Dakota Supply Group - Index

Dakota Supply Group - dakotasupplygroup - Index

“DSG has been with us since the beginning.”
When Brett Wheelhouse started working for
his uncle’s plumbing business at 14, he had no
idea he would like it as much as he did. But
Wheelhouse found his calling, exhibiting an eye
for detail and a stubborn commitment to quality
service that has defined his career so far. These
are characteristics that he shares with the folks at
DSG, and together, they are making a name for
Wheelhouse Plumbing in Pierre, South Dakota.
Wheelhouse started his career in the early
1990s by doing the jobs at his uncle’s company
that nobody else wanted to do. His specialty was
digging trenches. After high school, he started
doing more skilled jobs, and it wasn’t long before
he was a master contractor. By 2003, he felt as if
he needed a new challenge.
“I got up one morning and decided that I liked
my job so much that I should be doing it for
myself,” Wheelhouse laughs. “I knew I wanted to
start my own business.”
But starting a business is a big step, and Brett’s
timing left much to be desired. His wife, Kelly,
had recently gone back to college to become a
registered nurse. He had a baby at home,
and Kelly was expecting a second. Brett was
undaunted. “It was pretty stressful,” he says. “but
we got through it together.”
Wheelhouse Plumbing was born in Brett and
Kelly’s home in 2003. He did the work, she
helped with the books and Brett’s reputation did
the rest. “Once word got out that I was in
business for myself, things took off,” he says. “We
ramped up for a few months, then things got
really busy.”
Wheelhouse’s reputation for outstanding
service became a springboard, and soon
contractors were calling consistently.
Wheelhouse Plumbing quickly became a
fixture in the Pierre area, mainly through
residential construction and service calls.
What started with one full-time employee soon
had ten (including Wheelhouse’s brother), and
what started out with one service truck grew into
a small fleet of vehicles, custom painted by
Wheelhouse’s father. Customers recognize the
distinctive “hot rod splash” of these trucks from
blocks away. All told, Wheelhouse Plumbing has
tripled in size in less than five years.
In 2007, the company began the second phase
of its existence when Brett started bidding
on larger, commercial projects. Suddenly
Wheelhouse Plumbing was working on
everything from the massive Gavins Point
Dam (near Yankton, SD) to the South Dakota
State Capitol Building in Pierre. The resulting
growth created growing pains, and Wheelhouse
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MECHANICAL
Spring 2008 CONNECTIONS 21