Lancashire based Drain Doctor Plumbing, is celebrating 25 years in business, with plans to build on its success across the North West.
Business owner Kevin Preston began his career at his grandad’s plumbing business in Blackpool and then went onto run it in 1994. It was at this point that Kevin had a change in career, not industry, and bought a Drain Doctor franchise as he believed there was growth potential and opportunities to upscale the business at a later stage.
After discussing it with his wife, and now business partner Dawn, the couple bought Drain Doctor Preston, and then a few years later expanded into Blackburn. Seeking further growth, the Preston’s joined forces with Nick and Lisa Birtles, who owned two franchise areas in Cumbria, and together they combined their businesses to form Drain Doctor North West. Additional growth then followed into Manchester Central, Warrington, Bolton, and more recently Leeds and Wakefield.
“Forming the joint venture has been pivotal to our success in the past few years,” said Kevin. “Together we have more ideas, a greater risk appetite, and we get more done. We are repeatedly looking for ways to expand our Drain Doctor business so we can continue to provide a world class 24/7 plumbing and drainage service to all our customers. By working with our franchisor, Neighbourly, we can also identify the right opportunities and develop key strategies of growth.
“In 25 years, we have achieved a huge amount and we are immensely proud of the business we have created. Today, we have 21 operatives – the technicians out on the road dealing directly with customers, seven support staff – the day-to-day operations behind the business, and nine franchise territories across the North West. Our revenues have grown exponentially over the years, and last year alone, we grew significantly in turnover, which is testament to the fantastic team we have in place. Ultimately, our joint goal is to grow the franchise to a large enough size that we can put in a level of management that will run the business, allowing us to step back and enjoy success from afar. Hopefully a beach somewhere!”
