Rallying the Troops: Raising the Standard in Plumbing

Lina Kurucz seems to have the problem-solving gene in her DNA. Her chosen career was design and marketing. Time and again, however, she was called upon to tackle problems in the plumbing trade.

With limited knowledge about pipes and drains, she overcame multiple obstacles, started up companies, and created processes from scratch that have turned failing businesses into profitable ventures. 

Kurucz is the owner of Florida-based Plumbing Troopers. The number of technicians on her staff recently has grown from five to 11. And the company’s reputation has skyrocketed.

That wasn’t the case when she entered the business in 2016 as a partner and immediately found areas that needed to change. Uniforms. The way the company presented itself. Overall organization. 

“It was just not a good environment,” she says. “Step One was to create an environment where plumbers would feel welcome and good, quality plumbers would feel taken care of.”

After cleaning up an in-house theft issue, Kurucz moved to the top of the company organization chart in 2019. Yes, we all know what happened to our world in 2020. But with plumbing deemed an essential service during the pandemic, Kurucz set about making her company viable in the eyes of the local public.

“This might sound a little bit crazy, but I feel like businesses are like packaged goods,” she says. “Think of tomato sauce. You don’t taste it. You’re just looking at something, and you’re going for what package you like, right? I really feel like business is the same thing.”

Excellent marketing and branding are what sells, she says.

“Honestly, I know we’re now a good business, but I really do feel like the name, the branding, the social media, the friendliness, is what gives us business,” Kurucz says.

Having lived and evolved through massive change and turnover in her company, she has one big piece of advice for other business owners.

“Don’t ever take your eyes off the business,” she says. “One hundred percent. You need to always be involved. Just because you hire a rock star manager, a rock star office person, doesn't mean you get to just approve the payroll, approve the payments, sign off on everything without really digging through and looking into your business.”

Lina Kurucz recently joined ServiceTitan’s Jackie Aubel as part of Season 6 of the “Toolbox for the Trades” podcast, which included Kurucz’s thoughts on:

• The growing pains of a new business.

• Supporting employees, including mental health awareness.

• Investing in new technology that fulfills custom needs.

• The importance of learning your employees’ expertise.

• The need for more female plumbers in the industry.

To hear more tales from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or anywhere you get podcasts.