Over 60 years ago, Bill Stallings Sr. bought out Quinn Plumbing and Heating Company to form Stallings Plumbing and Heating in 1962. Today, Stallings is a trusted name in Kinston and the surrounding areas. As they celebrate their 60th year, second generation owner Wayne Stallings prepares for the future while remaining true to their traditional family values. 

“We started doing air conditioning in the early ‘70s,” said Stallings. “Using Singer air conditioners and went from there.”

The trade industry has changed over the years. There has been a decline in trade-skilled laborers going into fields like plumbing, heating, and air conditioning. The Stallings family prepares for the third generation to take control despite this decline to provide necessary services for the community. 

“We have got the least amount of plumbers working for me right now as I’ve ever had,” said Stallings. “It’s getting to where you can’t keep them. It’s terrible.”

Over 30 years ago, Stallings Sr. who died in 2007, told his son that people who worked with their hands could get paid what they wanted. His words are proving to be true. Stallings has reached out to local schools, including North Lenoir, South Lenoir and Kinston High School, to offer high school students an alternative to college by helping them learn a trade. At one point, he hoped to establish a training facility for plumbing to help with the labor shortage.

“When I first started, it’s nothing like it is now,” said Stallings. “It’s totally changed.” Stallings looked over at his daughter, the future predecessor, and joked how he preferred the old ways, and it was up to her and his team to keep up with the new ways. 

The competition for labor is severe. Companies are poaching employees from established businesses and causing some of those businesses to go under because they no longer have employees. Stallings returned to his service roots to keep the company strong through the labor shortage and the pandemic.

“We’re still fortunate in this area,” said Stallings. “We’re more service oriented. It’s what we’re established on.” 

Stallings is looking for minimum experience service people in the plumbing field. They will provide hands on training. Stallings wants his employees to prosper. He prides himself on his team members doing well.

“This is not a clean job, plumbing is not clean,” said Stallings. “But they’ll get paid very well if they take it and run with it. If someone is interested in coming out of high school, or out there and wondering about what they can do, this is the field to get into.”

Stallings is grateful to Kinston and Lenoir County for their support over the years.

Stallings Plumbing, Heating and Air, Inc. is at 1509 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Kinston. Their telephone number is (252) 523-5772.