Rough for Some, Not Others

[DUNBAR]

Plumbing supply houses in my area are shut down on saturdays,

starting later, shorter work days

The new construction plumbers have been pulverized with lack of work.


A few plumbing companies in Ohio have closed their doors but none in Kentucky, yet.

A few plumbing companies have laid off all of their help except for the family related employees.

There are no problems with workers of plumbing supply houses thinking their job is not secure, it isn't. I see familiar faces showing up in different places, still staying in the field but different address.

A supply house that deals just with the big stuff, WinWater told me that it's been ugly and the turndown is coming. A statement was made "how far do you want to dip into your reserves" to keep it going.


Always remember, when it's good, it's good. When it's bad, it's bad.

It's no different when you look at a yard with grass and weeds, one holds out a lot better when times are tough, water is limited.

Planning is key, working in industry that affords protection from hardships is crucial. A high paying job is useless if the job can't bend and turn directions when outside factors heavily change the equation.

Service plumbers like myself aren't even seeing much of a change in the game other than a few more price shoppers than others.

Plumbing always breaks, goes wrong, clogs. As good as what a nurse has it; people always sick and dying, needing repair.



I think I took a pot shot at Ferguson's on this site or another, I should retract. I bought a ST-12 expansion tank and 2 Delta Remodel plates for under $80 a couple weeks ago.

I was impressed. That still doesn't mean they are not going to have to close up shop, minimize.



Use this thread posting to remark about the status of your hometown plumbing supply house.


What you might see in the near future if someone finds the capital to do so, is to see a HAAAAAUGE company created to buy up all of these smaller, no-name supply houses with getting

offered substantial money to sell, have the same idea of Lowe's or Home Depot.

Big company comes in, little companies go out. You're buying 1000 3" SCH40 90's a week, Big company is buying a million a week, getting product so much cheaper and can sell cheaper than you, make a profit.


Is it right? No, but it's a reality that's becoming the norm. Some losses in businesses take years to recover from, some never recover.

Regrouping or restructuring can sometimes be a great beginning for a company to build a new business plan, cut costs and refine the end product.

None of us wish hard times on supply houses and their owners, but you side step that statement if you only knew how they lived when times were good, how many vacations they took along with cigar boats, second homes and lavish living. I think people know what I'm getting at.

[Service Guy]

The new construction plumbers have been pulverized with lack of work.

My grandfather worked as a tile and stone contractor for over 50 years. He told me he's seen so many booms and recessions that it no longer phases him. During the building booms, everyone and their brother tries to get into the contracting business and the market ends up filled with low-life hacks and shoddy building going on.
During the recessions, the building drops off, and only the strongest contractors survive. My grandfather used to say the recessions played an important role in weeding out some of the riff-raff that gets into the trade for the wrong reasons during building booms. I think he's right and I am starting to see it happen around here.
I welcome the recession, let it come and let it go. Sometimes its sunny and sometimes it rains. The true contractors who love their job will survive the rainy days.:)

[plumberscrack]

Noticed a slight downturn around here but nothing too serious. 2 years ago we had 50+ employees, now down to 30 or so. Got rid of some dead wood hanging around. Going lean and mean for awhile. Guys are running around like chickens with their heads chopped off. I'm not buying into the panic. We are pretty well insulated from the economy ups and downs here inside the Capital beltway. I'm comforted knowing that after this falls election we will be feasting again. Every new administration brings money with them.

[Aaron91]

It's rough at the shop I'm at. We used to have 2 guys in the office full time, and 4 trucks on the road with a total of 5 guys in the field(a small shop).

At the start of the slow down, one of not focused, not knowledge guys left, I parked my first small truck, and started operating out of his larger nicer truck. (the sprinter).

Recently the company just let another guy go. He was a young helper that thought he knew it all, and didn't like listening to others. He was also on the phone more than a tele-marketer.

Currently we have 3 trucks, with 4 guys on the road. The boss gave me a heads up, as I'll probably have to join up with another guy, so there will only be 2 trucks, and 4 guys on the road. I'll still keep my truck, but will park it every day it's not needed. The fuel's getting too costly. He said we spend around $670 a week in fuel.

Btw, I'm only about 45 minutes away from Bill (PlumbersCrack). Funny how such a short distance welds such a different market.

[gear junkie]

Remember that thread where I asked if I should stay Navy? This ressecion(can't spell tonight) has decided that for me. Great thread Dunbar.

[ToUtahNow]

The Plumbi ng I ndustry is not unlike other Industrues as there will always be good times and bad times. When work is good we over-work ourselves so when things are bad we have a little saved to help us through it. That being said to be successful in business it is important to search out the little niches no one else can do so you guarantee yourself extra areas to work.

