Only a true visionary would look at an abandoned business building during The Great Depression and turn it into what would be the area's ‘next big thing.' This is how Joe Hirsch's, founder of California-based Hirsch Plumbing and Supply — now known as Hirsch Pipe & Supply — story goes. After leaving a career in finance in 1933, Hirsch noticed a plumbing supply business in Los Angeles that needed some TLC. Instead of fearing the impacts of the depression, Hirsch took it as an opportunity to rise above competitors and serve customers during their time of need.
Hirsch worked with local struggling plumbing companies to purchase their extra inventory, buy out their trucks, and even hire on some of their staff who would soon be out of a job (including his own father, who worked for then plumbing supply company Westcoast.) The company survived those challenging years always remembering that no matter the economic standing, people needed clean water and sanitation.