
struction,” Peña says. “He used our kitchen as an office, Valley Plumbing, a nod to the valley in which the town lies.
Jake Johnson rolls out the poly
gas tubing after he and David
Peña connect it to an iron pipe
game riser on a job site.Steve Peña tightens a U-bolt on a water meter
attached to a water irrigation discharge pipe on a
chili pepper farm, while David Peña, left, and Jake
Johnson, center, measure and cut poly gas tubing for
the natural gas supply to the irrigation pump motor.
The other plumbing company no longer exists. But Valley no website or social media; he relies instead on time-
Plumbing is still going strong. honored basics such as word-of-mouth referrals and the
Steve Peña joined the company in 1976, after serving company’s strong reputation for integrity and workmanship.
in the U.S. Navy for three years after graduating from high The old-school philosophy extends to vehicles and
school. “I felt fortunate to come home to a full-time job,” machines. Take the company’s smartly lettered 1987 and
he recalls. “But I had to prove myself to my parents. 1993 Chevrolet step vans, with 110,000 and 130,000 miles
“That took a few years because I made my share of mis- on the odometers, respectively, and still going strong,
takes, like any other rookie,” he notes. “But I eventually thanks to meticulous maintenance.
proved myself, there was no privilege or entitlement in “They’re great vehicles,” he says. “You can fit all kinds
their book.” of stuff in them — you name it, we can carry it. Plus you
Raul Peña died in 2007 and Steve, now 66 years old, can stand up inside them.
took official ownership of the company in 2012, after his “There used to be a dealer here in town that had them
mother passed away. for sale all the time,” he adds. “We take real good care of
them, do the regular oil changes and lube jobs. They’re
BUSINESS BASICS very reliable, they just work for us.”
Peña runs the business with the same old-school Each truck carries three drain machines made by
mentality embraced by his father. For marketing, there’s Spartan Tool: a 1065 model (made for 3- to 10-inch
Wall of antique tools evokes
memories of plumber’s father
When Steve Peña, the owner of Valley Plumbing, But those differences dissolved over the years as Peña says
Heating & Cooling in Mesilla, New Mexico, talks about he proved himself as a plumber.
his father, Raul, who established the company in 1963, “He taught me so many things — to be honest, to do
the emotion in his voice is unmistakable. a good job, to have faith in the Lord and to love our
And as a visible testament to his father’s enduring country,” he says of his father, who died in 2007. “When
influence and work ethic, Peña created what he calls “the I started working for him, I felt a lot of pressure to live
antique wall” about three years ago in his shop. up to his standards.
The pegboard wall holds dozens of vintage tools his “But now I’m not so hard on myself,” he continues.
father once used to build a business that’s now nearly “I think I’ve done a decent job and proved myself to him
six decades old. The array includes keyhole saws. A and my mom.”
hacksaw. A ladle used to pour melted lead. A hand-crank Peña also has other tools his father used that aren’t
drill. A folding wooden measuring stick. Old sections of on the wall, like the 6-foot-long metal rods plumbers
pipes with lead-and-oakum fittings (oakum was material screwed together and pushed through drain lines to
made from old rope fibers and oil or pine tar and used unclog them.
to seal pipe joints). And a hand-crank, drain-cleaning “There was no motor to drive them through clogs,” he
device that was used to feed a 1/4-inch-diameter cable notes. “When sewer machines with motors came out, he
through pipelines. was in heaven.”
“I took a lot of stuff from his old inventory, including “Guys back in the day were real plumbers, man,” he
his lead-and-oakum tools, and hung them on the wall,” adds. “Nowadays everything is plastic and flexible. But
he explains. “I just love that kind of stuff. I have a strong there was little margin for error with rigid pipe.”
emotional attachment to these tools, knowing that he There’s also a line of more than a dozen old pipe
used them every day to provide for me and my mom and wrenches hanging on another wall in Peña’s shop, yet
my sister.” another reminder of a self-made man who left a lasting
Peña admits he often butted heads with his father impression on his son.
when he came back home in 1976 to work for the family “I have even more tools in his old tool box,” he says.
company following three years of service in the U.S. Navy. “They mean so much to me.”
