P.F. Plumbing Contractors Inc.’s portfolio includes residential, light commercial and site development for general contractors and private developers, as well as large municipal contracts.

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Paul Freer, president of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based P.F. Plumbing Contractors Inc., credits the company’s 23 years of success to his employees. “We almost always have been fortunate enough to have quality people that care about what happens to the company, what happens to our materials, money, tools and quality of work that they’re installing,” he states. “And without that type of people surrounding me – without that caliber of people – this company would never have gotten where it is today.”

P.F. Plumbing says its 57 employees “lead by example, are trustworthy and committed, believe in each other [and] have a common goal.”

When the company was founded in 1985, its main focus was new residential construction. Ten years later, P.F. Plumbing expanded into the light commercial new construction, and today, its portfolio also includes site development for general contractors and private developers, as well as large municipal contracts. “Our bread and butter has always been new residential construction,” Freer notes.

However, “With the housing market turning down, we had to shift our focus and start going after new light commercial construction and remodel work,” Freer continues. “[The shift] hasn’t been too difficult, but every time there is a change in the business, it’s not necessarily accepted as  positive, but that goes with all businesses. It has taken a lot of getting used to and the ability to adapt to change has been the hardest obstacle for the employees and the company to overcome.

“We’ve gone after commercial work and we have negotiated with the city – primarily Winston-Salem/Forsyth County utilities division – and have been awarded city contracts to handle work that the city cannot get to fast enough, such as backflow testing and water service abandonment,” Freer explains.

P.F. Plumbing’s site development made up more than 50 percent of the business five years ago, compared to approximately 15 percent currently. The company has compensated by gaining commercial and residential remodeling work, as well as expanding focus on the service department. Even though P.F. Plumbing has been strong all along in new residential construction, versatility has been at a record pace in all other areas of construction, it says.

Surviving the Downturn
It is a challenging time to be in the construction industry, Freer says. “Residential, commercial, just anything that has to do with building and developing [is having issues],” he notes. “If you can believe the media, it’s an issue across the country. In all the media you read, anything you see or hear has to do with the housing industry and how bad it is – new permits are down, getting people to qualify for loans and all finances are tightened up.”

However, Freer says P.F. Plumbing tries to focus on the positive. “We focus on what’s best for our employees and the company on a long-term basis, and survive the downturn of the economy and come out on top stronger than we were before,” he explains.

For example, Freer says, its field employees encounter challenges while working on commercial projects because their background has been so residentially based. “Some of them do not have a lot of experience in commercial construction,” he notes.

“So, they have to learn to follow blueprints more carefully and follow specifications, as opposed to what they are accustomed to in residential projects. They have had to get used to the challenge of installing new types of fixtures and controls.”

P.F. Plumbing solves this issue through ongoing training. “We always have training of some type – safety, technical and customer service,” Freer says.

Making Customers Happy
Freer says the company values its relationship with its clients. “We try to react to our customers’ needs and schedules, react to their deadlines as far as bid times go and get work to them in a timely, efficient and effective manner, if not beforehand,” he states.

P.F. Plumbing’s customer service makes the company unique, Freer adds. “It is our No. 1 priority for our customers,” he stresses. He says receptionists are required to greet clients with, “It’s a good day at P.F. Plumbing. How can we help you?”

“The way we speak to our clients is important,” Freer continues. “Without them, we have nothing.” It boils down to teaching “how to give them what they deserve out of a service contractor.”

Staying on Track
By its 25th anniversary, Freer says he plans to get the company’s sales back to $12 million and employees up to 100 plus as it was prior to the restructuring. P.F. Plumbing “will continue venturing out into the commercial and service markets,” he states. “We’ll keep doing what we’re doing.”

One thing Freer says he tells newcomers in the field is to not grow too quickly. “Grow intelligently,” he emphasizes. “Don’t stress yourselves out with a lot of debt. Try to be as debt-free as possible, and keep a financially strong company that can weather through the [changing] economy we’re having.

“Versatility is critical,” he adds.