O’Leary Plumbing & Heating Among 2008 Family Business Winners

O’Leary Plumbing & Heating, Inc. of East Troy was among six family businesses honored in Madison at the fifth annual Wisconsin Family Business of the Year award banquet.  Key note speaker at the awards dinner was Craig Culver, Co-Founder of Culver’s Restaurants.

According to the Family Firm Institute, over 80% of all businesses in North America are family-owned.  Family businesses account for 78% of all new job creation, 60% of the nation’s employment and 50% of the gross domestic production in the US. “Family businesses are a major force in our economy”, said Jeanie Farmer, Partner at Smith & Gesteland and Chair of the firm’s Family Business Practice, Madison, WI.  “This award honors family businesses, some of whom are into their third, fourth and fifth generations.  They anchor their communities, provide jobs, support charities and lead by example. We wanted to acknowledge those contributions with these awards.” Winners were selected by an independent panel of judges from submitted nominations.  The award program is sponsored by Smith & Gesteland, a Madison based CPA and consulting firm, Associated Bank and the Madison law firm of DeWitt Ross & Stevens. Other award winners were: Skyward, Stevens Point, large company grand award, K-tech Kleening Systems, Inc., Weston, medium company grand award, Drake & Company of Madison, Inc., Madison, small company grand award, J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc., Neenah, “Jack Keller Award” and Gordy’s Lakefront Marine, Inc., Fontanta, “Southern Wisconsin Fixture” award.

This family business got its start in 1958, by a husband and wife from East Troy. Ray and Ruth O’Leary started O’Leary Plumbing. Ray primarily did well pump repairs on farms, while Ruth handled customer calls and billing. During the early years when times were tough, the father of three also worked nights at area manufacturing plants to keep the business growing. And grow it did. Out of pump repair grew residential plumbing. The 70’s saw expansion into hydronic heating systems and septic systems. They have expanded their business to include drinking water systems, high velocity air cooling and geothermal heating systems. As sons of start-up business owners, Dan and Tim O’Leary worked part-time with their dad to learn the trade in their youth. Ray felt it would be a beneficial for Dan to acquire his apprenticeship training with another plumbing company in the area following high school. Dan joined the firm full time in 1975 not only as a licensed journeyman plumber, bringing plumbing and business skills from another perspective, which is a best practice among family businesses. Younger brother, Tim joined the firm in 1977 as an apprentice plumber right after high school. The brothers bought the business from their parents in 1991.

The business appears to be in the blood as the third generation is already on the job. Dan’s son, Kevin brought engineering and computer aided design skills to the company. He is a master plumber. Tim’s daughter, Becky is one of only eight females in Wisconsin in a plumbing apprentice program. The business now employs 27 people including nine family members. As with many family businesses, The O’Learys are also a good neighbor. They donate labor and material for non-profit projects. In honor of Ray and Ruth O’Leary, the family will be awarding two scholarships to East Troy High School graduates. One for a student going into business studies, and one to a student studying in a construction trade.

Celebrating 50 years in business in 2008, the judges awarded O’Leary Plumbing & Heating with the “Half Century Success” Award.