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plumbermag.com | March 2021 17diameter drainlines), a 100 model (designed for 1 1/2- to Regular maintenance protocols are critical to keeping
4-inch lines) and a smaller model 81 (for bathtub, shower older machines running. When business is slower,
and sink drains). The machines were purchased around technician Jake Johnson, Peña’s right-hand man who’s
1985 and still run great. been with the company for more than 25 years, takes the
“They’re great machines, lot of torque in those motors,” machines apart and then cleans and lubricates them.
Peña says. “That helps to keep them running,” Peña says. “I’m
okay with using older tools. With our equipment and our
OLDIES BUT GOODIES experience, we get the jobs done. I appreciate new technology,
The company also still relies on a Spartan 737 trailer- but I appreciate the old school, too.”
mounted water jetter that Peña’s father bought in 1985. The company also owns a Chaser push camera and
It features a 53-gallon water tank, 164 feet of ¾-inch- monitor for inspecting drainlines, made by UEMSI/HTV;
diameter hose and water pump that generates 1,000 psi an acoustic leak-detection system from Vivax-Metrotech;
of pressure. and a Model 845-5 backflow test kit manufactured by
Mid-West Instrument.
The company also invests in power
tools made by Milwaukee Tool, RIDGID
and Hilti.
COMPLEX JOB
Peña recalls the days years ago when
the company’s services were quite
different. As an example, he points to
a complex project performed nearly 30
years ago for a local chile farmer who,
in conjunction with chile farmers in
Mexico, built a chile-dehydrating plant
in the city of Camargo, in the Mexican
state of Chihuahua.
“They were building a plant to dry
the chiles and process them,” he explains.
Peña f lew to C a ma rgo to t a ke
measurements for all the 2-inch, black-
iron pipes and flexible polyethylene
underground pipes that would supply
propane gas to the burners used to heat
The staff at Valley Plumbing, Heating & Cooling includes, from left, Jake Johnson, the chiles.
plumbing technician; David Peña, plumbing apprentice; Steve Peña, owner; and Then Peña pre-fabricated and tested
Veronica Garcia, office manager. everything in his shop, including testing
the gas burners. After all the components
“It was one of the first trailer jetters in Doña Ana were delivered via a semi-trailer, Peña went back to
County,” says Peña. “A Spartan rep brought it over for a Camargo to install it all, which took about three days.
demonstration and we took it to a restaurant and cleaned “It was a very challenging job,” he says. “One of my
a clogged sewer line. We used to work with a lot of restau- helpers and I drove down there and put it all together. Then
rants back in the day, cleaning grease blockages. they fired it up and tested it out. It all worked great — and
“Man, we liked that machine — Dad bought it right that farmer still is one of our clients.”
then and there for around $5,000,” he adds. “If we can’t
unclog a line with one of our cable machines, we still use ADAPTING TO CHANGES
the jetter, either on sewer lines or septic system As competition increased for installing new-construction
drainfields.” plumbing, Peña slowly withdrew from that sector. As a
Continued
18Plumbing apprentice David Peña and technician Jake
Johnson connect a 1-inch iron pipe game riser to 1-inch
poly gas tubing for the natural gas supply to a water
irrigation pump motor at a chili pepper farm near
Mesilla, New Mexico.
result, the company eventually sold its trenching
machines and excavators and downsized to the
four employees on board today: Peña; Johnson;
Peña’s son, David, an apprentice; and office
manager Veronica Garcia, also Peña’s cousin.
“I wanted less stress, so we decided to
concentrate on service repair which has always
“ I’m okay with using older tools. With our equipment
been our niche — our bread and butter,” he
explains. “We have very loyal customers that keep
us going.” and our experience, we get the jobs done. I appreciate
The difficulty in finding quality employees
also influenced Peña’s decision to downsize. Too
new technology, but I appreciate the old school, too.”
many “bad apples” led to subpar work and profit Steve Peña
killing callbacks, he notes.
Speaking of callbacks, Peña says part of the
company’s success stems from one of many lessons he As much as Peña hates the idea, Valley Plumbing most
learned from his father: Always take ownership of errors likely will not continue on after he retires. He says he’s
and make things right with customers. accepted this fact and knows there will come a day when
“We want to make sure clients get a good quality job it’s time to let a next generation of plumbers — includ-
every time,” he says. “But we’re not infallible and I will ing Johnson and his son, Zach — to make their mark
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and we will make it right,’” he adds. “And we do.” at the moment, by the grace of God, we’re surviving and
Peña also says quality workmanship has contributed paying our vendors every month and paying ourselves
greatly to the company’s success and longevity. every month. So we just take it one day at a time.”
