A LOOK BACK AT OUR NEWS ARCHIVES
Take a look back at the Perma-Liner™ news

NO DIG MEANS MORE DOUGH

After 20 years of dig-and-replace projects, a Pennsylvania plumber took a turn toward trenchless technology and saw a dramatic increase in business

~ By Marian Bond

For 20 years, replacing sewer lines was an important business sector for Michael McVay, owner of McVay Plumbing Company Inc. in Penn Hills, PA.

In 2007, when McVay ventured into pipe lining, he hardly knew what to expect. He planned to enhance his bottom line and see growth in his customer base in the close-by city of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny County region.

"I saw this as something new that I would be the first in our area to offer," he says. "I saw it as something I could provide to the customer that would save money and take less time and disruption. I had no idea it would be so prosperous for us. We started in February of 2007, and within three years we had completed 248 liners in the area we serve. This has changed revenue. Changed everything."

DIVIDE & CONQUOR

A contractor in western Washington State focuses on specialized work by separating his large company into three businesses, then growing them.

~ By Scottie Dayton

Being a big contractor good at many little things was hard to market, so Dennis Smith, owner of Pipe Experts LLC in Tumwater, Wash., followed the advice of a leading independent tire dealer and divided the company into three separate entities.

Pipe Experts would specialize in locating, inspecting, jetting and pipe bursting for municipalities. Interactive Pipe Inspection (IPI) would concentrate on water and sewer pipeline inspections, and Insta-Pipe Inc. would focus on cured-in-place-pipe lateral lining, sectional repairs and main-lateral connections.

The strategy worked, advancing Insta-Pipe and IPI to number one in their market areas. "We are recognized specialty experts of those industries," says Smith, 60. "When contractors say they can't do a project, we jump in and do it." Smith intends to expand Insta-Pipe into all 50 states. The heart of his plan establishes stores and allows managers and employees to earn a percentage of the profits. That concept, propelled by the advertising expertise of 37-year-old Nick Patrick, president of Insta-Pipe, has increased sales dramatically.