The U.S. plumbing industry is facing a significant challenge: a shortage of skilled professionals available to meet the growing demand for residential services across the country. A recent study by the U.S. Department of Labor found that the number of open jobs for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters is expected to average about 42,600 each year over the next decade – potentially resulting in a shortage of 550,000 plumbers by 2027. Without being addressed, this shortage will not only make it increasingly difficult for homeowners to find timely and affordable services, but also have a growing impact on the economy. In 2022, a separate study found that the insufficient number of plumbers in the industry contributed to a $33 billion loss alone.
As a leading provider of nationwide residential plumbing services operating under the home-service portfolio company Authority Brands, our team at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing has been proactively addressing the issue head on for the past few years. The shortage of workers and increase in demand for services coincides with the aging home infrastructure in this country. As homes continue to get older, with the National Association of Home Builders finding that 60% of owner-occupied homes were built before 1980, service requests could continue to become more frequent. Routine maintenance and common plumbing issues can turn into larger concerns as pipes and plumbing systems age and deteriorate. With such a large percentage of homes older than 40 years, the opportunity for entrepreneurs and young professionals to find success within the industry is at an all-time high. That’s why we have focused our attention on a few company-wide initiatives.
Recruitment Campaigns
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, alongside a few of our other service trade franchises at Authority Brands, launched a thorough national campaign in collaboration with our marketing department that has been ongoing over the last couple of years. These recruitment efforts target four specific demographics: ex-military personnel, trade school graduates, high school graduates, and individuals within the trades seeking new opportunities. We are especially seeing strong momentum with younger people as college and university costs continue to increase, and the idea of a career in skilled trades becomes not only more economically attainable, but potentially more profitable. Veterans also make great employees in the trades, so we’ve joined forces with Recruit Military to attend job fairs across the country and collect resumes that can then be forwarded to franchise owners that need qualified employees. By tailoring our outreach efforts to these groups, we aim to not only attract individuals with a passion for the trades but help them excel in their careers.
Enhanced Training Programs
Another one of our biggest initiatives to combat the shortage was establishing a partnership with a reputable national training program provider. Our goal with this partnership is to cultivate and grow with trained technicians and ensure a pipeline of skilled professionals are ready to be hired from a reputable source. We provide extensive training resources and support to franchise owners to help them navigate the challenges of hiring and retention, and work with Authority Brands to ensure this support is offered to owners regardless of how long they have been with our brand. Our franchise owners are also given the flexibility to use these tools as they see fit for their business – allowing them to tailor strategies and take advantage of resources in ways that best fit the unique needs of their market. As the demand for plumbing continues to grow, with the industry already valued at over $120 billion, we understand how important it is to not only shrink the shortage of workers, but do so with technicians who have been appropriately trained and are ready to provide best-in-class services to customers across the country.
Franchise Development
Outside of our national training and recruitment efforts, we continue to work internally and have a strong emphasis on franchise development to address the issue. The team has been busy generating awareness with prospective franchisees about the reasons to franchise with us across the country – identifying areas of opportunities where a new Benjamin Franklin Plumbing location would help meet an increased demand for services. This is especially important across states that have seen tremendous growth in population, such as Florida, Utah and Virginia. Additionally, given many of the franchises under Authority Brands complement each other well, we’ve seen over the past year or so great success expanding our footprint with existing owners that want to add plumbing services to their business portfolio. Examples of those include owners of DRYmedic Restoration Services, Mister Sparky and One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning. So far this year, we’ve signed on several franchise agreements to service across 15 territories and we’re looking forward to bringing new franchise owners on board throughout the year.
We believe our strategies, national brand recognition and the overall support from Authority Brands are the recipe for success as the industry works to combat the shortage of plumbers across the country. The combination of these efforts, on top of the resources provided to existing franchise owners, has already provided encouraging results in the short term. We are constantly checking in with our 300+ locations spread throughout the country and will continue to work with peers and industry pros to do what we can. The home service industry is a lucrative one – and we are ensuring that the next generation of technicians are passionate, appropriately trained, and set up to serve customers for the long haul.
Bio: Joseph Wade is Vice President of Operations of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing. Founded in 2001, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing currently operates in more than 300 locations across North America. Joseph is an industry pro with years working with small businesses in the home service industry