“I’m a perfectionist, which I learned from my father,
who was very demanding and hard on me,” he explains.
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22n the ROAD
Very Verbal Marketing
Revenue-boosting referral program urges
customers to become blabbermouths
By Ken Wysocky
A
t Anthony Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Elec-
trical in Kansas, technicians are encouraged to
be bigmouths — as in spread the word to cus- Lexena, KS
tomers about the company’s innovative Big Mouth Refer-
ral Rewards program.
The program rewards customers who hire the company
COMPANY Anthony Plumbing, Heating,
to install new HVAC systems or replace lateral sewer Cooling & Electrical Inc.,
lines, then refer the company to other people that do the Lexena, Kansas
same. And technicians play a role in marketing the
OWNER Turnpoint Services LLC
program, under which customers can earn up to seven
refunds that eventually could cover the entire cost of STRATEGY Referral-reward program
their installation, says Kim Westhoff, director of marketing
FUNCTION Encourage customers to make
at the company, based in Lexena, a southwestern suburb word-of-mouth referrals
of Kansas City, Kansas.
“If a technician makes a repair and sees that an HVAC FEATURES Phased-in financial rewards for
customers who install an HVAC
system or a sewer line either needs to be replaced or should system/new sewer line, then refer
be replaced in the near future, they give the customer a other people who do the same;
with seven successful referrals,
flyer that explains the program,” Westhoff explains. customers recoup the entire cost
However, a less-is-more approach tends to yield the best of their installation; multipronged
results. Instead of taking valuable time to explain the marketing program
program in great detail, the company trains technicians to
COST 20-1 return-on-investment ratio
keep their sales pitch short and sweet, which benefits both
them and the customer, she says. WEBSITE www.anthonyplumbingphc.com
“They tell the customer two things,” Westhoff says.
“The first is that we have a great referral program in which
Anthony will keep writing them checks that, with enough to Anthony who also hires the company for an installation,
referrals, could eventually pay for the entire system. they get a check for 5% of their initial investment.
Second, if they want more details, read the flyer, call the A second successful referral earns the customer a 7%
office, talk to a comfort advisor or visit the company refund; a third referral generates a 10% refund; a fourth
website for further details. produces a 15% refund; and the next three referrals earn
“We can’t expect them to explain all the details right 18%, 20% and 25% referrals, respectively, for a total of 100%.
then and there because many technicians don’t feel “It’s been very successful,” Westhoff says of the nearly
comfortable being salespeople.” 10-year-old program, which she rebranded with the catchy
and somewhat sassy Big Mouth theme after she joined the
MORE REFERRALS, MORE CHECKS company four years ago. She credits Steve Burbridge, the
Here’s how the referral system works: If a customer that former owner of the company who now is its president, for
bought a new system or new sewer line refers someone else creating the program.
24A customer of Anthony Plumbing, Heating, Cooling &
Electrical in Lexena, Kansas, holds out a referral check
she received after taking part in the company’s Big
Mouth Referral Reward program. Customers can earn
up to seven refunds that eventually could cover the
entire cost of their HVAC or sewer lateral installations
if they refer customers to the company that in turn hire
them. (Photo courtesy of Anthony Plumbing, Heating,
Cooling & Electrical)
Since its inception, nearly 300
“ Obviously, revenue makes the world go around. But you also
have to ensure that consumers perceive the value and trust
customers have referred people who the brand so much that they’d refer us to family and friends.”
subsequently purchased new systems. Kim Westhoff
A customer-relations system keeps
track of all referrals, she says.
Some of those customers are one-
and-dones, with just a single referral. Only a handful have ADDS VALUE TO BRANDING
racked up enough successful referrals to cover the cost of But the program also creates another benefit that’s not
their installations, Westhoff says. as tangible as revenue but critical to marketing and branding:
“During each year, we generally have about 40 to 60 In consumers’ minds, it reinforces that the company
of what we call ‘active’ referrers — customers that keep provides them with great value, she says.
referring people and have received multiple checks,” “Obviously, revenue makes the world go around,”
she adds. Westhoff notes. “But you also have to ensure that consumers
perceive the value and trust the brand so much that they’d
GREAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT refer us to family and friends.
