Johnson Plumbing and Heating is not only one of the longest-tenured businesses in the community, but it has been in the Johnson family since it opened.
The company was started by John Johnson back in 1967, and it celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. John’s son Brad is now the owner.
Plumbing, heating, air conditioning and water treatment services are among the services that it offers. Fireplaces and barbecues are among the other products that the business sells.
The company was selected to be the best plumbing outfit in the city by those who voted in the Readers’ Choice Best of Estevan Awards organized by Estevan Mercury Publications.
“We provide a good service and people are appreciative of it,” said Brad Johnson, who is now the owner of the company.
The honour is also proof that people are still reading the papers distributed by the Mercury, he said.
“They’re still looking at that type of media,” said Johnson. “You wonder how well-read local advertising is with the Internet and everything else, but people are definitely picking up the paper and taking the time to go through it from front page to back page.”
While Johnson Plumbing and Heating has always been a family business, it has had a few different locations. The initial location was near the intersection of Sixth Street and Souris Avenue South. Then the company moved to Edward Street, and finally it wound up at its current home at the intersection of Fifth Street and 11th Avenue in 1998.
Johnson started working for the company in 1984, and obtained his journeymen’s plumbing certificate. He and his brother Rodger purchased the business from their father in 2006, and Brad Johnson bought out his brother in 2015.
“It was important (to keep the business in the family),” said Brad Johnson. “Once you start a business, you want to keep it going.”
It’s a lot of work owning the business, but it has been a good experience, he said.
Johnson Plumbing and Heating has gone through a lot of changes, he said, thanks to technology.
“The fundamentals have stayed the same, but technology has changed daily,” he said. “When I started as a service person, you had a handful of parts that could fix 90 per cent of the problems. Now you have a building full of parts.”
It seems like there’s a new line of products every couple of years now.
There have been some different services that the company has offered, but plumbing, heating and air conditioning services have remained at the core.
Many of their customers have remained loyal to the company for multiple generations. Johnson said he has customers whose parents received service from John Johnson back when Johnson Plumbing and Heating first opened.
“They see the value in our service,” said Brad Johnson.
They also have long-term staff members who have been with the company for more than 15 years. Neil Cinnamon has with the business for more than 25 years.
Johnson said he enjoys working with the public and the customers, and helping people out, and giving back to the community.
The business supports such causes as minor sports, the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins, the Estevan Curling Club and 4-H clubs in the area.
“It’s mostly kids and community sports,” said Johnson. “It helps everybody.”
And whenever possible, Johnson said the company will purchase parts and supplies from local retailers, reinforcing the value of shopping locally.
