Learning Plumbing the Hard Way

Alan Edelman survived years of captivity in Siberia because of his mechanical ability as a plumber. Today, the plumbing supply company he started in 1953 after emigrating to the U.S. is run by his son and grandson, and it has one of the most impressive showrooms in the country.

Crain's Cleveland Business weekly newspaper recently released an article about a Cleveland family business that has been around since 1953--Edelman Plumbing Supply, Inc. Alan Edelman founded the company only six years after immigrating to the U.S. from Poland with his parents.

Prior to living in America, Edelman's family was held captive in Siberia by Russian communists because his father was a known Polish capitalist. Edelman, in order to appear useful to his captors, lied and told them that he was good at fixing machinery. He thus learned the plumbing trade on the fly, along with how to fix tractors and other odd jobs.

Then and Now: A Plumbing Success Story

Edelman started by selling faucets out of his basement, but today, Edelman's son and grandson sell upscale bathroom and kitchen fixtures in two 20,000 square foot showrooms. The trio claim their showrooms are among the most impressive in the country.

A Better Way: Enroll in a Plumbing Degree Program

Surviving was Alan's motivation to learn how to plumb by himself. Those that don't face such dire circumstances usually need some guidance. There are a number of plumbing degree programs offered at technical schools and community colleges around the country. These schools generally offer associate's degrees in plumbing, along with other trades. Associate's degrees typically don't take longer than two year to complete, and once the degree program is completed, graduates can usually step into a job immediately. Perhaps with the right attitude and fortune, you can turn a job into a lasting business too.

Source

• Plumbing from Siberia to Cleveland, Crain's Cleveland Business.

About the Author
Kirk Bangstad is a singer living in Chicago, IL. Having received his B.A. in Government at Harvard, Kirk previously worked as a management consultant.