Mark

[aero1]

times like this also helps to purge out the bottom feeders that bleed everyone by whoreing out ther services doing jobs way to cheap and hacks that steal from legitimate companies who stand behind there work and no what its worth. the good ones always no how to ride out the storm,the rest of em go where they belong away.:D

[westcoastplumber]

times like this also helps to purge out the bottom feeders that bleed everyone by whoreing out ther services doing jobs way to cheap and hacks that steal from legitimate companies who stand behind there work and no what its worth. the good ones always no how to ride out the storm,the rest of em go where they belong away.:D


Very true. weed out the hacks!!:D:D

In our local supply house I have seen 3 new ad's go up, new construction plumbers looking for work....hope they don't try to be service repair
plumbers:eek:

[aero1]

i know this will probably piss some people of but an old timer once told me you cant teach a constuction plumber service but you can take a service plumber and teach him anything. the man was a mechanical genius, and thru the years ive heard others say the same thing and personally i believe it. though iam sure there are exceptions. just a little cya here.:D

[westcoastplumber]

i know this will probably piss some people of but an old timer once told me you cant teach a constuction plumber service but you can take a service plumber and teach him anything. the man was a mechanical genius, and thru the years ive heard others say the same thing and personally i believe it. though iam sure there are exceptions. just a little cya here.:D


New construction plumbers can read blue prints and hopefully know the code, sizing,it takes skills of a service guy to diagnose problems.

On the other hand, I know service plumbers that cannot read prints or size systems, or lay them out.

I heard the same thing. I believe it too. I have done mostly repair in my career, but when I did do new construction, in new mexico, I was bored.

I stick to service and remodels

[aero1]

very true were are the guys that have to come back and see thru the walls and into the abyss and figure out in some cases whats been done 100 years ago or even last year what went wrong offer a solution and in a lot of cases do a surgical repair and still leave the house standing. unsung heroes.

[NHMaster3015]

The truth here is that the more things you know how to do, the more valuable you are. This brings me back to my "are you qualified thread" If you can do service, rough plumbing, residential, commercial, HVAC , drain cleaning. Know how to do some framing, masonary, sheetmetal, and finish carpentry, you greatly increase your potential to make money whatever the economy is doing. Never stand still in this trade, It will pass you by.

[Aaron91]

i know this will probably piss some people of but an old timer once told me you cant teach a constuction plumber service but you can take a service plumber and teach him anything. the man was a mechanical genius, and thru the years ive heard others say the same thing and personally i believe it. though iam sure there are exceptions. just a little cya here.:D

* Steps up on the soap box *

If a man is focused, and is willing to put the hours, and ball busting work, I believe he can learn both new work, and service.

I can do res. service, res. remodels, res. new work, com. service, com. new work, to water services, to sewer lines, to septic systems, to drywells, perc tests, and I'm sure I've left something out.

This is because I worked at 3 different shops. Each shop 'had their own thing'. That's one positive thing from changing shops time to time. I'm not a job hopper, but it was definitely a smart move now that I look back. I learn a few new things, that the shop before couldn't.

Now, it will takes years to prefect each 'field' or 'niche'. Then again, every day is a new day, and if you apply yourself, you can learn something new.

This is our livelihood guys. Guys come and go, cause they can't do it all, and when service gets slow, they're gotta hit the road. Same with new work guys, you need to be able to do it all. It's like taking your car to get an oil change, and the mechanic telling you, he only changes tires. Learn everything you can, and remember it's never to late to try and learn something new.

* Steps off soap box. *

[westcoastplumber]

very good points, the last three posters

your a funny dude Aaron, pretty clever with the "Soap Box" lmao

[aero1]

it defiantly wakes you up to the reality that the more you think you know is really just a place in the road. capability defined, able to do something, but on the backside we all are limited but beyond our own capabilities. so i choose to learn and when im done im dead. so in reguards to my comments they stand as boundaries you either achieve or view life from the cheap seats. but i still say a service tech rules:D

[markts30]

Slowed down a little here in the new commercial field so I changed "branches" somewhat...
I took a job I have looked at for awhile...
Designing plumbing systems in CAD... We use a 3d modeling program for drawing the piping... Then you can look for collisions with ducts etc by using a program that lets you "walk" through the virtual building (Navis works)...
Right now drawing and re-designing the architect's and engineer's idea of what a plumbing system might look like into what a plumbing system should look like...
The result will probably be nothing like what they had envisioned - their ideas would not have worked - they forgot a lot of little things like not running piping through steel beams and columns etc...LOL

[DUNBAR]

Show us some of your work mark.

Or did you do that already on another site?

I'd love to know how to do that sort of thing but it's not in my focus with plumbing.


