Downing tools for success

Jed Thompson, Managing Director of Thompson Plumbing & Gas, is keen to help more people get into the industry.

Jed Thompson has been in the plumbing business for 13 years but these days he tries to limit the time he spends on the tools in order to help his company keep thriving. NZ Plumber talked to Jed about his approach.

Jed Thompson, the Managing Director of Thompson Plumbing & Gas in Whanganui, started the business in April 2019 as a one-man band but now, besides himself, it employs nine plumbers, a business manager and an administrator.

Jed’s interest in the trade was sparked by his grandfather, who was a plumber in the city for many years, and he says nowadays the use of technology and networking have become vital to creating a vibrant, modern business.

“Obviously, technology has come a long way since my grandfather’s plumbing days,” he says. “Our entire team work off Fergus software, which ensures we can be as efficient as possible with job management, tracking, invoicing and back costing.

“We also have all our support systems talking to one another—Xero, supplier invoices etc—which takes the manual handling out of a lot of the day-to-day jobs, therefore providing more time for us to focus on the customer aspect and quality of service within the business.”

AUTHOR: MATTHEW LOWE

Relationship building

“The other key focus area I see is prioritising time to work on the business, and not getting caught up too much in physical works.

“This is definitely a challenge and something I have to remind myself of weekly, but ensuring I am only on the tools when really needed means I am prioritising time to work on the business by networking and forming important relationships, quoting works and working closely with our Business Manager at that higher strategic level and driving the direction of the business.”

Jed’s role today is a far cry from when he left school in 2008 and started working with Andrew Palmer of AP Plumbing & Gasfitting in Whanganui, where he spent eight years. “Andrew guided me in those early days and was a key contributor into my passion for plumbing, and he was a really great mentor to have as a young guy starting out in the trade.”

Management skills

When contract work started to increasingly take Jed away from home, he decided to join Downer New Zealand to work as an urban supervisor, looking after roading crews for civil construction and drainage contract work around Whanganui.

“My time at Downer was invaluable in providing me with management and professional business skills, along with the corporate framework insight, which is where my passion and drive to start my own company stemmed from.

“My wife was pregnant with our little boy at the time when I floated the idea of going out on our own, and that’s when my dream became a reality.”

The team at Thompson Plumbing & Gas has rapidly grown since opening for business in 2019.

The early days of the company were spent developing a business plan and setting growth milestones, but things moved “quicker than the dates set out in our timelines” and the business rapidly expanded.

Strategic support

“An important growth decision we made recently was recruiting an experienced Business Manager, Jo Jonas, who manages the day-to-day operations and provides critical support to me with the overall running of the business and the strategic pathway moving forward.”

Thompson Plumbing & Gas also boasts family connections, with Jed’s sister, Jess Thompson, working as Administrator for the past two years. Jed says when it comes to hiring staff, the company looks for an eagerness for learning and continued improvement, shared learning and an overall positive team culture. “We are really fortunate to have a great group working within the business and pride our reputation on their workmanship and team approach.”

The company’s focus for the next few years is to maintain its current structure and build on the depth of its team and knowledge. Jed also wants to help foster the next generation of plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers.

Apprentice programme

“We are working on a plan to ensure we are developing more plumbers into the trade through an apprentice programme, which is where we can ensure we have sufficient time and resources to train new plumbers to give back to the industry.

“Whilst the industry is healthy, I do find a lack of tradesmen coming through. We would also love to see more females in the trade, which will form part of the programme moving forward.”

Long term, he hopes to establish a business-ownership plan—by way of shareholding or associate structure—to help others into business and act as a mentor for younger professionals entering the trade.

Jed is also president of Whanganui Master Plumbers and says having a national umbrella organisation to work under was of great benefit when he established his company. Annual conferences and regional network gatherings are a chance for members to share learnings, best practice and ideas, he says. “Being a young plumber starting out, this has been great to bounce ideas off as we have progressed.”

Community involvement

Thompson Plumbing & Gas also prides itself on its community involvement and sponsors a number of sports teams, organisations, events and individual athletes. Jed says he is fortunate to have a supportive wife, Rachel, who played a key role in developing the business in its early days while also raising their now threeyear-old son Gordy.

As for when he’s not busy with work, he says: “I enjoy having a hit on the squash court and a round of golf when I can find the time, and also relaxing at our holiday spot in Taupo with a beer in hand.”