Making The Jump To Municipal Service
Throughout his more than 20 years experience in residential drain cleaning, Jim Holcomb saw pipe cleaning and inspection transformed by computers. With his first company RotoCo, a Roto-Rooter franchise for Ventura County north of Los Angeles, Holcomb found that increasing technology gave his clients an added value. Software packages could give detailed print-out reports on-site, and inspection cameras could capture clogged drains lines in full color and streaming video. Taking advantage of the new equipment on the market, his business grew and he expanded to a second Rooter franchise, this one in Riverside County south of L.A.
But Holcomb saw an opportunity to break free of the limitations of residential service - the marketing woes and sales frustrations. With the economy working in his favor, Holcomb began Innerline Engineering, a municipal pipe-cleaning and inspection business. Now he could secure contracts that would generate millions of dollars in revenue, and extend over several years. In municipal work, payments arrive monthly and without requiring additional sales efforts or the headaches of paperwork.
A new system of equipment and software was needed to complete industrial jobs; the smaller-sized cameras used in residential work wouldn't cut it. Also, the equipment would have to be safe - in L.A. alone, one HAZMAT company responds to at least 12 gas or volatile liquid spills a day.
The answer for Holcomb came in the form of Pearpoint's safety-tested video pipeline inspection equipment. Its cameras take high-res pictures, and the machines print out reports that are easy to read and refer to. The safeness of the equipment saved Holcomb the worry of severe liability should explosions occur.
With municipalities always taking the lowest bidder, this new technology gave Innerline a jump on the competition. Through delivering his superior service to his clients, Holcomb will soon be opening a third office in Fullerton, Calif. It's safe to say that Innerline made its successful change from residential to industrial service through the ever-increasing technology available to those ready to take the next step.
Call Pearpoint at 760/343-7350 for more information, or visit them online at www.pearpoint.com.
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