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Magnum Plumbing Company Inc. is always ready to respond quickly to customer needs. Pictured from right to left: President Aven Martin; Operations Manager MaryAnne Martin; Administrative Assistant Thai Costa; and Project Coordinator Kelley Castillo.

This car wash remodel is among the many commercial plumbing projects completed by Magnum Plumbing Company Inc.

Aven Martin is not shy about seizing opportunities. Because of his willingness to take chances, he’s built a successful company, Magnum Plumbing Company Inc. (Magnum Plumbing), specializing in commercial and residential new construction work in California.

The Magnum Plumbing team has more than 30 years of experience in plumbing work. The company’s commercial construction jobs include industrial, medical, multifamily, mixed-used, restaurants, shell core and tenant improvements. Its residential work includes custom homes, remodels and service and repair. Magnum Plumbing also provides in-house plumbing design and engineering and performs excavation, backfill and compaction work.

“Our mission is to provide a reliable and efficient service, without compromising quality or safety,” says Aven, who is President. “We strive to be the best in every aspect of our business by fostering a culture of trust, high expectations and open communication with our customers, clients and suppliers.”

An Entrepreneurial Spirit

Aven has always had a strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit. When he was 9 years old, he remembers working summers with his mom’s boyfriend, who owned a service and repair company. It’s where he got his first taste of plumbing work.

When he was 22, while doing framing and tile work in Los Angeles to make ends meet, he met a local plumber looking for a helper. Aven admits he might have let on that he knew a bit more about plumbing than he actually did. But, thankfully, he found a great mentor who taught him the ropes. “He really instilled in me the importance of doing quality work. He made it a priority in his business to put quality over quantity, to be thorough and detail-oriented,” Aven says.

After working with the plumber for two years, Aven had a chance encounter at a party at a mansion in Hollywood Hills that would put him on track to starting his own plumbing company. As he was visiting with the host of the party, Aven commented on the quality of the expensive plumbing fixtures in the house. “He happened to be a general contractor who told me he needed a bid for a home in Laurel Canyon in Hollywood Hills. I always wanted more for myself, and I thought, ‘Why wouldn’t I pursue this opportunity?’ ” Aven says.

Although it was a much larger project than he’d ever done before, Aven won the contract to plumb the large upscale residence. That led to numerous jobs in Los Angeles, including plumbing work for Hollywood celebrities, Aven says. “But I was really young and inexperienced once success came,” he admits. “I ended up making poor business decisions, and not investing back into my business.”

A New Start

He made a new start in Santa Barbara, first working for a utility company doing wet and dry utilities. Then he was hired as a foreman at Construction Plumbing where he managed crews doing multimillion-dollar custom ground-ups. Working under an experienced plumbing contractor, Aven honed his plumbing skills. “Not only did I become a more efficient plumber, I also learned what it takes to be a respected leader, ultimately driving me to want my own company again one day in the near future,” he says.

After 12 years in Santa Barbara, he and his wife, MaryAnne, married and moved to San Diego, where he started Magnum Plumbing in March 2017.

“I started hustling through HomeAdvisor and Yelp, cold-calling contractors to introduce myself,” he remembers. “During the first six months of business I started with service and repair, and also kitchen and bathroom remodels, shortly after landing custom-home ground-ups. Fast forward to now, we are busier than ever.”

His residential clientele began to build. Then one day, he received a call from a woman who owned a commercial property. Her tenants, Church’s Chicken and Port of Subs, needed new interceptor, grease and sanitary drainage systems. “She asked if I could give her a quote for the job, and we were awarded the contract,” Aven says.

Making Connections

During that job, Aven put out signs with his company name, which caught the eye of Rick Martin, a Business Development Manager with The Blue Book Network®. “It’s been amazing ever since,” Aven says. “Since I signed on with The Blue Book in January 2019, we now have ongoing work with the Vista Irrigation District, and we just completed a project for a family health center and USPS.” Magnum Plumbing has since successfully completed several multifamily ground-ups, restaurants and self-service car washes. The company acquired its Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) number to compete for prevailing wage contracts.

Despite a temporary slowdown in the industry due to the pandemic in the second quarter of 2020, Magnum Plumbing was fortunate to have several active projects that allowed its business to stay operational with no setbacks.

“Nothing is going to stop me from winning,” says the risk-taking entrepreneur. During his first three years in business, he’s faced adversity, including being robbed in 2019 of $18,000 and all his tools from his home garage where he used to run the business. “I was undermanned, running 19 projects. It took mental toughness to get through.” But Aven doesn’t shy away from challenges. “I believe in being strategic and focusing my energy toward solutions. It’s what gets me through any challenge.”

Today, he has an office in Oceanside, and eight journeyman plumbers working for him so he can devote his time in the office to estimating and managing projects. MaryAnne serves as Operations Manager. “As a team, we always strive to achieve our best. We treat each other with respect and honesty to create a harmonious and safe working environment,” Aven says.

“Our goal is to be known as the market leader in San Diego County and to be recognized for our commitment to service and innovation throughout the plumbing industry.” Aven Martin, President, Magnum Plumbing Company Inc.

Responding to Customer Needs

Today, Magnum Plumbing serves clients in San Diego and surrounding counties, with 90% of its work being commercial. Aven says he’s willing to take on just about any job. “We’ll go from the ocean to the desert. We want to create long-lasting working relationships,” he says. “Our customers are our most valuable asset and their requirements come first. We work to deliver a quality service that is second to none—reliably, efficiently and safely—every single time.”

As a family-owned business, Aven believes Magnum Plumbing is more responsive to client needs. “They can talk to the owner when they call,” he shares.

And that accessibility has led to many happy customers. Says one customer on Yelp: “I’ve worked with a lot of plumbers…My wife and I own multiple restaurants, and I wish I had found these guys years ago. First-class in service and quality work.”

Writes another: “We used Magnum Plumbing for a project, and we couldn’t be happier with our experience. Aven was so professional at all times, reliable and educated. He explained the process and answered every question we had. I highly recommend using them. Magnum does not disappoint! Thank you, Aven and the Magnum team for making this experience so easy and stress-free!”

“Aven and his team are top-notch,” says another. “He takes great pride in his work and it shows. We opened a new grooming shop and needed a tub installed on short notice, and he was quick to respond and get it done. We would recommend them highly to anyone who needs an honest plumber who does great work!”

Looking ahead, Magnum Plumbing will continue to pursue larger apartment buildings, mixed-use and public works projects. “Our goal is to be known as the market leader in San Diego County and to be recognized for our commitment to service and innovation throughout the plumbing industry,” Aven says. “In five years, we would like to acquire our A (general engineering contractor) license and expand our service and repair division with company trucks. We would also like to give back to our community by partnering with nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity.”

As far as Aven is concerned, he loves every aspect of the plumbing trade, from estimating and sales to interacting with customers. And he’s always ready to seize a new opportunity. “I love the challenges; the good days and the bad days. What gets me fired up every day, besides providing for my family, is knowing that with any call we can have a new opportunity to meet new people and create new relationships with contractors.”