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BOSTON - When it
comes to image, plumbers often get the short end of the stick, says
John Wood, president and chief executive officer of Hub Plumbing and
Mechanical.
‘‘When
you think about a plumber, you think about the pants hanging off or
the guy in overalls that looks like he’s been rolling around in
grease,’’ Wood said.
By contrast, Hub service technicians are dressed in red and gold
uniforms and they roll out red carpets to protect the floor before
crawling under a kitchen sink or unclogging a toilet. This red
carpet service is part of Wood’s plan to take a new approach to the
plumbing, mechanical repair and installation industries.
His plan appears to be paying off: He’s moving his business in
August from its 1,300-square-foot location on Dorchester Avenue in
Fields Corner to a 4,000-square-foot building on Old Colony Avenue
in South Boston.
The service is available in Greater Boston around the clock. Wood
guarantees every call will be answered or returned within 10 minutes
and that a technician will be on site within an hour.
‘‘When you have sewage pouring through the ceiling at 3 a.m., you
don’t want to get someone’s answering service,’’ he said. ‘‘Even at
3 a.m., you’ll get red carpet service and a technician in uniform
with a photo ID.’’
Wood, a 30-year-old Dorchester resident, got his start in plumbing
at age 16. Three years later, he signed on as an apprentice under
the instruction of a master plumber.
After attending the Old Colony Trade School in Brockton, Wood tested
for his state journeyman’s license. While studying for his master’s
license at the Cape Cod Plumbing School, Wood, then 23, started Hub
Plumbing and Mechanical from his Jamaica Plain home.
His first employee
was his mother, Marylou Wood, who still works as Hub’s office
manager. After earning his master’s license at age 24, Wood
incorporated the business and moved it to Dorchester.
He purchased a fleet of nine trucks and stocked them with all of the
equipment necessary to tackle any heating, plumbing, air
conditioning or mechanical project. His company’s service grossed
$2.3 million in revenue last year.
‘‘Those trucks are rolling warehouses,’’ Wood said. ‘‘They have
everything on there for comprehensive service calls.’’
Wood’s crew of 11 technicians includes the recent hire of an HVAC
specialist. He’s also looking to replace his subcontracted employees
with full-time carpenters and electricians.
Alysa Landry may be
reached at
alandry@ledger.com . |