Newsletter:  March 2006 a The Kohler Company, one of the top innovators in bathroom and kitchen fixtures and faucets has released their new products for 2006. "We were looking for anything we thought we could handle" – Rich Hoaglund, LeDuc & Dexter Commercial Estimator & Project Manager, reflecting on his early days with the company. "Super Service Plumbing – Our Name Says It All."  That slogan has a nice ring because Super Service Plumbing customers are the ones who are saying it.

Kohler Has Some Great New Kitchen Sinks

Residential

Langlade Smart Divide Kitchen Sink (click image to enlarge)

The Kohler Company, one of the top innovators in bathroom and kitchen fixtures and faucets has released their new products for 2006. Among the new products are some outstanding kitchen sinks. The kitchen sinks featured here are all made of cast iron and are ergonomically designed for ease of use.

Smart Divide kitchen sinks feature an innovative, patent-pending low-profile divider. Because the top of the divider is situated deeper inside the basin, Kohler Smart Divide kitchen sinks are better able to accommodate larger pots and also make it easier to keep water from splashing out of the sink. Smart Divide kitchen sinks are offered in four different models including Langlade, Deerfield, Woodfield and Iron/Tones. They are available in both self-rimming and under-counter applications with multiple color options.

Woodfield Smart Divide Kitchen Sink (click image to enlarge)

Deerfield Smart Divide Kitchen Sink (click image to enlarge)

Another innovative and ergonomically designed Kohler product for 2006 is the HiRise kitchen pot filler. Inspired by professional cook tops and ranges, the HiRise kitchen pot filler provides commercial-grade utility for home chefs. The articulated design with up to 24-inch overall reach enhances function and convenience by alleviating the need to lean over the cooking area. The double quarter-turn ceramic disc valve insures reliable on/off operation. The HiRise kitchen pot filler is designed for wall-mount installation and a deck-mount version is available for island or remodel installations.

The Kohler Company has a user-friendly website that allows customers to view products, compare products side by side and create folders that contain the faucets and fixtures they prefer. LeDuc & Dexter's residential department uses the Kohler website to communicate with their customers when Kohler products are being considered for their home building projects.

Iron/Tones Smart Divide Kitchen Sink

HiRise Wall-Mounted Pot Filler (click image to enlarge)

HiRise Deck-Mounted Pot Filler (click image to enlarge)

Rich Hoaglund – Commercial Stalwart

The Company

When LeDuc & Dexter was founded in 1982 the two current owners, Tom LeDuc and Art Dexter were starting out on their own, just the two of them. The next person to come aboard, in 1984, was Rich Hoaglund and he's been with LeDuc & Dexter ever since. Twenty-two years later Hoaglund says, "I remember it clearly. We were at Tom's house, in his kitchen. It was Tom, Arty and me - they offered me a job and the rest is history." Hoaglund is currently a project manager and estimator in the commercial department at LeDuc & Dexter, Inc. He has spent the bulk of his time at LeDuc & Dexter in commercial work. "When I started we were just doing residential work. We had a couple of condos we were working on and then we got an apartment complex on Guerneville Road. At the time it was a really big project for us. After we got through that we started doing custom homes. We were looking for anything we thought we could handle."

Rich Hoaglund LeDuc & Dexter Commercial Estimator & Project Manager

LeDuc & Dexter grew steadily doing mostly residential work and in the early '90's started bidding commercial work. Hoaglund has worked in the commercial department ever since. In 1994 LeDuc & Dexter hired Bill Zeeb to manage the commercial department and Hoaglund worked under him. "I enjoy estimating the most, but that's not all I've done in the commercial department," says Hoaglund, "I've done scheduling, troubleshooting and now I'm also a project manager." Over the years Hoaglund has been involved in so many projects it's difficult for him to pick a favorite but he did, "I think La Crema Winery with Wright Contracting was about the best project I worked on, just the way it all came together, it was very satisfying." Aside from projects that work out well, Hoaglund really enjoys the people he works with at LeDuc & Dexter, "We have a great group of people."

Super Service – Our Name Says It All

Super Service Plumbing

When you call your company Super Service Plumbing the expectations of your performance are going to be quite high, especially in the eyes of your customers. Jon Schutz, Super Service Plumbing Manager, says, "If a customer is not happy, I'm not happy. We guarantee our work 100%." Super Service Plumbing is a division of LeDuc & Dexter, Inc., which was founded in 1982. Super Service Plumbing was founded in 1991. They have a history of success.

More important than Super Service's successful longevity is what their customers have to say about the company. Super Service has been a Diamond Certified company since 2004. Diamond Certified rates companies for consumer usage by using a rating system comprised of customer satisfaction surveys, reviewing complaint bureau status, confirming existence of liability and workers' compensation insurance coverage, verifying required licensing and evaluating the adequacy of financial condition and absence of significant suits, liens and judgments. Diamond Certified interviewed, at random, over 100 customers of Super Service Plumbing in 2004 and 2005. Here are some of the combined results for the last two years:

Jon Schutz Super Service Manager

When asked to rate the quality of service they received from Super Service Plumbing on a scale of one to ten, the average response was 8.7. When asked if the customer would use Super Service Plumbing again in the future, 93% said "yes". Here are a few responses from the customer survey about what they liked best about Super Service Plumbing: "They were prompt, honest and knowledgeable." "The whole process was very easy." "They were honest, straight-forward, nice and they explained available options." 'I was able to get an appointment right away."

"Super Service Plumbing – Our Name Says It All." That slogan has a nice ring because Super Service Plumbing customers are the ones who are saying it.