Local Owner, Not Corporate, Not Private Equity
I was raised in rural Indiana by my mom, with my older sister. Simple life. I was raised with basic core principles: treat everyone with respect, work hard, do the right thing, and if you make a mistake, which is bound to happen, own it and do what you can to make it right. I live my life that way today. It is actually pretty easy. I like to keep things simple. I love my wife, I love my four kids, and the rest of my family. I do not have many hobbies. I work, and I spend the rest of my time with my family. That is what I enjoy doing.
I graduated from high school in 1994 and had my head behind a toilet two days later as a plumbing apprentice. My career has taken me to different places to work and different places to live, experiences I never thought were possible as a kid in Indiana. When I settled in Arizona more than a decade ago, I knew this is where I was meant to be.
Owning a business is hard. I am not sure anything prepares you for it. There are highs and lows, heartbreak, stress, moments of chaos, exhilaration, and then you realize it is only noon and there is still the rest of the afternoon to go. As you gain experience on this roller coaster you begin to enjoy it. You realize that who you are is okay. I do not have to be the best plumber, the best manager of people, the best motivator, the best accountant, or the best marketer. I just need to work hard, do the right things, own my mistakes and make them right, and treat everyone with respect. The basic principles my mom raised that boy in Indiana with.
I love coming to work each day to make a difference, whether that is helping people in the community I live in on their not-so-easy days, or the team I work beside every day. I love seeing the people who work with me achieve the goals they set. I love seeing the smile on Diana's face every single day, along with her endless optimism. Diana has worked with me in the office for more than six years, always positive. I love Wally's energetic approach to life every single day he wakes up, and the smile on Len's face when I tell him he was mentioned again in a five-star review. This is what business ownership is about: building an environment for our team to be successful in.
In January 2022 we gave the company a new name and a new look. Zest is the bright outer layer of a lime, the part with all the flavor. Plumbing is a dirty, stressful business, so we built the brightest, happiest brand in it. Kids wave at our vans. Nobody owns Zest but us.
Every technician on this crew is background-checked and drug-tested before they ever ring your doorbell. That is the floor, not the pitch. What we actually hire for is how someone treats people and their homes.
We talk about the service call at every meeting. What makes a great one? What does the experience we want a customer to have actually look like? It comes down to the same things every time: communicate clearly, provide detailed options, and educate, so the homeowner can make the decision that is best for their family. My job is to build an environment where this crew can be successful. Their job is to hold to this:
Plumbing changes. Tankless water heaters, smart leak systems, filtration, even faucets are not the same equipment they were ten years ago, and a technician who stopped learning years ago is guessing in your utility closet.
So we educate ourselves, routinely. We train on the systems we run, from dispatch to the equipment on the truck, and on how to properly handle and execute a repair. We stay current on standards, on the most efficient equipment we can find, and on new options to offer, whether that is water heating, filtration, or fixtures. Sometimes that is an hour at the shop, sometimes a week with a manufacturer.
The point is simple: be better today than we were yesterday, and be proficient at everything a home can throw at us. That is what these photos are: our technicians in a class, not on a job, learning the equipment piece by piece.
Scottsdale and the Phoenix Valley. Same-day service available. No trip charge, ever.
480.618.1750Book OnlineSee Our Prices