OT:

I've heard that some of the builders in my area are getting 7 bids for homes when plumbing is going in.

That means 7 trucks, 7 hours of someone's time where only one *the cheapest* gets the work.

I'd like to say I'm bulletproof in this profession on the service side.

[Herk]

A while back, word was that home construction is secure here for about ten years. I surely don't believe it, having seen the ups and downs in the last 30+ years.

There are a lot of new plumbing employees here that are going to start cutting into my service business when the construction starts to fail. And I doubt that they have journeyman's licenses. But once they get a taste, they all think they're experts. I swear, you could walk down the street here and ask every male you meet if they are a plumber and most will say, "Oh, yeah - I worked for a plumber once for a year." That may be a slight exaggeration, but there have been a lot people who have told me that or something like it. Chances are, all they ever did was dig trenches.

[DUNBAR]

A builder had the nerve to contact me today to do a takeover permit. I gave him my famous two word salute to make sure he doesn't call back.


Don't need the BS as there's no problems getting a week's work in.

If I can get through to the end of this week, I'm going to rent a themed room (http://www.wildwood-inn.com/Suites.aspx) and start ordering food and movies till I pass out. :grin-loving: This place is less than 2o minutes from me, it be nice if they came with wimmin!

[libbyloulou]

Anyone from uk willing to contribute ? do you believe america has a recession, if so, we are next, and my mates won't have it !!!

[NHMaster3015]

Noooooooooooooooo... It's all those liberal democrats trying to scare us again.

Sticks head back into sand and resumes......

[ToUtahNow]

I have to say regardless of what some are saying I have seen little signs of a recession in the three States I spend most of my time in.

Mark

[DuckButter]

Ironic.
Fourth largest jump in the stock market in history...today, 420 points for the DOW.
The feds cutting 3/4 point did it.
Even without that, I have to say it sure doesn't feel like a recession, not at all.

[NHMaster3015]

Oh yea, and ain't it awfull we done got 4 1/2 % unemployment. Only 95 1/2% of the people have jobs. (and that don't figger in the illegeals)
Kids all got 300 doller I pods, 500 dollar I phones, 15 hundred doller lap tops, 150 dollar sneakers, 100 doller baseball hats, 150 dollar jeans and and and and oh **** it I quit.

:jumping: :wave3::wave3::wave3::wave3::wave3::wave3::wave3:: wave3::wave3::wave3::jumping:

[Tyman]

Our supply houses have been hit pretty hard. They are saying commercial is what is keeping them floating. It is a feast or famine type of trade and it comes with the job. Since I do service I have not noticed much of a bump but I have had a few short paychecks.

I choose not to worry or fret about the economy because I cannot control it. I will not let fear guide me down a miserable path of anxiety and depression. No matter how bad it gets, I still have a wife and twin boys who think I am the greatest man that ever walked the earth and that's enough for me.

[ToUtahNow]

Oh yea, and ain't it awfull we done got 4 1/2 % unemployment. Only 95 1/2% of the people have jobs. (and that don't figger in the illegeals)
Kids all got 300 doller I pods, 500 dollar I phones, 15 hundred doller lap tops, 150 dollar sneakers, 100 doller baseball hats, 150 dollar jeans and and and and oh **** it I quit.

:jumping: :wave3::wave3::wave3::wave3::wave3::wave3::wave3:: wave3::wave3::wave3::jumping:

That's too funny as the kids and their pocessions is exactly what I thought when the question came up. It's hard to argue rough times with most are driving cars which are 10-years old or newer, everyone owns a computer, a home entertainment center and several TVs.

Mark

[DuckButter]

Great, started typing...suddenly I felt like an old fart about to go into the "when I was yer age I walked 10 miles through 4 feet of snow to get to school...".
I got a "pitch" at Christmas to get a cell phone for our ten year old this year.
I got him a game.
I'm responsible for thwarting his childhood.

[MrsSeatDown]

[B]I'm responsible for thwarting his childhood.

. . . and for bring a good parent:bravo:

[Nevada plumber]

There are a lot of new plumbing employees here that are going to start cutting into my service business when the construction starts to fail.

That is the situation that is happening in my town right now. The housing market stopped almost completely, and the new construction companies have all started doing service work. Fortunately, we are the oldest plumbing company in this town, so we have a lot of repeat business. I've noticed that the last couple of months I get the same amount of calls from regular customers, but calls from new customers are way down. Most of my competition has full and half page adds in the phone books this year. We just stick with a little quarter page add, just so people will remember we are still here.

The lone supply house in the town has really slowed down also. They are getting worried because a Home Depot will be opening sometime in the next six months out here. I know more of the plumbers are getting product from Vegas, and I'm sure they will lose almost all of the DIY market to Home Depot, I think they have a reason to worry.