A ST ALBANS-based husband and wife team have reached the finals of the FSB’s Hertfordshire Business Awards.
On Tap Plumbers, a Gas Safe registered business run by Anne Timpany and her husband Raff, are up for Best New Business and St Albans Business of the Year at the awards ceremony at Shendish Manor on June 13th.
The business was created from scratch in 2010 when Anne pooled her background skills in hospitality and customer service with Raff’s plumbing and heating qualifications and experience.
Anne, who is originally from New Zealand, said: “Our aim when we started the business – and still is – is to create an all-encompassing plumbing service which provides a different approach to some others – those who are less scrupulous and provide often a ‘dodgey’ – and what can be –dangerous service.
“We’ve grown mainly through networking and word of mouth, as we had no family contacts or friends in the UK so it was tough. We literally had to start from scratch and again it was harder as we were not from Britain and hadn’t been in the country for a long time, although we are now both British citizens.
“In the UK, anyone can just start up a construction business without any particular training or qualifications, but in NZ you have to have accreditations. I think this needs to change in the UK to make sure customers don’t fall foul of bad workmanship, resulting in frustration and extra expense.”
The couple, who have never entered any awards before, describe themselves as professional plumbers ‘with an interesting twist’.
They provide all the services you would expect from a plumber and also install plumbing, heating and tiling, as well as creating householders’ dream bathrooms. Their work has been used in the revamp of the Samuel Ryder Academy nursery in St Albans, MartinsWood Primary School, Stevenage and several schools in Hackney.
They have also worked on the conversion of high-end, luxury offices to flats in Portland Place off Oxford Circus, which included intricate marble bathrooms, needing great attention to detail.
Their latest large scale projects include Revive Fitness and Spa in Potters Bar and 5-6 Connaught Place, Westminster.
Anne added: “Our customer-focused approach to all things plumbing means we provide a guarantee with all of our work, we are fully insured, our prices are totally transparent and reasonable, and our staff are helpful and reliable. I would like to help change how that works here in the UK and restore more respect, reliability and responsibility to the industry.”