What is PVE?
PVE is a mechanical contracting business that was started in 1999 by myself in my house. We do plumbing, heating, A/C and electrical service. We do mostly service and replacement of mechanical and electrical equipment. We do some new construction, but mostly only 24/hr service and replacement of systems.
What is something you are proud of with PVE?
We have been in business for 25 years right now, which is a huge accomplishment. We started out with myself and have grown to about 23 employees. We have been able to service people for that long, and help them out with whatever they have going on and their services!
Can you tell me about the leadership you have here?
We have been fortunate to be able to grow. We have a plumbing manager, HVAC manager, electric manager, Warehouse manager, warehouse manager, operations manager, contact center manager, and myself. With about 14 technicians in the field. We have about 20 trucks on the road (they are beautifully branded!)
Have you always been in Ware?
We started at my house in Hardwick, and then moved to a spot that is now Rose 32 Bakery in Gilbertville. It was an old gas station. We got approached about selling it for the bakery to open, and so we did. We moved then to the Hardwick Kilns for a bit, and then we have been in this current building for 5-6 years now. Every place had a story and a growth. Fun Fact: The current PVE building was a firehouse! Another Fun Fact: Rose 32 is a renowned bakery—a must try.
What makes PVE the best?
Our size and people talent wise, it is unique for residential service and replacement in our area. The quality of service and training that we do is superior. Our professionalism and how we present ourselves, and perform our work at customer’s houses. When you call we have 24 hour service, after you call we send a text and an email, on the day of service you will get a true ETA sent to you and an image of the person who is coming to your home and the vehicle you should expect to see. The presentation of this process is the same each time, this differentiates us from our area today by offering a comfort level for people. All of our technicians are background checked. We strive on offering a comfort level as we go into homes for service. Our technicians respect your home, we wear booties, we have mats for our equipment and we are leaving your home cleaner than when we got there. An outstanding customer experience is the goal each day.
What do you do when you are not running a business?
We have a few other business, real estate and storage. But for enjoyment I love fishing on the Quabbin Reservoir on Sunday mornings. I love outdoor activities. Every night, my wife and I walk 3-4 miles. We are abutting an old dairy farm, and we walk it every night even in the winter, in the snow in the winter.
What is a piece of advice you would give someone starting off a business?
Find something that you love to do and you won’t think of it as work. Something that allowed us to be successful is find a success group. Get involved with people with like-mind in similar industries for your best practices, advices and your sounding board. When you are alone you only have yourself, you really need to have an advisory board that you can work out your ideas. My sounding boards share ideas, numbers, and experiences.
What is one thing that you want people to know from this interview?
If you can set your mind to something and work hard at it, it WILL materialize. That is my story, and it really works like that. From the outside looking in, it may look easy. It’s always easier from the outside in, than the inside out.
