Anchor Plumbing Marks More Than 50 Years of Family-Owned Plumbing Service
Key Highlights
- Three Generations of Plumbing: Follow Anchor Plumbing from Bill Martin’s 1973 startup to the third-generation leadership of his grandson, Aaron Baldwin
- Customer Relationships Built Over Decades: Multigenerational customer relationships have become a defining part of the company’s 50-plus-year history
- Balancing Growth With Tradition: Anchor Plumbing is adopting new technology and expanding its services while maintaining the customer-focused principles established by its founder
DALLAS, TX — In 1973, Bill Martin started Anchor Plumbing with a simple idea: work hard, take care of people and build something he could be proud to pass down to his family.
More than five decades later, that idea has become a three-generation family business. Anchor Plumbing is now led by Martin’s grandson, Aaron Baldwin, who is carrying the company into its next chapter as it continues serving homeowners throughout North Texas.
As Martin nears the end of his life, his family is reflecting on the company he built and the values that have carried it through more than 50 years of changes in the plumbing industry and the North Texas market.
“My grandfather wasn't thinking about building a legacy when he started Anchor,” Baldwin said. “He was thinking about working hard, taking care of his family and doing right by the people who trusted him. The legacy came from all those years of doing just that.”
Anchor Plumbing Grew Alongside North Texas
When Martin opened Anchor Plumbing in 1973, Dallas was a very different place. Over the following five decades, North Texas expanded rapidly as new communities and homes were built, families moved into the region and plumbing technology evolved.
Anchor Plumbing grew alongside that expansion.
Today, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area is home to approximately 8.5 million people, according to 2025 US Census Bureau estimates. The region grew another 11% between 2020 and 2025, bringing hundreds of thousands of new residents and homeowners to North Texas.
Through those changes, Baldwin said, the importance of treating customers right has remained central to the company.
“A lot has changed since my grandfather started the company,” Baldwin said. “The tools are different, the houses are different and Dallas is definitely different. But people still want to know they can trust the person standing at their front door. They want someone who's going to be honest with them and take care of their home. That's never really changed.”
Generations of Customers Have Become Part of the Story
For Anchor Plumbing, more than 50 years in business is measured not only by time, but by relationships with customers, employees and the communities the company serves.
Some homeowners who first called Anchor decades ago now have children and grandchildren who own homes themselves. Employees and technicians have also built careers with the company, helping establish relationships that extend beyond individual service calls.
“That's probably one of my favorite things about being part of this business,” Baldwin said. “We've gotten to be there for people through different parts of their lives. Maybe we helped them with their first house, and then years later we're helping them with another one. Then their kids grow up and call us. When you see that happen, you realize it's about a lot more than plumbing.”
The US Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy reported that 27.3% of US firms were family-owned businesses in 2021, collectively employing approximately 42.3 million workers. Family-owned businesses also tend to have greater longevity, with 57.9% operating for more than 10 years compared with 50.2% of non-family businesses.
For Anchor Plumbing, however, longevity is about more than remaining in business. It is about maintaining relationships with the people the company was built to serve.
Third-Generation Leadership Carries the Business Forward
As the third-generation owner of Anchor Plumbing, Baldwin has a direct connection to the company's history and the responsibility of carrying it forward.
“This is something my grandfather worked really hard to build, and I know how much it means to our family. I want to grow the company and make it better, but I also want to make sure we're still the same Anchor at heart.”
That means continuing to invest in employees, adopt new technology and find better ways to serve homeowners while maintaining the principles that have guided the company since 1973.
Today, Anchor Plumbing provides residential plumbing repair and maintenance, drain cleaning, water heater services, leak detection, sewer line repair and emergency plumbing services throughout North Texas.
The work may look different from what Martin was doing when he opened the company, but Baldwin said the responsibility remains the same.
“When someone calls a plumber, they're trusting you with their home,” Baldwin said. “That's a big deal. My grandfather understood that from the beginning. We don't ever want to forget that.”
The Next Generation is Part of the Legacy
For Baldwin and his family, Anchor Plumbing's history is closely tied to the man who started the company and the opportunities the business created for subsequent generations.
Bill Martin built a company that provided for his family, created opportunities for employees and became part of the lives of North Texas homeowners.
“When I think about what my grandfather left us, I don't just think about the company,” Baldwin said. “I think about the opportunity he gave our family. He built something that gave us a place to work, a place to grow and something we could be proud of. That's an incredible thing to pass down.”
As Anchor Plumbing looks toward the future, Baldwin said the goal is not simply to celebrate the company's history but to continue building a business that future generations can inherit.
“We want to be here for the families who call us today, and we'd love to still be here when their kids become homeowners,” Baldwin said. “That's what I hope for. My grandfather thought about this business in terms of generations, and I want to do the same thing.”
More than 50 years after Martin opened the doors to Anchor Plumbing, the company remains family-owned and continues serving North Texas homeowners.
Three generations later, the Anchor legacy continues.
To learn more visit anchorplumbingcompany.com.