As for refunds, Westhoff estimates the company — “When they do that, it speaks volumes about our
which has about 250 employees, runs about 135 service company, and it proliferates throughout our service area
vehicles and concentrates on service and repair work and — and beyond. We’d had families move out of our service
drain cleaning — has refunded $500,000 back to customers. area (metro Kansas City) and almost beg us to come make
On the other side of the coin, the program generates a service call or install a system in their home.”
about 10 to 15 new installations a year that the company The bottom line: The best form of advertising is word-
otherwise might not sell. And with an average HVAC- of-mouth referrals. And the Big Mouth program motivates
system cost of $7,000 to $8,000 and an average sewer-line customers to be “blabbermouths” and “chatterboxes,” as
installation price tag of $12,000 to $20,000, the program the program’s marketing materials playfully note.
generates significant revenue, she notes. Of course, that means technicians must provide the
The company uses multiple channels to market the kind of five-star service that’s worthy of referrals, Westhoff
program, including quarterly direct-mail campaigns, the says, noting that the ensuing trust factor is huge. And after
technicians, in-person sales representative visits and the technicians provide that great service, it’s up to them to
company website. The marketing costs are low and the be bigmouths as needed — in the nicest sense of the word.
return on investment is high, Westhoff points out.
“The revenue-to-cost ratio is about 20-1,” she says. “So
we’re making $20 on every $1 spent on marketing. That’s
a really excellent return on investment.”
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26plumbermag.com | March 2021 27
In the SHOP
Embracing Green
CNG, electric vehicles provide options for plumbers looking to
become more environmentally friendly and see cost savings
By Tim Dobbins
I
f you’re considering taking your business on an eco- “Immediately, the first two years we were saving well
friendly path, your vehicle fleet is a good place to start. over $1 per gallon,” Roseland says. “I feel like in the first
Embracing green plumbing standards is great for two years we probably paid off most of the investment.”
your brand name by showing existing and potential new According to Ford, the equipment and conversion cost
customers that you value sustainable work practices. But from gasoline to CNG will run owners approximately
not only does it boost your brand, it can be great for your $7,500 to $9,500, depending on options selected.
bottom line and lead to increased productivity. Other manufactures like Chevrolet’s Express vans and
Technological advancements have provided amazing Chrysler’s Ram 2500 heavy-duty pickups are also able to
opportunities to progress the industry. Compressed natural convert to CNG so an existing fleet can be used without
gas vehicles are now a common scene cruising the highways starting completely over.
and deliver a chance to embrace technological change for
the advancement of your business.
About five years ago Chris Roseland, owner of Backlund
Plumbing, saw the high fuel prices, decided it was time for
a change and purchased the company's first fleet of CNG
service vans. Since then, their fleet has grown considerably.
Backlund Plumbing now utilizes approximately five Ford
Transits with a bi-fuel option of CNG or gasoline, 10 Ford
E-250 Econoline vans, two Freightliner pump trucks, three
Freightliner service body trucks and a Peterbilt crane truck
that all operate with dedicated CNG motors.
“ Down the road I am way more interested in
converting our larger trucks versus our everyday
service vehicles. Those smaller vehicles are
already getting 20-25 miles per gallon.”
Chris Roseland
The company saw savings well over $1
per gallon in the first two years since
switching over to CNG from gasoline.
(Photography by Matt Ryerson)
28Rosela nd a lso says t hat
teaming up with local utility gas
companies is something to look
into to help cover the expense of
converting and exactly what they
did. “The initial rebates were
probably the biggest help for us
to get it done,” he says. “It was
close to a 50% match on the
conversion of the vehicle. Along
with a very low interest loan from
our state agency for air quality.” Backlund Plumbing, located in Omaha, Nebraska, uses approximately five Ford Transits with a
bi-fuel option of CNG or gasoline, 10 Ford E-250 Econoline vans, two Freightliner pump trucks,
EXPANDING AND three Freightliner service body trucks and a Peterbilt crane truck that all operate with dedicated
CNG motors.
CONSIDERATIONS
“Down the road I am way
more interested in converting our larger trucks versus electric power to propel its service truck. The electric
our everyday service vehicles,” Roseland says. His reasoning vehicle they purchased in 2012 was Boulder Electric
behind that comes down to miles per gallon. “Those Vehicle’s first order made in an effort to do their part in
smaller vehicles are already getting 20-25 miles per gallon.” energy conservation.
