A few months ago, Cary Hansen gave me a call.
The owner of Hansen’s Plumbing out in Ventura, California, was responding to a “call for action” I had put toward the end of an editor’s column. I had asked readers if they’d recently added any new equipment or tools, and if so, how was it working out for them and improving operations. Hansen told me about how his company had been transitioning to an electric vehicle fleet. That conversation ended up leading to one of the company profiles you’ll see in this month’s issue.
Hansen’s Plumbing was previously profiled in Cleaner magazine, back in 2016 prior to my time as editor. But the story didn’t end there. Companies evolve over time. It can be worthwhile to share their stories again to see the changes they’ve had since the last time they graced the pages of Cleaner. That was the case with Hansen’s Plumbing. The shift to electric service vehicles caught my attention and I thought it would be interesting for readers to learn more about the company’s experience making that change from gas to electric — especially since that will continue to become more prominent in the coming years.
Earlier this year, I featured another company, Matt Mertz Plumbing out of Pittsburgh, that had previously been profiled in Cleaner. It was a similar situation to Hansen’s Plumbing. Mertz reached out, believing he had a good story to share about the journey his business had been on since the last Cleaner profile in the March 2015 issue. I agreed.
The profile stories are a snapshot of a company at a point in time. But life goes on. These stories often end with a speculative look to the future. Did the company achieve those goals, or did something cause them to pivot? Did some new, unanticipated plans suddenly emerge? Revisiting these companies can answer those questions. Whether it was five years ago, 10 years ago, or two decades ago, I encourage any formerly featured companies out there to give me a call if you feel like you want to share your story again and update readers.
And likewise if you’ve never been featured in the magazine before. I will cold call companies I come across that seem like an interesting profile potentially, but many times companies will make first contact with me. Everyone has a story. That’s one way we all get better. Sharing experiences and then reflecting on how any lessons could be applied to our own circumstances.
Call me at 715-350-8442 or email editor@cleaner.com if you want to tell your story. In the meantime, enjoy the ones featured in this month’s issue.
