TBros and This Old House

They have to be the country's most visible plumbers. People around the country see them on TV quite regularly-and we don't mean in advertisements. These guys are among the supporting cast of one of the most popular independently produced television series around.

Rich Trethewey, and to a lesser extent younger brother Bob Trethewey, from 82-year-old Trethewey Bros., Inc. of Boston, are the plumbing-heating contractors who frequently appear on the Public Broadcasting System's "This Old House" program.

The program, which airs on over 250 PBS stations across the country, traces a number of remodeling projects in an old house from start to finish. The show's host, Bob Vila, asks the various tradesmen about the products they're installing as well as the procedures for doing a proper job.

Each show is 30 minutes long. Because it appears on PBS, there are no commercial breaks. There's a new show every week, although most stations repeat the show at least once on a different day of the week.

Actually, in this, the fifth season of the show, the format changed a little. The tradesmen are working on Boston Edison's "Impact 2000" house-an energy efficient solar dream house.

The first year the show was aired, Rich's father and company president Ron Trethewey paved the way to family stardom by appearing on the show.

Rich averages about one appearance a month on the series. He'll be on camera anywhere from three to five minutes, although on one show a few years ago he "starred" for 18 minutes. In that particular episode he was talking about PVC pipe, rough plumbing and multiple zone heating.

On The Set: You can tell Rich has a good time. Oh sure, he occasionally gets a little nervous. But the Boston-based WGBH crew is fun to work with. Off camera there's a lot of kidding going on-"Rich, we're going to make you a star," the show's producer/ director Russell Morash shouts. (Morash has also produced the Julia Child cooking series and "Crockett's Victory Garden," both award-winning PBS shows.)

Before a scene is shot Morash, Vila and Rich go over what's to be discussed. But for the most part it's adlibbed.

The day PM visited the set Rich explained how water lines and vents are tested for leaks. Brother Bob also played a role that day.

The producer offers some suggestions: how Rich and Vila should be positioned, when Rich should point to what he's talking about, etc. But for the most part, they just wing it.

Bob remembered his line well. Basically, it was "Yeah! -- shouted down in a booming, husky voice. Director Morash quickly yelled "Cut!" and went on to instruct the younger Trethewey in some of the finer points of the thespian craft.

You see, Bobby was looking directly Into the camera rather than into the vent to see if it actually was filled. At this stage of his career, Bobby is a better plumber than actor!

It's quite apparent Morash and Vila enjoy working with the Tretheweys. Rich is treated as part of the inner circle, and kids them as often as he's kidded. "Guys, I'd like you to meet the Bob Vila," Rich says in introducing us.

Other tradesmen share in the fun. The plywood panel that serves as the front door while work progresses has a big star with Vila's name above it, the artwork done with a magic marker.

"They listen to my recommendations," he said. "I might suggest a certain product for a given application and they'll go along with it. I really feel a part of the program when that happens."

They also respect Rich's "acting" talent. Producer Morash calls him a natural. However, such praise doesn't interrupt the ribbing that goes on during a shooting. In almost the same breath, Morash describes Rich as the only plumber in the world who has never gotten his hands dirty.

Showtime: The Tretheweys are an unpretentious, likable group of people, who enjoy participating in "This Old House" as much for what it offers to others as themselves.

Rich Trethewey, for instance, is convinced that the PHC industry benefits from the show. "It shows a lot of would-be do-it-yourselfers just how much skill is involved in a professional remodeling job," he says.

How Trethewey Bros. were chosen for the show is an interesting story. In the early days of the program the producers often had to ask for product donations for use in the remodeling projects. After successfully soliciting the Boston Gas Co. for a gas boiler in 1979, the producers asked who would install it.

Since Trethewey Bros. had installed Boston Gas products back when the utility had a retail division, their name was suggested. After putting in the boiler, they were asked to become the show's plumbing contractor, too.

Now, of course, the show's success guarantees that getting products is no longer a problem. Manufacturers are constantly offering them in hopes of getting their products highlighted on the show.

None of the tradesmen get paid for appearing on it, but Rich knows the company's affiliation with the program has been good for business, because "it lends credibility."

In all of the firm's advertising, there's a line saying, "Official plumbing and heating contractors to Channel 2's 'This Old House.'"

At times customers will ask about products they saw Rich install on the show. One very popular product was non-electric zone valves, since there are a lot of ancient, inefficient hydronic heating systems in homes around Boston. Has the most visible plumber in the country ever been recognized in a crowd as being the plumber on "This Old House?"

"Believe it or not, I was once," Rich laughs. "At last year's Boston Marathon." (He was watching, not running.) Maybe Morash was right. Maybe they are going to make him a star.

Less Is More In Bath Remodeling

Trethewey Bros, Inc. gets only about 30% to 40% of the bathroom remodeling jobs it submits estimates on, although they feel they could get as many as 70-80%.

Why?

