First service call: July 27, 2011.
We’re celebrating 15 years of Dirty. Stinking. Honest business.
Lance Smith here, owner of L.D. Smith Plumbing. I wanted to take a minute to talk about where we started, why we started, and what’s changed and what hasn’t, along the way.
Why I Started This Company
Before L.D. Smith, I’d already spent about nine years in the plumbing industry. And what I experienced was draining my energy.
The industry was getting saturated with multi-trade companies, focused on gimmicks and pressure sales. In turn, actual customer service was getting less and less of the focus. If one notices the recent changes in the home services landscape with private equity investment and consolidation, the situation continues. Flashy promotions, up-sells and pressure to meet daily revenue quotas.
I wanted something different. A company built on quality service at a fair price, without gimmicks. While allowing my team to focus on the service instead of up-selling.
Just Dirty. Stinking. Honest work.
Starting With Nothing but a Garage
I didn’t have the resources to buy a fleet of trucks or run big marketing campaigns when I started. So I started like so many others with grit and a garage, just south of Englefield House near Butler University.
About nine months in, I rented our first real shop on Hawthorne Park Drive, on the northeast side of Indianapolis. Then in 2017, we bought our headquarters building at 2400 Southeastern.
From One Guy to 23 Employees
We’ve grown from a single-employee operation to a team of over two dozen people and just as many vehicles. We handle everything from a drippy faucet to full sewer line replacement. The small stuff, the big stuff and all the stuff in between. Literally!
Sales-wise, we’ve ascended from $0 to over $5 million. It’s because of the team and our dedicated and repeat clients. Have I done this alone? Not even close.
15 Years Down, Many More on the Horizon
It’s been quite a ride and I’m still on the roller coaster. Hard work, personal and professional growth, investment in an ever-growing team of licensed plumbers and a whole lot of homeowners who trust us with their service needs over the years.
I’m proud to celebrate 15 years in business, and all of us at L.D. Smith Plumbing & Drains look forward to many, many more.
Keep flushing Indiana!
~ Lance Smith, Owner and The Man that Skis the White River Barefoot
PS Here’s a quick video celebrating the achievements: