Two of San Antonio’s oldest home services companies — Shafer Services Plus and Steve’s Plumbing — are joining forces to become one of the area’s largest and most experienced plumbing and HVAC businesses. The catalyst for this partnership is the upcoming retirement of Steve’s Plumbing founder, Robi Jalnos, who has served San Antonio for more than 40 years. Robi started Steve’s Plumbing out of his mother’s garage in 1978, naming the business after his father, Stephan Jalnos, a Holocaust survivor and plumber who passed away when Robi was a young man.

Since then, Steve’s Plumbing has grown to become one of San Antonio’s premier plumbing contractors, currently serving some 4,500 customers throughout the area. Robi has become a plumbing leader, not just locally but regionally, serving on the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners where he was of Chairman of the Examination, Medical Gas, Water Supply Protection Specialists and Personnel Committees for seven years. Robi also serves as an expert witness on plumbing-related matters across the country. He's considered a national plumbing expert in all aspects of plumbing installation and products, holding a Green Plumbers certification and is an expert in solar water heating.

“For decades, our teams have had a mutual respect for one another’s history, skills, and dedication to putting customers first — so you can imagine our delight in uniting to become San Antonio’s preferred option in plumbing and HVAC services,” said Chase Anderson, President and CEO of Shafer Services Plus.

Shafer Services Plus is San Antonio’s oldest plumbing company. It added HVAC services to its offerings upon the invention of air conditioning in the early 1900s. Since then, the Shafer team has built much of San Antonio’s residential and commercial infrastructure, including installing the first commercial air conditioning in a high-rise office building in the United States at San Antonio’s own Milam Building in the heart of downtown. Today, Shafer serves more than 6,000 residential and commercial customers, and is consistently rated among San Antonio’s best plumbing and HVAC contractors.

In searching for a compatible plumbing partner, Robi Jalnos selected Shafer Services Plus because of the organization’s knowledgeable team and commitment to putting customers first. Robi will be working with the united Steve’s Plumbing and Shafer Services Plus teams for the next three years to assist in the transition.

“It has been my honor to serve San Antonio for the past 40 years,” said Jalnos. “This has been more than a job for me. It’s my life’s work. That’s why I wanted to partner with the Shafer Services Plus team to ensure that my employees and customers will continue to be cared for like family for generations to come.”

Both Shafer Services Plus and Steve’s Plumbing attribute their longevity to top-quality workmanship and a customer-focused business model. Through their union, they will operate under five core values: treat people like family; do the right thing, even when no one is watching; be easy to do business with; exceed expectations; and provide mutual respect for all.

“The Shafer and Steve’s Plumbing teams are not satisfied with marginal service,” added Anderson. “We are committed to bringing value and world class service to everything we do because it is an honor to be invited to work in someone’s home, an honor that we will continue to earn for generations to come.”