The larger municipal trucks for utility work that only Ford also has plans to reveal a brand-new E-Transit
get 3-4 mpg can become quite expensive to run when in 2022 offering the first all-electric cargo van from a
going through 50 gallons a day or more, especially when full-line automaker in the U.S. The E-Transit will be
the cost of fuel is high. available in chassis cab, cutaway and cargo van models
One important consideration before CNG conversion and come in three length choices and roof heights giving
is refueling options. Backlund Plumbing is located in plumbers yet another option for a green initiative.
Omaha, Nebraska, and fortunately, their plumbing shop Eco-friendly trucks and vans can even increase
is centrally positioned between two of 12 large natural- efficiency on the road in many areas. Certain states allow
gas filling stations across the city. For them, this makes hybrid and electric vehicles to travel in the high-occupancy
filling trucks as easy as driving to a conventional gas vehicle lane, so drivers have less chance of getting stuck
station, but depending where your business is located, it in traffic.
may not be so simple. Some companies that rely heavily Don’t forget one of the biggest gains of going green
on CNG vehicles have made the investment to install with your fleet — the publicity. Turning over a new eco-
their own filling stations to ensure fuel supply at their friendly leaf is a great marketing tool for your business.
facility. “The customer response was great once you educated
With that in mind, even if you are located near a them. Once we lettered our vehicles with CNG and they
filling station or have one at your shop, it’s smart practice found out our vehicles only run on natural gas, it was
to make sure the tank is full before leaving for the day. like icing on the cake for us,” Roseland says. “When you
“Sometimes we have to go fill up to go somewhere far to do everything right plus you show up in a green vehicle,
make sure we are able to get back. You can’t just go fill you’re their go-to.”
up wherever you want,” Roseland says. Environmentally friendly vehicles are definitely
something to consider for your plumbing business when
OTHER GREEN OPTIONS shopping for a new fleet or single service truck. Not only
Roseland adds that he is definitely interested in looking are they a clean means of transportation, but they can
into electric vehicles in the future as more options become lower fuel costs and boost your brand name.
available. Precision Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and
Electric, in Boulder, Colorado, is currently relying on
plumbermag.com | March 2021 29A 30
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Product
Focusing
FOCUS
on Your Website Lorem ipsum
There are some basic necessities that any plumbing company
should have prominently displayed on its website
By Alicia Johnston
Product
NEWS
W
hen someone visits your plumbing company’s 2. Do you serve my area?
website because they have a problem that It is absolutely vital to tell customers which areas you
needs to be fixed, they’re looking for the service. There’s nothing more bothersome than when a
answers to the following four questions: potential customer takes the time to call your business and
1. Do you provide the services I need? your customer service representatives have to turn them
2. Do you serve my area? away or, even worse, have to send them to the competition.
3. How can I contact you? A good way to make sure someone knows which areas you
4. Why should I choose you? service is to add a subtle location reference to your main
Case
These questions should all be answered before the headline near the top of your homepage.
STUDIES
customer even needs to scroll down the page. For example: “Serving the Capital Region since 1944.”
Let’s look a little closer at each question. That brief sentence tells the customer which areas you
service (using regional vernacular), and it also builds trust
1. Do you provide the services I need? (your business has been around since 1944).
Customers may not know what services your plumbing
company offers, so it’s important to have your services 3. How can I contact you?
grouped and Case
listed on your website’s navigation bar. For Do you have a phone number prominently listed at
example, aSTUDYnavigation bar on the homepage could be the top, in the middle and at the bottom of your homepage?
listed like this: Water Heaters, Drains and Sewer, Plumbing, Believe me: you should. People are looking for it! Do you
About Us, Careers. offer chat? If so, does it pop up immediately? Is a human
Make sure that your main navigation bar doesn’t get or a robot managing chat messages? Do you have a web
too crowded with categories. Showing five or six categories form available for customers to complete? Are the
is ideal. The categories should be listed in order of priority. information fields short enough that your customer service
Take a look at your navigation bar. Is it too crowded? representatives can get the basics and call the customer
What can be consolidated? back to book an appointment?
So many questions for you, but here’s the reason: the
more ways you have for a customer to connect with you,
the better. Allow the customer to connect with you in the
It is absolutely vital to tell customers way they feel most comfortable. When they do connect
with you, ensure that you make it as easy as possible for
which areas you service. There’s nothing them to book a service.
more bothersome than when a potential 4. Why should I choose you?
customer takes the time to call your Why should a customer choose you over a competitor?
