By Anthony J. Machcinski
Observer Correspondent
NORTH ARLINGTON –
Drivers traveling through the area for the past two decades have grown accustomed to the sight of a white van or truck with blue and orange lettering and associating it with John DeGrace Plumbing & Heating.
DeGrace, now entering his 20th year in the plumbing and heating business, has become a trusted face around town – a trust that wasn’t built overnight.
“I opened my business with one truck, and didn’t know anyone or any town, but we started slow and built ourselves up,” DeGrace said.
DeGrace believes that his continued success comes from being confident and providing quality service to his customers.
“I think our whole thing from day one was just being confident in our ability and doing it differently than other people,” DeGrace said.
DeGrace distinguished himself by creating a reputation for cleanliness and professional decorum. DeGrace, despite advice given to him from others in the industry, chose to outfit his employees with uniforms and emphasized keeping his trucks clean and organized.
“People care about having a uniform and nice trucks,” DeGrace explained. “We took pride in not just doing better work, but being neat and organized. We believe it wasn’t just a saying. We actually do it and we believe in being cleaner than everyone else.”
The purposeful attention to detail paid off for De- Grace, as his company has created a brand and reputation in the area for great service paired with professionalism.
“We’re still here and we have a great customer base,” DeGrace said. “They call and say how polite (our workers) are, that they’re not rude, and they explain things to the customer.”
Over the past 20 years, DeGrace said that the company’s success has come through evolving with the times.
“We’re constantly updating our knowledge,” DeGrace said.
One of the company’s newer facets, he noted, is in the sewer business. Using new technology, DeGrace and his crew can show a customer a problem, rather than just telling them what it might be.
“Camera work has been the biggest thing in the last five years,” DeGrace said. “If you can’t see the problem, you can’t fix the problem. A picture is worth a thousand words.”
John DeGrace Plumbing & Heating is located at 267 River Rd. in North Arlington. The company also features 24-hour emergency repair service.
Anyone searching for more information can visit www.degraceplumbing.com. To schedule an appointment, or to speak with a representative, dial 201-997-8565.
