When the time came for Alan O’Neill and his partner to name their drain cleaning and plumbing company in Houston, Texas, in 2003, they were at a loss for words. So O’Neill reached for a dictionary.“I was looking for an alphabet-friendly name, which is still an advantage in many ways,” says O’Neill, now sole owner. “The word ‘abacus’ was the first I came to that made any sense. And right away, the slogan came to me, too: You can count on us.”The name and slogan for Abacus Plumbing Co. were serendipitous, but the comprehensive marketing campaign they spawned, centered on