"We don't skimp on jobs," vice president George Trethewey claims. "If somebody hires us, they get our reputation and we do it right."

As an example of "doing it right," George said the firm will put in new pipes while the wall is open as a form of preventive maintenance. "Let's face it, we know some of our competitors won't even open the wall; they'll go at it from what's exposed. Of course their price is going to be less," he said.

"We offer the complete bathroom job," he added, from the design, layout, and color assistance, through the final cleanup."

Plumbing estimator George Magyar said the typical job is a 5' x 7' x 8' bathroom. "Don't forget, we have older homes in this area and the bathrooms aren't that big.

Existing conditions frequently determine what people can do. Not too many are willing to sacrifice part of a second-floor bedroom to add more space to the bathroom," Magyar explained.

Because of this, whirlpools or spas, so much the rage in remodeling jobs around the country, aren't a common item for them locally, he contends. "Most people we deal with either don't have the space or the money for them."

Still, the average Trethewey job, using Kohler or American Standard fixtures, runs between $5,000 and $5,500. That's probably above the nationwide average. Soft Sell. Hard Cash: Magyar says he tries to be low key in his sales approach, noting that most people have a pretty good idea of what they want before they even contact him.

"I don't like high-pressure salesmen and I assume most of my customers don't either," he said.

Trethewey Bros. might handle between 50 and 75 bathroom remodeling jobs in a given year meaning their annual volume for this work alone is between $300,000 and $400,000

The firm requires 50% down, net 30 days after completion. They offer a cash discount if bills are paid within 10 days.

"People will take the 30 days if you don't give them a little incentive," George Trethewey maintains. "Cash flow in our business is very critical.

Ye 0lde House: In 1980 the firm added a small showroom-called "Ye Olde House Centre," again to tie in with the television appearances-to help sell bathroom and kitchen remodeling, as well as energy-saving heating and hot water equipment. In the last two years, however, more and more of the showroom has been converted into salesmen's office space.

"Most plumbing contractors simply don't have the time or facilities to justify the cost of a firstclass showroom," Trethewey maintains. For the more elaborate remodeling job, the company now uses a nearby wholesaler's new showroom. Family members active in the business include, from left, Rich, Ron, George and Bob Trethewey, shown by a poster plugging the new and the old of the 82-year-old firm.

From a business standpoint, Trethewey Bros. hasn't really needed television to make them stars. The company boasts a proud history that befits a contractor doing business around historic Boston.

When Trethewey Bros., Inc. opened for business Teddy Roosevelt was starting the second year of his presidency; the Wright Brothers had yet to make their historic flight at Kitty Hawk; and another new mode of transportation- the automobile-was scaring the hell out of horses in Eastern cities.

As for television, well, it would be a couple of decades before folks even got used to disembodied voices coming out of a magic box called radio. Transmitting pictures, too, was a bit beyond most people's imagination.

The year was 1902, and brothers Harry and Miara Trethewey found their niche as plumbing and heating contractors specializing in new construction in the rapidly growing suburbs of Boston.

By the time the second-generation Trethewey, Harry's son George, took over the business in the 1930s, new construction in the immediate area was limited, so George turned the company's emphasis to repair-remodeling, and the firm has remained a plumbing-heating service business since then.

When George died in 1959, his son Ron, then 27, became the third generation Trethewey to run the firm. Ron's 14-year-younger brother, George Jr., joined the family business when he finishednschool, and now, at 38, Is vice president.

In recent years Ron's two sons, Rich, 28, and Bob, 23, became the f ourth generation Tretheweys to be plumbers.

Prior to Ron taking over the reins of the company, the firm had always been small, never having more than six men on the payroll. But by the early '70s the Trethewey work force had grown to 40. At that time the company served as the installing contractor for the Boston Gas Co. However, a gas shortage in the mid-'70s resulted in the utility closing its retail sales division, thus ending that lucrative business tie. Last year Trethewey Bros. employed 33 and had a volume of approximately $1.7 million. About 70% of its business is plumbing work, 30% hydronic heating. Of that, residential work accounts for 70% of the firm's revenues, and the remaining 30% is about evenly divided between commercial, institutional and industrial accounts.

The firm operates within a 20-mile radius of its Roslindale headquarters. it has a fleet of a dozen red vans, replacing about four at a time every five years.

The company allocates about 2% of its gross for advertising and sales promotion (the time spent working on "This Old House" projects is included in that figure).

While they run some co-op radio spots, most advertising is done in suburban newspapers, frequently running next to the television listings to further take advantage of Trethewey's "This Old House" ties.

George told PM the Tretheweys still think of the firm as a "family, team- oriented business. If a relative of an employee dies or gets married, everybody in the company shows up," he said.

It's obvious George is quite proud of the family history. "We've been on this same street corner for over 80 years," he boasts. "People do know us. They may have trouble pronouncing our name (it's tra-THEW-ee), but they do know us.

This Old Firm & "This Old House"

Less Is More In Bath Remodeling