Pimlico Plumbers is a London-based plumbing firm established in 1979. With revenues of £20m as of 2015, it is London's largest independent plumbing company.
Establishment
Pimlico Plumbers was established in 1979 by its current managing director Charlie Mullins, who left school at 15 with no qualifications and began work as a plumber.
Publicity
It is known for its effective publicity, handled by Recognition PR and PHA. It was previously handled by Max Clifford. The company owns more than 100 plumbing-related number plates, fitted to its fleet of vehicles, such as LO 02 OLD, BOG1, DRA1N, W4TER and others. It gained considerable publicity through its employment of Buster Martin, who claimed to be Britain's oldest worker, cleaning vans part-time until his death in 2011. The firm's boss presented BBC Three show Britain's Best Young Plumber and has appeared on Secret Millionaire. The company promotes itself as providing a high-quality service, employing "£80,000/year plumbers", charging £80–200/hour depending on time of day and service performed.
Legal issues
In 2009, the firm was involved in a legal dispute with Steve Cosser, an Australian TV executive accused of industrial espionage in stealing Pimlico's client list after establishing a rival firm, Service Corps, using ex-Pimlico staff. Services Corps collapsed in January 2010 with debts of £100,000 before the case was settled. The company also had a dispute with rival firm Aspect over Trustpilot ratings. In February 2016, it was reported that Pimlico Plumbers avoids paying PAYE income tax and National Insurance by hiring its 200 engineers as "self-employed contractors". On 10 February 2017, in the Court of Appeal a plumber was found to have "worker" status for the purposes of various employment protection rights notwithstanding that he had been engaged as a self-employed individual. Pimlico Plumbers argued the plumber was an independent contractor but the Court of Appeal determined he was a worker with some employment rights. The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom subsequently granted Pimlico permission to appeal which, following a hearing on 20 and 21February 2018, was unanimously dismissed.
The firm has been involved in a scheme in aid of the big society with the renovation of the Streatham Youth Centre. This was organised along with Wickes, A4e, and the Co-Sponsorship Agency. In February 2016, it was reported that in the previous year Pimlico Plumbers made two donations to the Conservative Party totalling £22,735. In 2018, the company was criticised for erecting a large "Bollocks to Brexit" sign on top of their premises in Waterloo. Mullins defended the use of the sign, referring to the Sex Pistols' 1977 album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols as precedent for being able to legally display the wordin public.
Financials
In November 2010, Mullins reported that he was considering floating the firm, with a £50m valuation, in order to fund a nationwide expansion. The firm turned over £18.2 million in 2013, with profits of more than £1,000,000. Mullins received £1.3 million in compensation in 2009.
