Mid-Town Plumbing

Whether you’re in the market for a new home, considering construction, or maybe mulling over a remodel, if you’re not thinking about top-notch plumbing, you might want to start because it’ll be among the most important decisions you make relative to your home.

The team at Mid-Town Plumbing in Benton is the best place to start for your answers to all your questions. Owned by Jim and Hailey Kuhlmann, the business is certified as a woman-owned small business through the Small Business Administration.

“Almost 11 years ago, (Jim) told me he wanted to start his own business doing service work for clients in Little Rock,” Hailey said. “I’m supportive of my husband and know he’s very passionate about those things he wants to do, so I told him to go for it. I was still teaching at the time, and when he started, it was just him running calls and scheduling work.”

Through time, the Kuhlmann’s workload grew larger, and Mid-Town soon needed more professionals both in the field and managing the business at the home office.

“At the end of our second year, (Jim) told me he needed someone to manage the office, handle billing, and to run the financial side of the business. I’d just had our second daughter and decided it would be good for me to step into that role and help make this a real family business.”

At that point, Mid-Town was doing a lot of its work around Little Rock, but Hailey had other ideas. “We live in Benton, and I really wanted to make Saline County our home. With that, we decided we’d be based out of our home serving all Central Arkansas but work directly out of Saline County.”

It proved to be a great decision. Today, more than a decade after Mid-Town was formed, the company now employs over 60 employees, between those in the field and those working at the office.

“From the very beginning, Jim built a team from those with whom he’d previously worked and he knew the quality of their work and believed in their ability to represent our company in a manner that we expected and were proud of,” Hailey said. “This grew into our Mid-Town family, and that really is the way we see it.”

“Each employee is part of our family. We celebrate birthdays, accomplishments, weddings, and new babies. We truly care about our employees.”

Additionally, the Kuhlmanns care about the families they serve as customers. That consideration goes beyond the quality of work to include making sure their clients are comfortable during service calls.

“I assumed there were many customers just like me, because in my house, I was the one always scheduling service calls,” Hailey said. “Jim was out busy growing the business, and I was the one paying attention to the needs of the house. That led to me sometimes being home alone with service technicians, and I used that as my baseline for how I wanted our employees to serve customers who may find themselves in a situation like mine.”

With that in mind, the Kuhlmanns have always tried to remain very conscious of the team they assemble to represent Mid-Town Plumbing. “They are the face of our company, and they are the attitude of our company. No amount of marketing does more for you than professional, courteous employees.”

So, given the usual cliches that come with the plumbing profession, how much does the public get wrong?

Hailey said, “The men and women of this profession are some of the brightest you will meet. To be truly successful, they maintain a keen understanding of mathematics, mechanical engineering, and business. Also, this is hard work, and many of these professionals are very proud of the work they do.”

And when it comes to understanding the severity of some projects compared to others, how can a customer differentiate between a DIY job and a job where the professionals need to be called in?

“There are a lot of things homeowners can do with plumbing projects without calling a professional,” Hailey said. “We offer several ‘how to’ tutorials through our social media channels, Facebook, and Instagram. We give tips on things like improving the water pressure in your house or descaling a water heater. 

“But a good rule of thumb is, if it’s a project that requires pulling a permit to complete or has anything to do with a gas line or an unknown leak, those are examples where you need to call professionals.”

Mid-Town Plumbing is licensed and bonded throughout Arkansas, as different cities might require different regulations. The plumbers all know Arkansas’s code, meaning the work they do meets the standard no matter where they are in the state.

“We’re so thankful we were accepted by everyone here in Saline County and Central Arkansas,” Hailey said. “We pride ourselves on our work and our employees and look forward to a great future.”