John the Plumber is a third-generation family plumbing business in Pompano Beach, Florida. In a recorded client interview, Michael Krobatsch described a January 2026 that was the most profitable month in the company’s history — and a reputation program that took them from under 100 Google reviews to more than 2,000.
Michael Krobatsch, third-generation owner of John the Plumber, on building a legacy plumbing business in South Florida.
| Company | John the Plumber |
|---|---|
| Market | Pompano Beach and Broward County, Florida |
| Channels | SEO, Google Ads, Local Service Ads, reputation management, website conversion |
| Interview | Michael Krobatsch, third-generation owner |
Three generations, one mission
The business was founded by John Henston, who moved his family from New Jersey to South Florida and built it from a one-man operation. His sons John and David carried it forward. Michael, the third generation, studied business and finance at FAU and worked briefly at Merrill Lynch before returning to the family business full time. For years he worked in the field as a plumber. About five years ago he stepped out of the truck and into the office — and that is when the business began to change.
The company takes a holistic approach to every job, evaluating the whole plumbing system rather than only the immediate problem. The stated mission is to protect customers and their homes.
The constraint was infrastructure, not skill
When Michael moved into running the business, he recognised that growth needed more than good plumbing. Google was the primary channel, but the pieces had not been assembled properly. Reviews were sparse. The digital presence was not optimised. It was a strong company without the marketing infrastructure to scale.
What we built
- Google Ads and Local Service Ads as the primary new-customer acquisition channels. Michael’s description of the result is that his inbox is now consistently full of Local Service Ad notifications.
- A reputation system with a process behind it. Technicians ask for a review at the end of every call, customers get a direct link, and staff receive a spiff for any review that names them.
- Local SEO and Google Maps optimisation, so that the visibility being built converted into booked jobs rather than traffic.
- Website conversion work — clear calls to action, service-specific pages and a simpler scheduling path.
What happened
January 2026 was the highest-profit month in the company’s history. In February 2026 the company broke its all-time single-week revenue record at nearly $200,000, then surpassed that figure again the following week — the first time that had happened.
The review programme took the business from under 100 Google reviews to more than 2,000, making them one of the most-reviewed plumbing companies in Broward County. Each new review strengthened their position in local search, and each LSA lead reinforced the case for the investment. The system compounded.
“Having a great website is important. Making sure your Google is dialed in with the pay-per-click and the local service ads. Plumbing and HVAC SEO has been really doing a great job. I get all the emails with regard to the local service ads and my inbox is full of them.”
Michael Krobatsch, John the Plumber
What is next
John the Plumber is expanding into whole-home water filtration as a primary new service line. Michael earned his Certified Water Specialist designation through the Water Quality Association and runs weekly training for his technicians. It is a service most plumbing companies do not offer, and it fits the company’s stated mission of protecting the home’s plumbing system.
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