Got an overflowing toilet? A broken water heater? Gary’s Plumbing and Heating is there for you.
So much more than just wrenches and pipes, Gary’s Plumbing and Heating is a full-service, 24/7 plumbing and heating company serving Whatcom County. They’re also now a nominee for the 2019 Small Business of the Year by the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Plumbing and heating problems can be stressful, messy, and confusing, which is why Gary’s Plumbing and Heating walks customers through the construction and repair process. From repairing leaks in the middle of the night to servicing your water heater before the cold weather comes, they can help your home or business.
The company was proud to recently learn about their nomination for Small Business of the Year and feel humbly deserving such recognition.
Gary and Mary Gibb launched the business in 2006, starting in the basement of their home, because they say a need. Thirteen years later, they’ve grown from two employees to 20, and now have a full—and growing—team of technicians. Mary networks, handles marketing and HR, while their daughter, Sarah, answers the phone.
Along with quality plumbing and heating, Gary’s offer up-front pricing. Service technicians will give you a flat-right price, explaining the work in plain terms, so you’re never surprised by the price. Another great service is their 24/7 on-call emergency services.
“[Emergencies] don’t always happen in a nine-to-five-type situation,” says Mary. “We don’t charge extra for nights or weekends.”
This breadth and excellence in service is part of the training at Gary’s Plumbing and Heating. Technicians get familiar with the problems in your home; they even bring booties. “They care for your home properly, as if it were their own,” says Mary.
Technician’s trucks are fully equipped to get the job done on the spot. If parts are needed, someone from the company will deliver to the job site.
“My bathtub needed some plumbing work, so I called them. Right away I was impressed,” says Diane Antonucci, a recent customer. “The plumber looked at the tub, and gave me a quote, along with all my options, and what each thing would cost. I liked that. I had the chance to say ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ on each thing, and not have to be surprised by the bill. I was very pleased with Gary’s, and I would highly recommend them to everybody. And—I am saving the best part for last—they were even nice to Clovis, my cat!”
Gary’s Plumbing and Heating employees are treated like family. “It’s a great place to work. We stand by our work, and we have a huge presence,” says Shane Boblet, a technician. “That goes towards our company and everyone who works here in terms of the quality we put out, and the craftsmanship and the pride that goes into it.”
Long-lasting job security and financial stability are hugely valued, and there’s good opportunity for promotion. They also offer an apprenticeship program, where employees learn the trade and get paid as they go.
Wil Young, another technician, began an apprentice. “I learned a lot from these guys,” Young says. “You go out in the field, you watch the guys do what they do, and then they teach you how to fix it, teach you how to do it right the first time, and then teach you how to be quicker at it. It’s a really good program.”
Gary himself has many years of experience. Both fair and generous, he’s a wealth of knowledge for the technicians to come to any time, especially on more complicated jobs.
“He’s just a really caring guy and takes good care of us,” Young says. “He really makes us part of the family, makes our family part of the family. Him and my son—my son’s five—they’re like the best of friends.”
But along with everything else, Gary’s Plumbing and Heating values trades. Trade jobs, like plumbing, are incredibly important to the Gibbs and their employees.
“We need to have people in our world who know how to assess and fix things,” Mary says.
Gary’s Plumbing and Heating also do regular community service and charity work. They’ve helped in building tiny homes for veterans, contributed to Brigadoon Service Dogs, and worked with Women Sharing Hope, of group Mary has been a member of for 17 years.
When Gary’s Plumbing and Heating was nominated for Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year, Mary felt enormous pride for both the company and her husband.
“I see how hard the team works—they’re awesome,” she says. “There are challenging situations; not every job you go out to is easy to figure out. There’s human waste, there’s mud, there’s digging, there’s all these things you have to contend with. It’s not easy. By the end of the day, we figure it out, we get it done, and you’ve got to take your hat off to people that do that.”
Having excellent service—as well as being a great place to work—pays off. Mary says one of the most rewarding parts of their business is meeting people they’ve helped out in the community, and hearing how they received exemplary service from Gary’s Plumbing and Hearing.
“They’ll give us an example of how they got great service from a technician,” Mary says. “We get so excited.”
Gary’s Plumbing and Heating is available for all your plumbing and heating needs. For more information, check out their website and give them a call.
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