In 2017, we featured Josh Shelton and Shelton Plumbing out of Pennsylvania.
Like many contractors we profile, Josh was building a successful business, continuing what his father had started in 1983. Of course that profile didn’t represent the story of Shelton Plumbing in its entirety. It was more a snapshot in time. A company’s story continues beyond the pages of this magazine.
So in this very issue, you’ll see another appearance by Shelton Plumbing because the best businesses never stay the same. They evolve. They’re worth revisiting for another story and the sharing of new insights.
Sometimes that evolution comes from necessity. Sometimes it comes from opportunity. And sometimes it comes from a willingness to acknowledge weaknesses, learn new skills and become something more than you were before. At the time of the 2017 profile, Josh had spent years largely focusing on the mastery of technical skills, but he realized there was an entirely different side of business he needed to learn more — financials, leadership, people management, delegation. In 2018, Josh decided to begin working with a business coach.
As Josh put it, when he first started working with a business coach, concepts like profit-and-loss statements and personality profiles felt like a foreign language. That may sound familiar. You become an expert in one area of your business and assume that expertise will automatically translate into success everywhere else. Then reality reminds you that growth requires learning new things.
Shelton Plumbing is even a part of that learning process now for other companies. Josh first got involved in pipe lining when there were fewer resources available. He and his team mostly had to just figure things out. Recently that hard-earned knowledge became the foundation for an entirely new venture for Shelton Plumbing — In-Line Renewal Solutions, which helps other lining contractors with equipment, training and support.
Companies change. Markets change. Technology changes. The skills that got you started may not be the skills that take you to where you want to go next. Shelton Plumbing was a company with a story worth sharing in 2017, and it’s a company with another story worth sharing in 2026.
If you were featured in the magazine in the past, what have you learned since then? How have you grown and evolved? What mistakes turned into lessons? What weaknesses became strengths? What insights would you share with other contractors who are walking a similar path?
As always, I’d love to hear those stories. The most valuable lessons in this industry come from people willing to learn, grow and share what they’ve discovered along the way.
Enjoy this month’s issue.
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