ROLLING OUT RED CARPET: Hub business owner changing the image of plumbers
By ALYSA LANDRY The Patriot Ledger
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 .
