For over 15 years, John Stevenson Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning has been the company to call for service, installation, and repair for residential and light commercial properties in North County. The company offers a unique annual maintenance program in which they visit your residence or business for an annual check-up to try to prevent plumbing, heating and air conditioning disasters. John Stevenson Plumbing takes pride in its honesty, promptness, and reliability. They service everything from slab leaks to water heaters, from a small stoppage to a sewer problem. Company President John Stevenson has an open door policy and welcomes direct questions and, if additional service is necessary, he has been known to make house calls to solve problems first-hand. Connie Stevenson, John Stevenson's wife, acts as the company secretary and says that balancing business with a relationship can be tricky but is always rewarding.
Executive's name: John Stevenson
Company name: John Stevenson Plumbing & Mechanical Inc., DBA John Stevenson Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning
Address: 6351 Corte Del Abeto #A108, Carlsbad, CA 92011
Phone: (760) 918-0456
Web site: www.JohnStevensonPlumbing.com
Founded: January 1990
Prior experience: Began work in the industry in 1976, working for several companies which specialized in custom homes in Rancho Santa Fe, Fairbanks Ranch, and Hollywood Hills. Involved in the start up and management of Golden Eagle plumbing before opening own business and working out of his home in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. The company eventually relocated to Solana Beach and then Carlsbad six years ago. In the beginning, Connie Stevenson was working at her own career in the insurance industry. John convinced Connie she should leave Johnson & Wood Insurance for a life of luxury where she would be able to come and go as she pleased and retire in two years. This was in 2000 and she is still steering the ship. Connie says working with her mate has been an interesting and growing experience. She believes you have to be from a special mold to have two strong personalities work together as a team during the day and have a loving relationship in the evening. The couple will be married 25 years in August, so they must be doing something right!
Source of starting capital: We used every possible means to keep the company afloat when we first started. Connie worked to cover the household expenses and health insurance, as anyone who is self-employed knows insurance in itself is expensive. Working out of our home the first few years helped with the overhead.
Average hours worked weekly: Our company is open 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
Number of teammates: We have eight employees and they are a great crew, these guys shine. They take pride in their work, they are all highly skilled and educated, and they are our greatest asset.
Residence & Family: We have lived in Cardiff-by-the-Sea for over 25 years. We have five grandchildren, including identical twin girls who live close by.
Hobbies: John enjoys off-roading in the desert and recently raced in the Baja 500. He will also compete in a triathlon for the Lymphoma Foundation later this year. Connie is currently in training for the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Walk and is active in the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, serving as chairwoman of the Golf Committee for three years. She is also involved in the New Military Task Force Committee and helps with the Business Expo
What makes your business a standout? We believe our company surpasses the rest because we stake our reputation on our company and employees, we stand behind our work, we take care of our employees and, in turn, they take care of our clients.
Drawbacks to your line of business: We don't really know of any drawbacks – the hardest thing currently is finding good quality technicians to represent us the way we want to be represented.
Toughest career decision: John believes the toughest thing for him was venturing out on his own but he knew he needed to work independently and challenge himself to grow.
Ongoing challenges: The biggest challenge again is finding good quality technicians who share our work ethic.
Best way to stay competitive: It depends on what you mean by competitive. If you are talking about prices, there is always going to be someone who can beat your price. We stay competitive by being experts in our fields, professional, and by being prompt, courteous, and clean in our client's homes.
In five years, where would you like your business to be? In someone else's hands! All kidding aside, we would like to be semi retired. We believe Jeff (our son-in-law) will be ready to take the helm and handle the daily tasks of the company.
What would you change if you could do it all over again? John says if he could change anything he would have learned how to run a business first before learning how to be a plumber.
Choice for a second career: John's career choice would have been a full-time racer of any kind but Connie's not sure what she would have done.
People you look up to and why: Connie looks up to both her mother and father. They are both deceased now, but they are the ones that made her believe in herself. John looks up to our military men and women for the sacrifices they make everyday.
