By Amber Henning
Photo by Nate Minneman
Eagle resident, Michael Klaas, has seen a lot of growth in his time in the Treasure Valley. A born and raised Idahoan, not only has he witnessed the valley boom but– through the growth of his own business, he’s experienced it himself.
20 years ago when Michael began working in the plumbing industry, he found starting a business had its challenges– but from the beginning, his ethics guided his business model. When you are first starting out integrity is everything, especially when you are depending on word of mouth and referrals. It takes a lot to grow your business in a tight-knit community– making sure you are able to treat your customers with honesty and respect, is more than just the right thing to do– it’s necessary for survival.
With this sentiment in mind, Michael has done more than just survive. Despite multiple recessions and more than one or two setbacks, he and his business, Knight Plumbing, have thrived. It is no doubt that he has done so due to his dedication to quality service and passing that same ideology along to his staff throughout the years.
Dedication and services are second nature to Michael, who joined the military after spending some time as a student at Boise State. Getting into the plumbing business, however, came like second nature to him, “Plumbing felt like a hobby to me. If I could make a living at the same time, why not?”
At first, growth was slow– starting as a one-man operation and simply building a reputation from job to job. Over the course of the next few years, the business began to expand all based on the principle of “Doing Work Right, The First Time.” In 2012, after meeting with another Eagle man, Blane Russell owner of Social Eyes Marketing, Michael began implementing digital marketing tactics and business over the next few years soared.
Drive down the road today and you can see up to nine Knight Plumbing trucks out servicing the Treasure Valley all operating with the same principle that allowed Michael to grow from a one-man shop to a full-service plumbing company — do it right, the first time.
The Knight Plumbing ideology reaches beyond just doing a good job and extends to the level of services each one of their clients feel. “We make sure that each customer knows, we think of their house like it is our house and that’s how we are going to treat it.” To the technicians that means more than just wearing booties on their feet and cleaning up after they are done, it means being honest and providing real solutions so people can get their homes back in order and get life back to normal as quickly as possible.
At the end of the day, even though his company services the entire valley, Michael Klaas is proud to call Eagle home. “Eagle offers the best quality of living– and that’s what Idaho is all about.”
