Like many other business success stories today, Stevenson Plumbing, Electrical & HVAC began in a family garage. Founded by Terry and Glen Stevenson in 1993, the business’s first year was characterized by the virtues of hard work, commitment to customer service, and dedication that remain the foundation of its success today. For the first year of operation the brothers worked with just one service van while Terry’s wife, Susan, did the bookkeeping for the business on a table in the front foyer of their Gravenhurst home after a full day of work at her own job.

Fortunately, not only did that hard work pay off, it also helped the Stevensons craft a vision of the kind of organization they wanted to build–one constructed on loyalty, quality, and teamwork. And they got right to it. As the business grew, Glen and Terry’s brother, Mick, came on board, along with their father, Carl.

Susan’s workspace was upgraded from the front foyer to a home office in a newly built family house, and she took on the administrative work for the company as a full-time career. By this time Terry’s sons, Brent and Blake, and Mick’s son, Scott, were adolescents, and they began to spend their summers working in the family business, doing odd jobs and learning the ropes.

After a few years, the company outgrew the confines of the family home and moved to a rental space in town, but disaster struck when a fire ravaged their unit and they lost everything. Thanks to the generosity of other local businesses and the community at large, however, they were able to occupy an 800-square-foot building rent-free while they got the business back on its feet. They later purchased that building and constructed the current office and warehouse around it.

Stevenson Plumbing, Electrical & HVAC has come a long way from its roots as a garage startup. But the principles of hard work, integrity, and quality craftsmanship that drove its founders continue to form the backbone of the company for the next generation of Stevensons. Under the ownership and management of Brent, Blake, and Scott since 2013, the company has continued to enjoy significant growth. Recent acquisitions include the 2015 purchase of Port Carling’s RC Austin and the 2017 investment in a full-service sheet metal fabrication shop.

The support and encouragement their business has received from the community over the years is something the Stevensons like to “pay forward” through apprenticeships at Stevenson Plumbing, Electrical & HVAC, where the 2-person labour force of the early days has grown to nearly 40, and the single service van to a fleet of 21 trucks. Employees at every level of the organization are consistently encouraged to acquire new licensing, upgrade their skills and help train the next generation of skilled labourers.

The Stevenson team has always taken pride in its role as a one-stop shop for plumbing, electrical, and heating, serving the District of Muskoka, Seguin Township, the Township of Georgian Bay, Parry Sound and surrounding areas, and beyond. Their versatility and depth of knowledge comes from the combined experience of over half a century in the industry. Along with a deep respect for the pillars of the company, the younger generation has brought a keen enthusiasm for new technology and new challenges. “Basically,” says Brent, “anything mechanically involved, we’ll do it.”