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The Rapid Service Story
In 1987, a young Andy Hul formed a
company called Riverdale Plumbing and Heating after having worked for
several years as a plumber for a company in Avon, CT.
The fledgling company grew by word of mouth and customer
references. There was no money for advertising, just Andy's
growing reputation for the highest quality work at reasonable prices.
These early years were filled with excitement for Andy - a growing
business, a young wife, and an old house that occupied all his spare
hours. It was the need for some electrical work in the old house
that brought Andy to his future partner, electrician Jay Lassow.
Andy had met Jay's brother while they were both attending the
University of Connecticut. A call to the old friend brought Jay
to Andy's electrical rescue. That was the beginning of a
friendship that became a partnership in a new company, Rapid Service.
In 1993, Andy Hul and Jay Lassow officially opened Rapid Service
Plumbing, Heating, Electrical, Carpentry, and Remodeling.
It was a good partnership because Andy and Jay shared a vision for
their business:
- Quality work for reasonable prices
- All customer work would be quoted
before beginning the job
- Decisions would be in the hands of
the customer
- They would respect their customer's
homes as if they were their own
- The vehicles would be professional
looking, clean, and stocked for work
- Their attire would reflect the
professionalism of the company. They would begin every day in
clean Rapid Service uniforms, polished shoes, and personal neatness.
- They would hire only qualified
employees who were willing and anxious to work within the philosophy
Andy and Jay had created
- Their employees would be well paid
and covered by a company health insurance policy
- The employees would have the
opportunity for success in their jobs.
1994 was a big year for the young company. They hired their first
employee and moved the business out of Andy's garage and into it's own
building on Route 6 in Columbia, CT where it still resides. That
first employee, plumber Rick Munroe, is also still with Rapid Service.
As the years went by, Rapid Service added new experienced employees,
expanded it's fleet of vehicles, and invested in equipment that would
allow for more services to be offered to our customers.
Although partner Jay Lassow passed away, Rapid Service has continued to
grow under the leadership of Andy
Hul. Today, we are just as strongly committed to the principles
on which the company was founded as we were the first day we opened our
doors and that will never change.
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