Today we’d like to introduce you to Warren Stroud.
Warren, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My wife and I began this business in 2017. I graduated in 2005 from my home-school program and began working as a Plumbing Apprentice shortly after. During this time, I learned valuable technical skills in various areas of plumbing over the course of about 12 years – ranging from new construction plumbing to residential service. Meanwhile, my wife, Ashley graduated from Elgin High School in 2007, and pursued Nursing at the University of Texas (Austin). She graduated in 2010 with her BSN and has worked as an RN in various clinical settings, her favorite being Emergency. We both live for adventures, so naturally, the opportunity to launch a business, working alongside one another, was exhilarating. In 2016 we took a trip to the Biltmore Hotel in Asheville, NC and we were amazed by the durability and longevity of the structure. It was astounding to realize these 19th century craftsmen built something (including indoor plumbing) that has withstood the test of time. For the entire 16-hour road trip back home, we talked of nothing else other than our ideas to bring Plumbing Outfitters to a reality. We wanted to build something that would withstand the test of time and be a beacon in the industry for the type of quality craftsmanship we encountered on our tour. We are both passionate about bringing professionalism and craftsmanship back to the trades. Our favorite part of this journey is reaching out to young people and encouraging them and recruiting them to our team. We want to infuse the industry with highly-trained, top-notch service and repair technicians. We have steadily grown our team to 21 members as of September 2022.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
If I ever meet an entrepreneur who has successfully bootstrapped a company without any struggles, trials or bumps along the way, I’d have to question his/her perception of reality. This journey has been fun, rewarding, and a challenge unlike any other I have embarked upon, but certainly not without difficulty. I have a sign hanging in my office quoting “The Man In the Arena” by Theodore Roosevelt. It reminds me this journey is bound to mar me, but I would prefer that over never knowing victory or defeat.
The two struggles that come to mind initially are firstly, operating this business with my best friend and wife (of 15 years). We both have strong work ethics and have been hailed as a dynamic duo. When we say opposites attract, nothing could be closer to the truth. There is no one I’d rather be doing life and business with; however, we have certainly had to prioritize our marriage and our family and work to keep those priorities in-line with our personal family values and vision.
We had tremendous growth and success in our first 4 years in business. This accelerated growth proved to be a hurdle as we had not paid enough in “leadership debt” to effectively lead our growing team. We were like first-time parents trying to hold on for dear life. Once we recognized our shortcomings and committed to improving them, we were able to get a handle on them and start pointing our company in an effective direction.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Plumbing Outfitters?
We are the professional service company you want, with the local name-brand you can trust. We offer competitive pricing on plumbing repairs, installations, and drain cleanings. We specialize in leak detection, water heater options, and complex water/drain repairs.
We are known for being champions of our trade. Providing quality craftsmanship built on a foundation of integrity and professionalism, serving our team, customers, and community. We want to set THE NEW STANDARD in plumbing services for the communities we serve. We accomplish this by having all members of our team licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing. (to include our office staff). All of our technicians are background checked. We recruit aggressively for young talent that we can mold and train to uphold our company values and work towards our vision. We invest in our team by having weekly huddle meetings to discuss quality control, safety points, and industry-leading service and communication techniques. We invest in customer-friendly field software that allows our customers to see a photo and bio of their assigned technician as well as map them on the GPS while they are in route. We perform quality control on each and every service call and welcome and encourage customer feedback. We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee to our customers because at the end of the day, we aren’t just completing a service call; we are striving to make a life-long customer relationship.
We recently were awarded the 2022 Austin Best of the Best Award for plumbing services. This was a very proud moment for our organization. It was the culmination of hard work from every member of our team. We were honored and beyond grateful for the vote of confidence our customers bestowed upon us.
We are a family-owned business. We grew up in families where a handshake, manners, and your reputation meant everything. We are working to create a company where when you see us in the grocery store, church services, t-ball game, or swim lessons, we can shake your hand and be proud of the services our team has provided you. Our favorite customers are ones that have been referred to us by our other customers. 90% of our business is referral-based. We want to provide such a high level of service that you will naturally want to rave about us to friends, family, colleagues and neighbors.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My granny was one of the sweetest women that ever walked this earth. Not only was she uniquely kind-spirited, she was also famous in our town for her made-from scratch cinnamon rolls. She worked as the head cook for our local k-8 school during my entire childhood. There was something special about the food she made. It just always melted in your mouth. Many of my best childhood memories involve her in some form or fashion. But the one that sticks out so vividly in my mind is our family tradition of Sunday breakfast. Every Sunday morning, before church services, we would walk or drive down to her house (she only lived a few blocks from us) and she would make a feast. It wasn’t always the same, but you could generally count ¸on mounds of bacon or sausage and all the pancakes you could eat. On a rare occasion she would spoil all of us with her cinnamon rolls. My mouth is literally watering just thinking about it. She had four (grown) children of her own, and was the matriarch to 9 grandchildren. Everyone was welcome at breakfast. It was a time to laugh, and to enjoy one another’s company. Thinking back on it, she must have gotten up at dawn to make this possible every week. But it was so evident she loved hosting and being surrounded by family. She passed away in 2009, but her memory clearly lives in the lives of all those she touched. It’s evident when I go back to my hometown; without fail, someone stops me to tell me how much she was loved…. and to ask if we have her recipes hidden away.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.plumbingoutfitters.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plumbingoutfitters
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Plumbingoutfitters
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuWANwy5ZnM4dMCn5e5gshQ
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/plumbing-outfitters-granger-2
Image Credits
Jennifer Rudolph Photography
LMH Agency
