It was 1966, and John Downs had just graduated from college. His father Fred did all he could to talk him out of joining the family business, but John didn’t listen. Now, 48 years later, at age 69, he’s the man in charge at Dallas Plumbing & Air Conditioning Co., leading the company into its 110th anniversary.
“My father said it’s hard to mix family and business. It’s true in one sense, but you do have that family bond that ties you all together and keeps you here, whereas in another environment, that’s not family, you might not stay,” said John Downs, who took over the company when his father died in 1981.