By Marie Glimore
When Alvarez Plumbing gets a call or a referral, it knows it is a sign of a job well done and that someone in the community recognizes a company that states right on its business cards, “We Take Pride in Our Work.” This lesson was learned by company owner and founder, Al Alvarez, because this skill was passed down by his dad, Alfonso Alvarez, who was a hard working plumbing contractor in Essex County, New Jersey in the 1950’s and ‘60s.
“My dad made me watch and learn the trade from the time I was eleven-years-old,” described Alvarez. “And, it was years before I moved beyond just handing him the tools. I needed to learn how to work efficiently and do things the right way the first time.”
Those same skills are as important to him as they were when he was a child and the quality shows.
At the age of 17, the Alvarez family relocated to the Brandon area and Al graduated from Brandon High School. He tried to return to New Jersey, but family brought him back to the community and he joined the Air Force for four years and settled in Valrico.
Despite his mom’s wishes that he and his brother would choose another career path, those early lessons instilled the skills and work ethics necessary to be successful plumbing contractors and Alvarez opened his plumbing business in 1976.
Now, celebrating 37 years in business with three generations of Alvarez family working within the company, including Al, daughters Lisa and Marcia and even a grandson and cousins taking on positions in the company, it is truly a family-owned and operated business.
“I have old school values,” says Alvarez. “We treat our customers how we want to be treated.”
Alvarez has grown throughout the years but not without sacrifice and struggle. “There were bumps in the road,” described Alvarez. “But we had to pick ourselves up and just keep going.”
The business is very family-oriented and all staff are treated just like family. One staff member, Leo, the top technician for the company, has been with Alvarez for 27 years. “We stand behind the work that we do and the staff that we hire,” described Alvarez, who also works alongside wife Ty.
Alvarez Plumbing just added two newly-wrapped full-service trucks to its fleet and ensures that every technician is drug-free and background-checked. In addition, every team member is in uniform with embroidered shirt and name badge fully visible. The company is licensed, bonded and insured and members of the Better Business Bureau, Brandon Chamber of Commerce and Sertoma Club.
Over the last eight years, Alvarez Plumbing, in recognizing the effects of the recession, have maintained its pricing structure and kept service costs down.
“And it works for us,” described Marcus Reyes, company vice president and son-in-law to Alvarez, “We have also grown, expanded and added new employees in the last eight years. We take pride in our work and we stand behind our work; that is what has set us apart and helped us grow.”
Alvarez Plumbing services both residential and commercial clients and is available 24 hours per day for calls at 655-7520 or visit www.alvarezplumbing.com.
