by Paul Markosian
Napoleon Dynamite got it right: women, like my wife, are way impressed by skills and obviously unimpressed by trembling ineptitude–like the kind I once displayed in the face of a plumbing challenge.
Salt Lake’s England Plumbing, 1000 East 3300 South, has stood ready to improve machismo and marriage via plumbing skills for several generations. I being, for a dozen years or so, one happy recipient of their service.
A couple of days ago I replaced a hose bib, (and the pipe that leads to it); a month ago, when the water flow in the building was reduced to a trickle I replaced a faulty pressure reducer valve; a week before that, a sprinkler valve. Today I need advice on where to place a drain so my PVC sprinkler pipe won’t burst next winter.
With England’s expert advice, I’ve handled many sprinkler projects, toilet and faucet repair and replacements, (including toilet flanges and even below that!) and a couple of water heaters. I even replaced a bathtub. England doesn’t sell bathtubs, but their amazingly knowledgeable salespeople knew a lot more about tub installation procedure than the people who sold me the tub.
England’s about a mile down the street from Home Depot and the former has nothing to worry about. Standing up straighter after a brief training session with an England salesperson, the guy in front of me at a recent check-out said, (no doubt thinking how impressed his wife would be), “Why would anyone go anywhere else?”
Go there and Jayson Clark, Chris King or Rick England will help you. Rick’s worked there 40 years, Chris 20, Jayson 19. Rick married Jayson’s mom a long time ago so Jayson is Rick’s stepson. The company was founded by in the 50s by Rick’s grandfather, Cecil England. The founder’s right-hand men for many years were Jim King and Rick who together bought the company in the 80s. Jim, who started working there as a teenager, died suddenly four years ago at age 57, leaving son Chris – already a veteran employee – to fill his dad’s shoes. The point is when you go to England Plumbing you’re being helped by owners and “life-ers.” You won’t find this business model at Harvard, which is probably why it works so well. It’s a testament like no other I know that when a company truly helps you solve a problem, that outfit can take on anybody, even Goliath.
