H and B Plumbing and Heating began in Robert (Bob) Meffley's basement in 1980, when Bob partnered with Harold O'Neil (Hence the name H and B). Bob soon became a master plumber, and his wife Beth took service calls while raising the couple's two children, Gregg and Maribeth. Bob and Harold were together a long time, but even after Harold left the business, Bob kept the H and B name.

Gregg began working in the business at the age of 13 as a plumber's apprentice, and worked every day after school and during the summer learning the ropes. His father taught him the importance of great customer service and the benefits of always doing quality work, and those lessons stuck with him. While Gregg worked other jobs off and on over the years, he always came back to the family business. Now grown and married with a child of his own, Gregg works with his father to manage H and B and move the company forward.

"I love interacting with people," he says, "and what's really great is seeing those folks around town in the grocery store or at the post office, and they're happy to see you-because you did a good job for them. I like that feeling. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about.putting the customer first."

What started out as a two-truck operation has grown over the last two decades to service 11 counties in Maryland and Delaware with 30 trucks and a staff of 36 employees, with some that have been with H and B for 15 years or more.

"I grew up with a lot of these folks," says Gregg Meffley. "I learned from them, and some have gone on to create their own businesses. We're proud of our accomplishments at H and B, but we really treasure the relationships we've forged-both with our customers and employees."