When Judy and Peter Kardash started a plumbing business out of their backyard in 1993, they never expected to see the amount of success they have, but after more than 20 years in Golden, they continue to see their business grow.
Judy and Peter were both born and raised in Golden. Peter went to school for plumbing and worked in the Okanagan for eight years. He came back Golden around 1992 for a trade show and had so much work here that he was working here more than he was working in Kelowna. He and Judy made the decision to move back and add the heating side and from there, the business was born.
For the first 10 years the business was run from their garage. One of the first big jobs the company did was the Eagle’s Eye Restaurant on Kicking Horse Mountain. They did all the plumbing for the restaurant and Judy says it was quite a big job, especially since the gondola had not been built yet and so that meant they had to drive up nearly every day, but it was rewarding.
“Doing the restaurant at the highest elevation in Canada is pretty good,” Judy said. “It’s pretty nice to say we got to do that job and we’re proud.”
Kardash Plumbing and Heating offers many different services. They offer repairs to water systems, sewer systems, small bathroom renovations and tile and drywall work. Judy says that in order to work in a small town, they have to be versatile in what they can offer.
“When you work in a small town you can’t just say you’re only going to do housing because there’s not enough of that to keep your business alive,” Judy said.
In addition to offering plumbing services, they also sell tubs, showers, fibre glass pieces and other plumbing materials. They also sell wood stoves, heating, and heating parts out of their warehouse. Judy says a lot of people forget they offer heating services in addition to their plumbing services and people are often shocked when they walk in.
In 2011, they added a showroom to their upstairs and now have the biggest showroom in the Columbia Valley. Since adding the showroom, the business has grown significantly in retail sales.
Walking into their shop, you can expect friendly, helpful service and when Peter is in the shop he will answer any question he can, and offer as much plumbing advice as possible.
While it is an eight to five business, they do offer 24 hour service with an emergency line on their answering machine. They will do whatever they can to accommodate any emergency that may arise.
Overall, Judy says they have enjoyed working in Golden and hope to continue the exceptional service they offer.
“Golden has been very good to us, we’ve enjoyed the years we’ve been in business here and look forward to 10 more at least.”
For more information call 250-344-6887 or visit their shop at 805 9th St. N.
