Family-owned and -operated McComb Plumbing delivers professional plumbing services to residential and commercial customers, from service calls to new construction.

Loretta McComb is the President of McComb Plumbing, and also serves as a commercial estimator and the office manager with “the friendly voice.”

Family-owned and -operated McComb Plumbing has been serving the Denver community from the same location and phone number since 1989. The impetus for the business occurred two years earlier, when Patrick “Pat” and Loretta McComb arrived home from their respective jobs with the news they had been laid off—both on the same day! Pat’s response to the situation was farsighted: “You know what? We could do this on our own.”

Building a Family-Owned Business from the Ground Up

“We had just purchased a home and had our first baby. Pat, a master plumber, started making service calls the very next day,” Loretta says. They quickly created and distributed flyers to homeowners and placed small ads in local newspapers—and the phone began to ring.

For the first 10 years, Pat made all the service calls, mostly residential, within a 20-mile radius of their Denver office. Loretta answered the phone and managed the business from home while taking evening accounting courses.

The entire family has been involved over time. Pat and Loretta’s daughter, Angela, assists with payroll and office work, learning how a business operates, with an eye to running her own company one day. Their sons, Dominic and Vincent, have also worked in the business. “We’re a close-knit group,” Loretta says.

What gave them the idea they could do it on their own? “We realized that we’d been around businesses all of our lives. We knew what customer service should look like,” Loretta says. Her father owned a mechanical shop in the Denver area. She worked for him during high school, learning the art of customer service and how to keep the books.

Pat moved to Denver from Chicago in 1979 and initially worked as a “detail guy” at an auto body shop. Just across the street was a plumbing business. One day the owner approached Pat and said: “I watch you every day and see how hard you work. Would you like to work for me and train to become a plumber?” Pat replied, “Does it pay more than $2.25 an hour?” It did! Pat signed on and learned the business from the ground up.

A Successful Leap to the Commercial Market

After establishing a successful residential plumbing business, the McCombs decided to expand to the commercial sector. “We learned as we went. We kept detailed notes of what we could do better; of what worked and what didn’t,” Loretta says. Commercial jobs now represent 90 percent of their business.

Companies that make the transition to the commercial market inevitably face a learning curve and challenges. “The commercial bidding process is totally different. The products are totally different. Pat and Loretta had a good grasp of their business and how to handle the changes. They paid attention and succeeded,” says Brian Jones, Director of Sales and Vendor Relations for G.T. Sanders, a plumbing and heating distribution company. McComb Plumbing is his longtime customer. “When we began advertising with The Blue Book Network® we started getting commercial jobs and calls from out-of-state contractors—from California, Texas, Iowa—to bid on jobs here in Colorado,” Loretta recalls. She still has a copy of the 1990 print edition they first advertised in. “Now that bidding has moved online, work opportunities have really taken off for us. It’s so automated and easy.”

They’ve adapted well to changes. “When the recession hit in 2008, residential construction was the first area to crash. The McCombs made it through without any problems because they were diversified in both the commercial and consumer markets and had established a great reputation,” Brian says.

Their accountant calls them “lean and mean.” At one point they expanded to 12 technicians, but then intentionally scaled back to their sweet spot of three techs, plus Loretta and Pat. “Our commercial and service customers are happy. They know we only have a few techs; but they wait,” Pat says. “They know they’re getting a fair, honest price and the job will be done right the first time.” Pat and Loretta are happy, too. A small staff means they aren’t stressed.

What Customer Service Looks Like: A Referral-Driven Business

McComb Plumbing has a loyal customer base that provides a stream of recommendations, including customers’ adult children. Many current customers are the second generation of their families to rely on the McCombs.

“We get calls from people who say, ‘You worked on my mom and dad’s place. They said to just use you guys,’ ” Loretta says. “That lets us know that we’ve done something right for the past 30 years.”

“We want our customers for life,” Loretta affirms. “We give customers what they want—quality service at a reason- able price; and they in turn have provided us with our next generation of customers.”

McCombs’ customer, Jerry Buckley, concurs. “I have recommended the McCombs to everyone who’s ever asked me about a plumber, including both of my children,” he says. “They’re as amazed as we are. When you’re amazed by your plumber, rather than frustrated, you’re going to be very pleased.” Jerry recalls a time when he was out of town. “My wife, Susie, discovered a leak in one of our copper pipes,” he explains. “She called Loretta at 7:30 a.m. and told her, ‘I don’t know how to shut off the water!’” Loretta immediately called Pat; he swung by their house, shut off the water and returned later that day to fix the problem. “You can imagine what that meant to my wife having someone stop the leak so she could stop worrying,” Jerry adds.

Customers also know they can call for advice and referrals for other trades. “We come into contact with a lot of wonderful businesses that do everything from tiling and drywall to painting and roofing. We’re always glad to share that with our clients. They trust us as a resource and we love it when they call us for advice,” Loretta says.

Brian says he’s never heard a complaint of any kind about McComb Plumbing. “When a company has been in business as long as they have, that is highly unusual. It’s a great, honest company and good people. Pat and Loretta make a great team,” he emphasizes.

What’s the secret to working successfully with your spouse? The McCombs know the secret, which Loretta quickly articulates: “Pat and I work so well together because he doesn’t do anything that I do and I don’t do anything that he does.” Wise words and a smart solution make a winning combination to take the McCombs and their company toward even greater success.