Family plumbing and heating company expands

Plumb-Rite Plumbing and Heating Inc. is marking 20 years as a family-owned business with a facility expansion at its location at 2124 U.S. 2 E. in Evergreen.

“We’re going to have a small training facility and a bigger warehouse,” Plumb-Rite Teams Manger Emily Larsen said.

Construction began in October and is expected to be completed before the new year.

“They started with two people working out of my dad’s house,” Larsen said, being her dad and Plumb-Rite co-owner Kirk Katzenmeyer and his son Joe, who still works at the company.

Her mother, Darla, is also a co-owner. Along with residential and commercial plumbing and heating installation and service, the company also services sewers and drains.

At the Plumb-Rite office on Nov. 8, Larsen pointed to a smaller building across the street, saying it was Plumb-Rite’s previous location. Over the past two decades, the company has grown to 14 employees and five service vans.

“I mean it just shows how we’ve grown,” she said.

With the facility expansion, Plumb-Rite is looking to hire more service technicians.

“Our goal is 10 service technicians. We’ve got five now and three in training. That was our five-year plan and we’re getting close to it, so we’ll probably have to revise our five-year plan,” said Plumb-Rite Office Manager Sabrina Komenda, who has been with the company for 10 years.

The company is open to accepting apprenticeships. Larsen said people age 16 and older can do an apprenticeship. She said apprenticeships are about three to four years in length where students can test at the end to become journeymen plumbers.

Komenda noted Flathead Valley Community College’s plumbing apprenticeship program will be a boon for local businesses seeking skilled employees. Larsen said it used to be all correspondence courses if people were interested in learning about plumbing. 

“I feel like Plumb-Rite had a really big part in getting that started,” Komenda said.

Starting out, Plumb-Rite focused on new construction projects, which the company is transitioning out of to focus on residential service and repair, said Komenda.

“We didn’t implement service and residential service and repair until I started in 2013,” she said.

Service calls keep the company busy — they’re booked out a few weeks in advance.

Both noted the booked-up jobs are tied to the influx of people moving to the area.

“You know everybody’s going to need plumbing,” Komenda said.

Larsen said service calls have increased from last year.

“We get about 400 calls a month,” Larsen said. 

The company also takes emergency calls typically between 5 to 7 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. 

Looking at past accomplishments, the business is setting its sights on decades ahead.

“We do feel that this is the best place to work in this valley. We just, you know, live by our values, which are right here — professionalism, accountability and family,” Komenda said pointing to the words listed on the front desk counter, the latter of which, includes office greeter, Lucy, a golden retriever, and greeter-in-training Duke, a yellow labrador.

For more information call 257-7795 or visit www.plumbritemt.com

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.