The two companies profiled in this month’s issue have two things in common that stuck out to me. One, both owners took advantage of an opportunity and made the most of it. And two, they both have a philosophy for steady, controlled growth.
The similarities don’t end there, yet the companies are very different.
Drain Guys Chicago owner Felix Delgadillo would occasionally receive drain cleaning calls over the course of his 17 years as a mechanical plumber, but he always declined the jobs. When he was eventually introduced to drain cleaning at the WWETT Show, the conversation triggered the entrepreneur in him.
Drain Guys opened in 2019 and Delgadillo fully embraced the change. The business has been growing at a sustainable pace; he wants to stay in the field and not be forced to oversee things from an office. To that end, he hired two teenagers (one is his younger brother) who want to get into the trade. With their help, an efficient scheduling system and confidence in his business plan, Delgadillo is building his company just the way he wants and finding success doing it.
The other featured company, Pipelining Technologies, provides pipe lining, coating and inspection services in southeast Florida. Owner Michael Wilson is also a former plumber. Similar to Delgadillo’s story, he learned about pipe lining at a trade show, saw huge potential for that technology in the South Palm Beach area, and the idea took off when he received a call about a potential lining job. Wilson established the company in 2004 in West Palm Beach, and eventually dropped plumbing services to focus exclusively on trenchless pipe rehabilitation.
Wilson’s son Loren remembers watching that first job (he was only 10 at the time), and is now the company’s operations manager. He says the focus on only lining has made sense for their area and the company has steadily grown over the years. They now have 40 employees. The specialized service has meant specialized training for the crews who, Loren says, are probably the best in the area because it’s all they do.
Even though these companies have similar origin stories, they grew in very different directions — yet both are successful because they became exactly what the owners envisioned.
That’s something I always find interesting when I’m talking to contractors. Even though Cleaner covers a relatively small niche in the wastewater industry, each company we feature is unique. Different services, training methods, customer service philosophies, marketing techniques, size, growth trajectory — so much is individual.
But each company impresses me every month with one more thing they all have in common: the commitment to solving customers’ problems.
You all have great devotion and respect for this industry, and I have great respect for you because of that.
I hope you enjoy this month’s issue.
