Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Anderson RMP.
Kevin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today?
My Plumbing experience started like most plumbers who were not born into the trade, at home fixing leaks. I really enjoyed plumbing like a hobby. After wearing many different hats in my work career from bar manager, leasing consulting, property maintenance / area maintenance supervisor, cert HVAC tech, and commercial / Industrial plumber. I finally decided to settle down and specialize in my favorite of them all which was plumbing. After choosing to pursue a full time plumbing career. I decided to attend Local 100 MCAA where I received a formal Plumbing education and went on to receive a score of 98.6 on the Texas State Board Of Plumbing Masters exam. After participating in many large scale plumbing projects such as, Baylor Cancer, Methodists hospital, Wells Fargo Data Center, and the new Parkland hospital in downtown Dallas. I decided it was time to spread my wings and start Ardent Plumbing in Plano Texas where I’ve been a resident for over 20 years.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been said time and time again. “Nothing that comes easy in life is worth keeping”. That is a fact! It has not been easy at all. Knowing how to do the work is very small in the whole scope of running a plumbing business. Dealing with personalities who look down on the trades which built this country is a hurtle. People tend to not value the time and effort it takes to reach the highest levels of professional plumbing and that is part of the reason we have a plumbing, electrical and HVAC shortage in the U.S. right now.
Perhaps more than any other career, plumbers get a bad rap. That stereotypical image of a plumber has been revisited countless times in cartoons, TV shows and movies. While the gag may seem harmless, it’s misleading and paints the plumbing craft poorly. The jokes do no justice to the skills, training and hard work that go into being a professional plumber.
Correcting the stigma associated with tradesmen and tradeswomen is one of the challenges we face daily. At Ardent Plumbing we take great pride in what we do, along with taking our role very seriously in keeping the public safe.
One of the other top stereotypes surrounding plumbers and all types of craft professionals is that we’re uneducated or this is the only type of job we could find. That is laughable to say the least! Most of the plumbers I know are highly intelligent people and could have easily done many other professions. Many of us could have easily been your lawyer, your doctor or your dentist had we studied those subjects.
While it’s true that plumbers generally don’t need a 4 year bachelor’s degree, it’s wrong to say they are not educated. Most plumbing programs require at least a high school diploma or equivalent to get started. So thinking this is a field full of dropouts is incorrect.
Beyond high school, many plumbers undergo intense job-specific training and education. This education can have many forms, from apprenticeships with experienced professionals to postsecondary technical schools or craft training programs such as the 5 year program I completed. Successful completion of these programs often results in plumbers and apprentices earning industry-recognized credentials that indicate our skills and knowledge.
Most states also require plumbers to pass an exam given by the state board and get licensed in order to practice. This licensing and regulatory board is critical and extremely necessary to ensure the safety of our public drinking water systems. Some politicians in Texas are now literally trying to do away with the Plumbing board that protects our public water. Which is insane to myself and many other skilled plumbers. Many of us live in the area, we use and consume the water along with our friends and families. So I’d say water safety in Texas is currently one of the biggest challenges we are facing right now. Many people think reducing the requirements and making it easier for people to get licensed is going to make plumbing cheaper. Unfortunately and sadly, if this happens it may take the loss of life or many lives for people to realize the extreme consequences of such a foolish ideal.
Ardent Plumbing – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are known for being one of the most intellectual plumbing companies in the area. We take plumbing seriously and study our craft daily to ensure that we are up to date with new laws and safety concerns along with staying ahead of the information wave.
We are known for being the plumber’s plumber too! Many local plumbers call on us for advice and information because they are aware of the level of expertise one can find at Ardent Plumbing. We specialize in being the leaders in new plumbing technologies for all service and plumbing repairs. We provide service repairs and maintenance for many residential, commercial, medical, and industrial clients such as some of our long time clients like Frisco Dodge (a great place to get a fair deal on vehicles), (Mash’d, one of the best places in Plano/Frisco to get lunch/dinner and drinks with friends and family along with their sister restaurant TruFire are both awesome).
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I’d have to say scoring almost 100 on the State Board Masters exam was a very fond moment. The feeling of knowing that your hard work and long hours of studying have earned you a seat at the masters exam table to prove your knowledge is rewarding. Knowing that you have reached the meridian of your area of expertise is fulfilling. Next I would have to say it was participating in the construction of the new Parkland Hospital. A 2.1 million square feet structure with an anticipated 30,000 people passing through its doors each day. Knowing that my skills helped to build a place that will be helping many people and saving lives long after I transition from this planet is rewarding to the soul.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6600 Chase Oaks Blvd, Suite 150
- Phone: 2148681832
- Email: admin@ardentplumbing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ardentplumbing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ardentplumbing/
- Twitter: ARDENT PLUMBING
- Yelp: ARDENT PLUMBING
- Other: ARDENT PLUMBING
Image Credit:
Kevin Anderson RMP
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
