So, tell us the story of how you came to be the owner of Paragon Plumbing.
Welcome to “At Home With Tom and Sandy.” We are here to give you the inside scoop and tips on everything A to Z for your home and we love talking about the construction industry. Settle in, enjoy and have fun reading our column. We sure do enjoy sharing our words with you. Thanks for being such loyal and great readers.
Sandy: Hi Tom! We are back again, and this month I want to introduce Andy Ulibarri, the owner of Paragon Plumbing to our readers.
Tom: Great! I have known and worked with Andy for many years, prior to him becoming the new owner of Paragon Plumbing, and he is a great guy.
Sandy: That is super cool that you know each other. Welcome, Andy.
Andy: Thanks, Sandy and Tom, for inviting me to the conversation. I have read many of your columns for a long time now and am glad to be a part of your conversation.
Sandy: Then let’s start with a little bit of your background so our readers will get to know you. Where are you from?
Andy: I am a third generation Prescottonian. I graduated from Prescott High school.
Tom: Awesome. Not many of you guys around. What made you want to be a plumber?
Andy: Well, I got my start working for Bob Twombley during the summer of my junior year in high school. When I graduated, I went to work full time and learned the trade.
Sandy: Old-school learning. I love to hear that. Our trades sorely need that commitment, from both men and women!
Tom: Right on, Sandy. So, tell us the story of how you came to be the owner of Paragon Plumbing. We love to hear about success stories.
Andy: I worked with Bob up until he sold his company to Yavapai Plumbing and Electrical. That was when Don Huntley started Paragon Plumbing back in 2002. I was one of Don’s first employees. We worked together for 20 years.
Sandy: When it came time for Don to retire, you bought a slightly used, well-oiled plumbing company from him, correct?
Andy: Yes. Don and his wife wanted to move to Montana to be closer to where their sons live.
Tom: Family is important, for sure. How do you like having the business to yourself? All the years of doing is different from owning, but still working.
Andy: I love owning the company. Yes, the challenges are different, but knowing plumbing and all that entails really helps me focus on the issues that really matter.
Sandy: Let’s get into the meat of what Paragon Plumbing’s services include.
Andy: We are a full-service plumbing company. We do commercial and residential plumbing as well as service work. Repairs and replacements are part of what we do also. And we have 24/7 emergency services.
Tom: That is a great array of services. Truly a full service company. The emergency service component from a reliable local company has got to put your customers at ease.
Andy: It provides a good service to the community for sure. We wanted to be sure our team could cover all the bases.
Sandy: Tell us more about your team.
Andy: We have a great group of people that are all very professional and knowledgeable. We have been together for 20 years. We are more like friends and family than just work mates. Most of us socialize with each other outside of work.
Sandy: Wow! That makes for a solid team.
Tom: A solid team makes for great customer service. The sharing of knowledge and skill is part of that as well.
Andy: Thanks. Yes, it is. From office management, scheduling and the skill set we have, there isn’t much we can’t accomplish for our customers. Our group is truly a great team. We have our roles, some unique, but we all strive to support each other and focus on meeting the customer’s needs.
Sandy: Let’s spend some of our time here on the specific services Paragon Plumbing provides.
Andy: OK, as I mentioned earlier, we do both commercial and residential plumbing. We do new construction plumbing systems for both as well as repairs such as leaks, broken lines, changing water heaters, to name a few. We also have a service component where we will clear sewer backups and change out broken fixtures, or work with our customers to upgrade their plumbing fixtures.
Tom: If someone wants to upgrade fixtures, do you assist them with making choices?
Andy: We sure do. We will meet with them at a showroom to help or if the upgrade is a simple one, such as a faucet, we have catalogs that we can bring to them and help folks decide what they may want.
Sandy: That is excellent customer service for certain.
Andy: Everyone I have ever worked with, from Bob to Don, has always had great customer service; in a way, we all have worked together for so long, the entire team has had great customer service training.
Tom: Great customer service, excellent skill sets across the board, longevity of the team working together for 20 years – sounds to me like Paragon Plumbing has all the ingredients of a great company.
Andy: Thank you for that.
Sandy: Are you having the same difficulties as others in the trades in finding workers?
Andy: We are, of course, always open to good people. Our team is pretty tight knit, so finding the right fit for us might take an extra step.
Tom: How many on your team now?
Andy: We have 13 team members. We have been fortunate to bring on some new talent over the years who have really meshed with the existing team and made us all even better.
Sandy: How should our readers get ahold of you?
Andy: Phone works best, 928-775-2343. Call day or night, we will get back with you.
Sandy: Andy, let’s talk about the importance of preventative maintenance.
Andy: Sandy, yes preventative maintenance is key to avoiding plumbing headaches in the long run. Our comprehensive maintenance program covers everything from flushing water heaters to hydro-jetting commercial drains. With flexible scheduling options, you can keep your plumbing in top condition at your convenience.
Sandy: One of the forgotten preventative maintenance items, Andy, is replacing those pesky handles at the water shut off for the toilet. I receive lots of calls when a homeowner is trying to shut the water off and oops, the handle has broken off. Water going everywhere!
Andy: Those handles should be replaced annually.
Sandy: I have a gazillion other plumbing questions and really want to “flush” out some of the more common questions and problems homeowners face, so Andy will be back next month!
Andy: Looking forward to it, Tom and Sandy. Keep up the good work! QCBN
Tom Reilly, Architect, 928-925-5692
Sandy Griffis, Executive Director, Yavapai County Contractors Association, 928-778-0040
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