Drain Doctor welcomes new plumber for East Cornwall

John Donachie has taken on the Plymouth and East Cornwall franchise of Drain Doctor.

Drain Doctor welcomes plumber, gardener and smallholder John Donachie to the network.

John has taken on the Plymouth and East Cornwall franchise business offering emergency plumbing and drain repairs in the city and the surrounding towns and villages including Saltash, Tavistock and Wadebridge.

John has extensive experience in the plumbing and drainage industry. He has worked as a plumber for the past 40 years and has decided that the time is now right for him to start his own plumbing and drainage business.

“I have been a plumber and heating engineer all my working life and decided to start my own business. I live on a smallholding close to the River Tamar where I grow vegetables – tomatoes, courgettes and cucumbers – and produce eggs which we sell at the farm gate.

“I aim to keep the farm on so I had been looking for an opportunity locally for some time. When this franchise became available it made sense to take it on,” John said.

John was struck by how much more support he would get as part of a large national organisation, rather than working on his own as a small independent contractor.

He said: “Drain Doctor has a proven system that offers a largely recession-proof opportunity where I can still be an independent operator running my own business but with all the back-up that comes with being part of a large national organisation.

“We looked at other businesses for sale but you don’t get the same support that you do with Drain Doctor. With some other businesses you are left on your own. Drain Doctor offers great contacts with insurance companies and has a national account network that will help me to develop and grow the business.”

John will initially provide the plumbing service himself. He has been set quite a challenge as he has also been offered the neighbouring franchise area. However, he intends to continue to expand by recruiting technicians and hopes to have two or three more vans on the road within a year.

He will run the office, based in a converted garage on the farm, with the help of his wife.

In what spare time he has John will continue to run his smallholding and try to keep the local deer population off his cabbages. He said: “I don’t think I’m going to have much time to devote to gardening, at least not until we get the franchise more established and a few more technicians on the road.”

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