Two plumbers, one van, and a deliberate decision not to grow.

On a real site this section carries the owner's actual history — where they served their apprenticeship, when they took their licence, how the company started. The text here is illustrative.

Marcus Vance came across from commercial work in 2011, bringing the slab leak and repipe experience that most residential shops refer out. He bought in three years later and the name changed to match.

Since then we have turned down every opportunity to become a five-van operation. The moment you add vans you add a dispatcher, and the moment you add a dispatcher the person quoting your job is not the person doing it. That is where the industry's reputation comes from, and we would rather not contribute to it.

What it means practically: we are harder to book than a large firm, and our diary is often a week out for non-urgent work. It also means the person who quotes your job is the person who does it, and he has to look you in the eye while he explains the number.

Dale takes his Texas master licence and starts working Rockwall on his own account. One man, one van, mostly repairs.

First full repipe job, on a galvanised house off Goliad. Still standing, still dry.

Marcus joins from commercial work, bringing slab leak location and repipe experience in-house.

Marcus buys in. The company becomes Halloway & Vance.

Camera inspection brought in-house rather than subcontracted, so customers can see the footage the same day.

Still two people. Still one van. Still answering our own phone.