Getting properly certified for his company’s primary services was important to H&R Plumbing owner Horacio Franco. It helped establish the company’s credibility.
Franco had worked six years in the plumbing industry and had earned his master plumber's license when he decided to start his own company in 2004. Within a few years it grew to eight service vans with a full staff serving a 50-mile radius around the metropolitan area of Oakland and Berkeley, California.
The company is certified in NASSCO’s Lateral Assessment & Certification Program, Pipe Assessment & Certification Program, and Manhole Assessment & Certification Program. Franco spent two days in class in Oakland for his Inspector Training and Certification Program. He is also a member of the California Water Environment Association, and regularly attends its conferences and exhibits at its trade show, which has provided additional exposure for the company.
“We have all been trained, including our plumbers, on confined space entry, pipe bursting, sewer lateral lining, manhole rehab, CCTV inspections, hydrojetting, pipe patch, trenching, and traffic control,” Franco says. “There are some procedures you may not use, but I like to give all our people the information and training so we can meet any challenge, be safe, and serve our customer.”
Instructors for many of the different programs have come to their location for training purposes.
“Important for us, too, is that we are certified by the State of California to be an MBE (Minority Business Enterprise), an SBE (Small Business Enterprise), and DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise), all beneficial for us.”
He says the most satisfying thing has been growing the business and seeing the results of their work. To him, it’s almost like an art form — one in which he and his crew are well trained.
“My plumbers, because they are exposed to everything we offer, are able to educate the customer, and explain the options available to fix a sewer line,” Franco says. “Basically they become our on-the-road salespeople. In their work they see the various conditions in lines, and they know the processes. This is an important benefit for our company.”