Answering this question on your homepage is how you get
business and your customer service to showcase what makes your business special. Have you
been in business a long time, and weathered economic crises
representatives have to turn them away. before? Do you give a portion of proceeds to a nonprofit
organization? Do you specialize in eco-friendly practices?
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Think about value propositions beyond just being licensed,
background-checked and insured. How will a customer
benefit by choosing you?
Your website walks a tightrope — it needs to serve
both the customers’ needs and allow the Google data
collectors to experience your site in a way that will put
you at the top of the Google search results page. When
push comes to shove, you should always make decisions
based on how customers will experience your website.
However, since 90% of customers use Google, it’s also
important to play by Google’s rules, in order for your site
to gain visibility when someone is searching for you.
There are more than 200 different factors that affect
Google’s definition of what a quality website is. It’s
impossible to keep track of all of them, so focus on what
matters — your customers.
Make sure you clearly answer your customers’ four
major question on your homepage. Make sure that your
website is simple in design and navigation, but also allows
people to get ahold of you on their terms. Your website’s
homepage will be a customer’s first impression of your
company.
Let’s make it a great impression!
----
Alicia Johnston is a Digital Marketing Coach for Nexstar Network. She can be reached
at aliciaj@nexstarnetwork.com.
plumbermag.com | March 2021 33Industry
INSIDER
Anthony Pacilla
Smart On the
BUSINESS ROAD
The Importance of Brand Consistency
Keeping elements consistent in advertising will allow
customers to easily recognize your plumbing company
Product
ByFOCUS
Anthony Pacilla
Lorem ipsum
O
ne of the most interesting things I got to be a part uniform, van, etc. Strength? Professionalism? Seriousness?
of while in college was going behind the scenes Old-fashioned? New and improved? Lighthearted? Good
with large corporations and seeing how they create vibrations? Friendly? Hard-lined? You must make everything
and maintain a solid brand.
Product you do reflect the tone that you want your brand to have
NEWS
Doing great work can earn you a living in the plumbing and you need to make this come across consistently. From
industry but getting to the next level and allowing multiple the type of font you choose, the logo you select, the colors,
employees to earn great livings, expanding your business, the layout of your van wording, and other marketing pieces.
creating a profit environment, and standing out from your To cast a broader net, steer your brand away from
competition requires a strong brand. Here are just a few controversial or objectionable content, sexual references
tips I picked up while dealing with larger corporations and and harsh language. Stay consistent with strong, family-
their branding people. oriented and consistent branding.
CONSISTENCY LOGOS AND COLORS
I cannotCase
stress enough how important brand consistency Look at your brand like an NFL team. What is your logo
is to dominateSTUDIES
your marketplace. It is almost like cheating going to look like and how easy is it to recognize? What is
once you wrap your head around it. Many businesses do a your color scheme going to be?
boatload of marketing, but overload their advertisements The most successful brands reap the rewards for being
by cluttering it with verbiage and details, not always using remarkably simple, bold, and easy to remember. The Wal-
the same layout, the same colors, the same fonts, etc. By Mart smiley face, the Apple apple, the Nike swoosh, the
randomizing your advertisements, you are turning your McDonald’s arches and the Starbucks mermaid, are all
brand into Case
camouflage. examples. You will not find too many easily recognizable
The human brain is very visual and picks up consistencies.
STUDY brands with intricate and elaborate logos.
I could sit down with 50 slides of different advertising layouts You should also consider having logo elements to go
with color schemes, with no logo, products or services and along with your main logo. These are smaller design
guess which brand was running the ad.
Is it the same with your business? I bet not. The
layout, colors, types of pictures, logos, fonts and so Many businesses do a boatload of marketing,
on are the most important things in brand awareness.
The only way to make them call your company is to but overload their advertisements by cluttering it
have brand recognition and be at the top of their mind with verbiage and details, not always using the
when their plumbing malfunctions.
same layout, the same colors, the same fonts, etc.
BRAND VISION, TONE AND EXECUTION By randomizing your advertisements,
You must look at your brand in two respects. The
first is a piece of art. What do you want someone to you are turning your brand into camouflage.
think of when they see an advertisement, letter,
34You can also read
