An educated businesswoman (she has a bachelor’s in finance and a master’s in accounting), Ryan understood the concepts of how to run a business, but knew little about plumbing. Nevertheless, this 37-year-old woman took Houston-based Village Plumbing from the verge of shutting its doors in 1992 to a $2.5 million operation this year, all while fending off family problems and the consolidation movement in her backyard.
“I knew it was going to take a lot of effort to keep the doors open,” says Ryan. “It was unbelievable all the stuff that had to be done with no money. I went into the office and started working, and I don’t think I left this place for three months.”