Yes, plumbers do protect the health of the nation and the crew at Graf Plumbing are devoted to just that motto says owner Dan Graf, who’s company is now celebrating 29 years in the Coastal Bend. Photo by Jane Kathleen Gregorio
While the month of March marks the start of spring, for Graf Plumbing, this year’s season of renewal signifies three decades of success in the business from one generation to the next.
What began with just one plumber and a truck operating from his home garage has since grown into a successful plumbing business with 23 employees, a fleet of 16 work vehicles, an office building, a workshop and clientele across the Coastal Bend.
Graf Plumbing is also a multiple recipient of the Caller-Times’ Best of the Best Reader’s Choice Awards.
According to Dan Graf, founder and president, the keys to the company’s success are playing by the golden rule and being responsive to customers needs.
“If we had a formal mission statement, it would be to treat others the way you would want to be treated by them,” he said. “If I were to call someone to my house to do repairs, I would expect courteous, professional and prompt service, so that is the philosophy we go by and what we impart to our crew”
Graf also stresses swift response to customer’s needs.
“When customers need help, we respond as quickly as we can within our capacity,” he said. “And because customers can depend on us, we gain their trust and form a relationship with them, and they’re more likely to choose us again.”
Graf started his plumbing business in March 1988, a few years after a stint in the U.S. Navy. While in the military, he found his true calling: working with his hands as a ship board plumber and pipefitter.
“I was fortunate that, at an early age, I discovered what I loved to do,” he said. “Before enlisting in the Navy, I was accepted to Texas A&M and prepared to study marine biology but decided it was not for me. So I joined the Navy and discovered I had more of an aptitude for the plumbing trade, which I became really passionate about.”
After returning to Corpus Christi, Graf decided to apply his experience. For eight years, he worked for a local plumbing contractor doing residential and commercial new construction. He then decided to strike out on his own.
Fast-forward to the present: Graf Plumbing now includes family members serving in key roles. Brother Tim Graf is secretary and treasurer. Among Graf’s three children, eldest son, Jeremy, has chosen to follow in his father’s footsteps.
“My role is to oversee and manage operations,” Jeremy Graf told Corpus Christi Business News. He has worked at Graf plumbing for 23 years, serving as manager for the past eight years.
“Our company’s growth can be attributed to hard work and devoted employees,” he said. “That produces loyal customers that drive our business.”
As retirement draws closer for Dan Graf, leadership and decision-making has transitioned to Jeremy, who currently serves as the vice president. As a youth, Jeremy never imagined he would come to enjoy the plumbing industry.
“I thought I wouldn’t be interested in this line of work,” he said. “But then, I had to spend my summers as a teen helping to dig trenches in order to make money to buy a car and pay for gas. During the first week of my apprenticeship right out of high school, I discovered that plumbing was a trade that I wanted to learn. I found I enjoyed meeting customers and providing solutions to their problems. It’s been rewarding ever since.”
Graf Plumbing provides both residential and commercial services with 24-hour emergency help available.
“Plumbing emergencies can happen anytime, and we have employees that are available to help when the need arises,” Dan Graf said.
Services include installation of toilets, tubs, sinks, showers, disposals, water heaters, tankless water heaters, water heater repair and replacement, sewer and drain service, water and gas lines, backflow testing, video pipe inspections, gas piping repair and replacement, fixture repair and replacement, and more.
“We service all of Corpus Christi and as far as Rockport, Aransas Pass, Port Aransas and Padre Island,” Jeremy Graf said.
Graf Plumbing offers a 10 percent discount on labor for seniors and military members and supports many local charities.
“Being that myself and four other of our current employees are military veterans, we help contribute towards the Wounded Warrior Project and Combat Marine Outdoors,” Dan Graf said. “We have also donated our plumbing services to Habitat for Humanity. Ronald McDonald House is another charity that we support. And since my sons are shark fishermen, we also support Friends of Padre.”
Being a master plumber is a highly specialized job, Graf said. It is always in demand, but has a declining number of people interested in going into the trade.
“My wish is that more of the younger generation who possess an aptitude for working with their hands would enter this field,” he said. “It seems that schools strictly focus more on getting students to a four-year college, and less emphasis is being placed on the vocational trades such as carpentry, masonry, HVAC and plumbing as an alternative for those who might be more interested in that line of work. This is actually a very rewarding field for those who have a knack for it, and most plumbers’ pay and benefits are well above the national average.”
As for a third generation of Graf plumbers, Jeremy Graf remains hopeful.
“I have 13-year-old twin boys, and someday, if one or both of them decide that they would like to learn the plumbing trade, well, I think that would be wonderful,” he said.
Graf Plumbing is located at 5961 La Costa in Corpus Christi. For more information, call (361) 994-8418 or visit grafplumbing.com.
