While irrigation may seem straightforward, the reality is far more complex. Irrigation contractors and business owners navigate many challenges, from labor requirements and material costs to environmental planning. It’s a delicate balance between managing every minor detail and ensuring a profitable project.
ONE BUSINESS OWNER’S JOURNEY
We recently had the pleasure of speaking to Jimmy Biggs, a seasoned licensed irrigation contractor who has dedicated the past 20 years to this industry. His passion for irrigation, and landscaping is not just a profession but a part of his very being.
His career started by chance at a young age when he worked for a friend’s dad, who owned a lawn service. This was the beginning of his career, where he cultivated his knowledge of plants and landscape design while being exposed to the financial side of the business. These life experiences led him to purchase his first landscaping business and acquire several related companies, enabling him to provide customers with a full suite of landscape, design, and irrigation services.
QUALITY PRODUCTS AND CRAFTSMANSHIP
We asked Jimmy what factors helped him stay successful throughout his career. He quickly answered that quality products and craftsmanship were the key.
He said he often smirked when talking to new customers who used a competitor to install an irrigation system that now needed repair. He said he could tell within seconds of opening up the ground and looking at the PVC joints that they used an inferior PVC glue. Jimmy said, “The PVC adhesive used on those pipes is critical. If the weld isn’t good, then my people are going back to make repairs. I can’t afford to lose money, time, and reputation, so I only use the best products.” He said he has been a Weld-On customer for many years, and it is the only solvent cement he would use. If a product is a few cents more than other products on the market but he knows it’s reliable and trusted, he will spend the extra few cents.
PRODUCT COST VS. REPUTATION
Jimmy continued to break down the overall cost of a joint failure callback and how it could impact his business. He laughed and said these were estimates because he never had a callback for a joint failure. Over the years, he has witnessed the actual pipe burst, but PVC joints using Weld-On were undamaged.
The Costs for PVC Joint Failure
Two-man Crew for Half Day…………$200
Time lost on a new project……………$200
Materials……………………………………$100
Reputation to Business………………..How do you calculate?
Customer Frustration………………….How do you calculate? Damage to customer’s assets can be substantial.
Lost Future Projects……………………How do you calculate?
The bottom line is that failure is not an option when it comes to callbacks. As business owners, we must consider the dollars and cents of managing callbacks and the aftermath of a joint failure when using the wrong CPVC or PVC cement.
CULTIVATING BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS
When people talk about business relationships, they think about two people meeting and connecting professionally over a shared interest. After decades of running a business, Jimmy also learned that companies have relationships with the brands and products they use. Jimmy said, as a business owner, you or your employees may have used a specific product over the years that, in your experience, has been tested to be reliable, trusted, and foolproof over and over again. When he finds a product he can trust, and failure isn’t an option, he and his crew will stick with that brand to the end.
“I knew first-hand how reliable and versatile Weld-On was since my area had extreme heat, extreme cold and wet conditions. Weld-On has a PVC cement and PVC primer for every situation.”
– Jimmy Biggs, Irrigation and Landscape professional
THE FUTURE IS WELD-ON
After 20 years in the industry, Jimmy’s wife transferred jobs to a new city, so he decided to investigate his next chapter in life. He knew he wanted to sell his successful business and find a meaningful career that hopefully would tie into his past life experiences. We’re happy to say Jimmy now works for Weld-On as a Business Development Representative focusing on product growth and education. “Working at Weld-On was a perfect fit for me. I’ve been a loyal customer for many, many years. I knew first-hand how reliable and versatile Weld-On was since my area had extreme heat, extreme cold and wet conditions. Weld-On had products for every situation.”
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Weld-On training and support staff are available to answer any questions about products or solvent welding techniques. To talk to a real person, call our technical hotline at 1-877-477-8327, email us at training@weldon.com or connect at www.weldon.com/technical-training, to schedule free training.
About Weld-On
Weld-On Adhesives, Inc., a subsidiary of IPS Corporation, is the pioneer and leading manufacturer of Weld-On® solvent cements, primers and cleaners for PVC, CPVC, ABS and other plastic piping systems. Weld-On products are globally recognized as the premium products for joining plastic pipes and fittings. Headquartered in California, Weld-On has state-of-the-art operations throughout the United States, as well as China, and a worldwide network of sales representatives and distributors.