H2Pro crew take out the big one

by brianna piazza
11th December 2014

WARRANDYTE has again trumped all other suburbs in Manningham after H2Pro Plumbing was named Business of the Year at the Manningham Business Excellence Awards last month.

The victory follows hot on the heels of Quinton’s IGA claiming the title last year.

Twenty-five businesses were nominated for this year’s Manningham Excellence Awards, with categories including hospitality, innovation, retail and professional services.

The awards recognise and celebrate businesses that have introduced a new process or improved an idea, method, technology, process or application resulting in improved business profitability and or social benefit.

H2Pro’s Tristan Wise, who does a lot of the behind the scenes work for the business, says winning was a “momentous” achievement.

“We didn’t think that we would actually win our category of Professional Services let alone Business of the Year. We feel extremely humble,” she said.

“The process of entering the awards not only highlighted a lot of areas that we want to improve on but how far we have come since we started.”

H2Pro started 14 years ago and is known for giving back to the community.

This year it has donated to various local fundraisers, organised educational presentations about bathroom trends and kitchen design, and has supported Melbourne-based charity Who Gives A Crap.

As part of the Who Gives A Crap campaign, H2Pro’s plumbers leave a free specially marked toilet roll at each client’s house, along with information about the lack of sanitation and clean water in developing countries, with the hope that

people will also choose to support the cause.

Tristan says she’s proud of how far the business has come since it was first established in 2000 and hopes H2Pro’s win inspires other small businesses around Warrandyte to enter next year’s awards.

“At H2Pro we are a merry band of three, Tony, director/plumber, John another star plumber, and myself behind the scenes,” she said.

“For most of the year, we are on call 24/7 and it’s hard work. We don’t have office space and we work from a small desk in our lounge room. So to be recognised and acknowledged for all of this really is thrilling and very rewarding.”