Sullivan’s Irrigation • Pflugerville

Sullivan’s Irrigation • Pflugerville

By Kelsey Wilkinson Friday, 01 May 2009

Some spend years planning and researching how to launch a new business, but for Terry and Monica Sullivan, starting Sullivan’s Irrigation happened almost accidentally.

Terry worked as a firefighter in Round Rock and wanted to find a way to supplement his income. He had put in the sprinkler system in his own home and thought he could do it for his friends and family. After becoming a certified irrigation installer, Terry ran the business from his home and expected to put in one or two sprinkler systems a day. Now, Sullivan’s Irrigation installs approximately 30 systems a week and is now a team of more than 30 employees.

“I think the reason we have doubled or maybe tripled in sales and installations is because of our customer service and exceptional employees,” Monica said. “That is why we are successful and different from others out there.”

After a year of consistent business, Monica, who once worked primarily in software, decided to take what she calls a leap of faith when she quit her job at Winternals Software in 2003 to help operate the business. A year later, Terry left the fire department, and the couple dedicated themselves to Sullivan’s Irrigation full time.

For a while, they lived paycheck to paycheck, saving everything that was left at the end of the month and putting it back into their business. They relied on referrals from customers, a tactic which has continued to work well for the business. Sullivan’s now serves a client base that encompasses areas as far south as Buda, as far north as Georgetown and in between from Spicewood to Taylor. Sullivan’s also expanded their services to include landscape design, and the owners are discussing opening an additional location in San Antonio.

Though they’ve flourished in the Central Texas region, Monica says there are some challenges that are unique to the area and their installation practice.

“We hand-trench all of our systems in existing yards,” she said. “[Customers] want the yard to still be intact when the process is done. It can be challenging when there are lots of rocks, but our crews work through it so that the installation is seamless for the customer.”

It is this consideration for the customer, and dedicated and experienced staff to which Monica and Terry attribute their success.

“To be honest, we didn’t research the industry or competition when we started,” she said. “We just focused on how to start a business, and do it well and focus on how to become the best. We weren’t concerned with what was around, just how to be good with what we do.”

And the community seems to agree with that practice. Monica and Terry say Pflugerville is more than just the location of their business; it’s their home, too. For Sullivan’s Irrigation, it’s the customers and the community that make the job worthwhile.

Services

• Installation – Design and placement of an irrigation system custom built to the landscape and terrain of the property
• Maintenance – Once-a-year maintenance plan that includes adjustments and repairs
• Repairs – Work to fix any cracks or leaks that may occur with a sprinkler system over time
• Services – Attends to any systems that may need updating as needs and properties change
• Landscaping – Professional landscaping and irrigation systems for residential and commercial properties