As implied by the name of Tom Pecoraro Jr.’s company — Velocity Plumbing & Heating in Quincy, Massachusetts — the master plumber does everything in full-speed-ahead mode.

The 31-year-old entrepreneur started his plumbing apprenticeship in 2011 at age 18. He earned a master plumber’s license five years later at age 23. The same year, Pecoraro established Velocity Plumbing in Quincy, a city about 10 miles south of Boston. Today, the company employs five people, runs four service vehicles and has increased revenue by roughly 50% since its first year in business. About 60% of the company’s revenue stems from high-end remodeling projects, while heating repairs and installations chip in another 30% and commercial service and repair plumbing — including drain cleaning — generates the remaining 10%.

Contained in Pecoraro’s recipe for success? Do quality work, backed by a warranty, and go the extra yard for customers. Prioritize honesty and transparency. And invest in labor-saving and productivity-enhancing equipment.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

For example, Pecoraro had the company’s 2022 Ford F-150 pickup truck equipped with a liftgate manufactured by Tommy Gate, a brand owned by Woodbine Manufacturing Co., used to lift boilers and water heaters on and off the vehicle.

In addition, the company also owns two MS-60 StairCat stair-climbing hand trucks from Escalera. They have a 700-pound capacity and are used to move boilers and water heaters up and down stairs.

The StairCats are constructed of a tough tempered aluminum alloy. While the MS-60 model has 700-pound capacity, there are also models available for up to 1,200-pound capacity. A modular design allows any part to be replaced by workers in the field. Ergonomic, plated handles are angled for easier load handling. There is a single control, easy-to-operate up/down switch. Nonmarking wheels and lifting feet protect all step and floor surfaces in the customer’s home.

The underlying philosophy behind the investments? Help employees work smarter, not harder — and more safely, too.

“We’ve never had a workers’ compensation claim before, but I don’t ever want to,” Pecoraro says. “Working safely is important to me. I didn’t want to be known as a company that wasn’t willing to pay, say, $5,000 to minimize injuries.

“Sure, it’s important for us to make money,” he continues. “But it’s also important that everyone goes home healthy at the end of each day.”

An Efficient Investment

The Tommy Gate liftgate cost around $5,000. Pecoraro vowed to get it after one last struggle to get a large commercial water heater for a restaurant off a truck.

“We were working after hours and after that installation, I said I’m done — we work hard enough as it is, so there’s no need to kill ourselves,” he says.

The StairCats cost about $2,500 each. While they make hard jobs easier and safer, they also allow Pecoraro to allocate workers more effectively because a water heater, furnace or radiators can be delivered with two employees instead of four.

“The guys love them,” he says of the liftgate and StairCats.