Favorite movie: For John, "Paint your Wagon" and for Connie, "Pretty Woman."
Favorite quote: John's favorite is "Be happy in your work" while Connie prefers "God, grant me the serenity to except the things I cannot change, the courage to change the times I can and the wisdom to know the difference."
Advice for new entrepreneurs: Find a business mentor and talk to them every day. It can get pretty lonely at the top.
Executive's name: John Stevenson
Company name: John Stevenson Plumbing & Mechanical Inc., DBA John Stevenson Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning
Address: 6351 Corte Del Abeto #A108, Carlsbad, CA 92011
Phone: (760) 918-0456
Web site: www.JohnStevensonPlumbing.com
Founded: January 1990
Prior experience: Began work in the industry in 1976, working for several companies which specialized in custom homes in Rancho Santa Fe, Fairbanks Ranch, and Hollywood Hills. Involved in the start up and management of Golden Eagle plumbing before opening own business and working out of his home in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. The company eventually relocated to Solana Beach and then Carlsbad six years ago. In the beginning, Connie Stevenson was working at her own career in the insurance industry. John convinced Connie she should leave Johnson & Wood Insurance for a life of luxury where she would be able to come and go as she pleased and retire in two years. This was in 2000 and she is still steering the ship. Connie says working with her mate has been an interesting and growing experience. She believes you have to be from a special mold to have two strong personalities work together as a team during the day and have a loving relationship in the evening. The couple will be married 25 years in August, so they must be doing something right!
Source of starting capital: We used every possible means to keep the company afloat when we first started. Connie worked to cover the household expenses and health insurance, as anyone who is self-employed knows insurance in itself is expensive. Working out of our home the first few years helped with the overhead.
Average hours worked weekly: Our company is open 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
Number of teammates: We have eight employees and they are a great crew, these guys shine. They take pride in their work, they are all highly skilled and educated, and they are our greatest asset.
Residence & Family: We have lived in Cardiff-by-the-Sea for over 25 years. We have five grandchildren, including identical twin girls who live close by.
Hobbies: John enjoys off-roading in the desert and recently raced in the Baja 500. He will also compete in a triathlon for the Lymphoma Foundation later this year. Connie is currently in training for the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Walk and is active in the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, serving as chairwoman of the Golf Committee for three years. She is also involved in the New Military Task Force Committee and helps with the Business Expo
What makes your business a standout? We believe our company surpasses the rest because we stake our reputation on our company and employees, we stand behind our work, we take care of our employees and, in turn, they take care of our clients.
Drawbacks to your line of business: We don't really know of any drawbacks – the hardest thing currently is finding good quality technicians to represent us the way we want to be represented.
Toughest career decision: John believes the toughest thing for him was venturing out on his own but he knew he needed to work independently and challenge himself to grow.
Ongoing challenges: The biggest challenge again is finding good quality technicians who share our work ethic.
Best way to stay competitive: It depends on what you mean by competitive. If you are talking about prices, there is always going to be someone who can beat your price. We stay competitive by being experts in our fields, professional, and by being prompt, courteous, and clean in our client's homes.
In five years, where would you like your business to be? In someone else's hands! All kidding aside, we would like to be semi retired. We believe Jeff (our son-in-law) will be ready to take the helm and handle the daily tasks of the company.
What would you change if you could do it all over again? John says if he could change anything he would have learned how to run a business first before learning how to be a plumber.
Choice for a second career: John's career choice would have been a full-time racer of any kind but Connie's not sure what she would have done.
People you look up to and why: Connie looks up to both her mother and father. They are both deceased now, but they are the ones that made her believe in herself. John looks up to our military men and women for the sacrifices they make everyday.
Favorite movie: For John, "Paint your Wagon" and for Connie, "Pretty Woman."
Favorite quote: John's favorite is "Be happy in your work" while Connie prefers "God, grant me the serenity to except the things I cannot change, the courage to change the times I can and the wisdom to know the difference."
Advice for new entrepreneurs: Find a business mentor and talk to them every day. It can get pretty lonely at the top.