Becoming Number One at Number Two: Associate Spotlight on Dave Rollo

Before P1 Service Plumbing Service Manager Dave Rollo was lured into the illustrious world of plumbing, he wanted to fly jets. When he finished high school, he headed off to college to become a jet pilot, but after a year of college, his long distance relationship took a toll and he chose marriage over flying.

Dave has been around plumbing all his life. His dad was a union plumber who ran his own business and Dave had learned the trade at a young age.  He was working for a small residential shop when his brother in law encouraged him to come work for AD Jacobson, so he went.

“AD Jacobson had a reputation for housing the highest quality workers. To say you worked for ADJ was a huge deal. It was a highly respected shop,” Dave said.

He has now been at P1 for 25 years.

For years, the main function of a service plumber was small projects and warranty work for new construction customers. Dave recognized the need for a dedicated service manager to pursue work for the service plumbing department and voiced an interest. In 2014, he was approached about managing the Plumbing Service Department.

Since Plumbing Service Manager was a new position, Dave created a business plan that included ambitious goals, but primarily he wanted to increase and maintain the respectability that P1 had already established.

“P1 has a reputation for quality in their service department, so that has been the primary focus, while also trying to grow revenue,” Dave explained.

In trying to grow the plumbing service department, he first needed to establish trust with long term HVAC customers, and help them understand the level of quality our plumbing service department delivers. It’s an ongoing process, but Dave says there has been steady growth and consistent profitability.

Even with the growth and profitability, Dave feels the most rewarding part of this venture has been building the team.

“Our two main plumbers are the two of the best guys you could have and we now have two apprentices that are doing awesome. I think the team is what I have really enjoyed the most,” he said.

Dave believes a team that feels like a family has been key to the growth and success of the department, and when it comes time for additional growth, finding the people that fit into this family will be most important thing.

Plumber Cracks

Those who know Dave and work with him on a regular basis have been exposed to his sense of humor and practical jokes and there is never a shortage of one liners. When it comes to his humor, he said his mother and her two brothers were his inspiration. For Dave, being a smart aleck is a work in progress.

“Just when you think you have perfected it, someone steps in and takes it to a whole new level! In my family there is some stiff competition,” said Dave.

Aside from honing his skills as a “wise guy,” Dave loves anything on two wheels. He and his wife of 26 years enjoy “glamping” and motorcycle riding.

“We don’t like to ride all day to get somewhere on the motorcycles,” grinned Dave, “we like to pull the camper and the motorcycle to somewhere cool and then ride around.”

Dave and his wife also enjoy spending time with their sons and granddaughter.

As a final note, Dave offered these words of plumbing wisdom “A flush beats a full house every time.”