wholesalers to cut prices. I ask them to do their best, and I pay them promptly,” he explains. The importance of dependable partners was never more evident than during the COVID-19 pandemic. With tourism halted and revenue down 80 percent in the drain division, Allen leaned on a vendor from Sweden to move up a scheduled project. “I told the board I’d cut 25 percent off the project if we could start right away.They agreed, and I called our vendor. He flew in, quarantined, and worked with us for two weeks. That project kept five guys working for four and a half months and essentially kept us in business through 2020. We broke even that year, and I was grateful for it. That’s a special relationship.” Vehicle maintenance has also proven critical. “Downtime is where revenue dies.If a truck generating a couple thousand dollars a day is parked for three or four days, that money never comes back. Having a repair shop we can trust is beyond important. It is a necessity,” Allen emphasizes. GUIDING A LEGACY INTO NEW HANDS As Allen reflects on the future of the company, legacy is at the forefront of his mind. “Allen’s Plumbing is 43 years old, and I am not a young man anymore. I built this company out of passion and drive, so there is a deep personal investment in it,” he says. He has no intention of selling. Instead, the company will transition into an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan).“The vision is to guide the company ferguson.com 1-800-721-2590 Industries We Serve Plumbing, HVAC, Commercial / Mechanical, Facilities Supply, Fire & Fabrication, Industrial, Builder, and Waterworks 202 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 10
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