PM Truck Of The Month - Gold Medal Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric, East Brunswick, N.J.
The trifecta management team of Rob Zadotti, Adam Belitz and Michael Agugliaro has helped make Gold Medal Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric a force to reckon with in its East Brunswick, N.J., service area. From its recognizable service trucks to its above-and-beyond service, “gold medal” truly describes this company, and makes it this month’s Truck Of The Month.
In terms of sheer numbers, Gold Medal has between 40-50 trucks that cover service, installation and sales segments of the business. For the plumbing segment, it has roughly 20 vehicles: six are traditional cab over box trucks by Hackney, four are install trucks and 10 are Sprinters.
The company is happy with its own custom shelving and bin system. It has a rolling yellow box that can re-stock a truck in a moment’s notice. However, the newer models of Sprinters are proving to be a challenge in terms of layout and efficient shelving. Gold Medal is reviewing its options.
One thing that won’t change with any new vehicle additions is the golden-yellow wrapping of all Gold Medal trucks, or the medallion logo with four Olympic rings, representing the four service segments of the company.
It was a “marketing nightmare,” according to Agugliaro - confusing to both customers and employees. With guidance from business consultant Al Levi, the company unified under one name in January 2006 and received a facelift.
“We went with the one name that was synonymous with ‘the best,’” Zadotti tells us. And with such a name, there didn’t seem to be a need for fancy graphics on the Gold Medal trucks, just a bold golden color that could be seen from hundreds of yards away.
Zadotti says Gold Medal took the “UPS approach” and saturated their market with their golden service vehicles. In fact, when Zadotti recently purchased a new service truck, the salesman began asking him questions about start-up costs, and advantages of owning a franchise, etc.
Zadotti was confused. “‘Gold Medal isn’t a franchise, just one company,’ I told him. He was so certain he’d seen our trucks all over that we had to be a large franchise organization. It was very flattering,” he says.
As for the company’s catchphrase, “Award-Winning Service,” Gold Medal employees keep their customer-focus from beginning to end and beyond. Technicians, wearing black uniform pants and crisp white shirts, pull up to a home and ask where to park. They offer “red carpet” treatment, wear shoe protectors and place equipment on tool mats. Homeowners are offered membership plans in gold, silver and bronze categories, and all information is presented in a Gold Medal folder at the end of a service call.
Agugliaro concludes that service business owners should understand that their trucks are not being wrapped to be decorative; they’re an important part of marketing for the company.
Zadotti agrees. “Your truck is more than just a vehicle, it’s a calling card. And many times the first touch between the customer and your company.”
Show Us What You're Driving!
Think you have a vehicle worthy of PM's Truck Of The Month? Let us hear about it! Send us photos of your service fleet electronically by e-mailing Katie Rotella (RotellaK@bnpmedia.com), or mail us your prints to:
PM - Truck Of The Month
1050 IL route 83, suite 200
Bensenville, IL 60106.
PM's Truck Of The Month is sponsored by General Pipe Cleaners.
