Bog-Standard Business How I Took the Plunge and Became the Millionaire Plumber

I'm a millionaire plumber. I went from being a North London street urchin to owning London's biggest independent plumbing firm, which I built myself from scratch. We turn over more than GBP20 million a year, and we're growing. The country's best plumbers and heating engineers queue up to work for me. We are the plumbers of choice for London's high society—movie stars and celebrities of all kinds. I'm mates with David Cameron, George Osborne, and Boris Johnson. How did that happen? In this frank and absorbing memoir, Charlie Mullins describes his meteoric rise from an impoverished childhood in London, to owner of one of the most renowned and respected businesses in the UK, Pimlico Plumbers. He reveals how he survived his tough upbringing, became a parent himself and had to bid a painful farewell to his first passion—boxing. In this honest and moving account, Charlie explains how he worked his way up from apprentice level, through sheer hard graft and determination, to conquer the plumbing world—and met a few interesting characters in the process. Larger than life, and full of humor, this is a valuable insight into how to build a business, and the courage required to make it a success.

Charlie Mullins left school at 15 with no qualifications and completed a four-year apprenticeship in plumbing before starting out with a second-hand van and a bag of tools. In 1979 he founded Pimlico Plumbers from a basement of an estate agent. Over 30 years on, the Pimlico brand is one of the most recognizable in London and Charlie remains a hands-on leader. His unique philosophy and his commitment to apprenticeship schemes have set Charlie apart, while his impressive list of clientele and glowing reputation mean that the business is ever-expanding.