Georg Efird loved the way he could make people so happy when he solved their plumbing issues. Licensed since 2001, Georg believed that he could create a company that honored his customers as much as the Blue Planet.
In 2002, Blue Planet Plumbing, LLC, was born. The name “Blue Planet” comes from the moniker often given to the Earth: it’s a blue planet because of the abundance of water on its surface. An Asheville plumber, Georg thought the name appropriate since it reflects his values.
Georg wanted Blue Planet Plumbing to become one of the most environmentally friendly plumbing companies in Western North Carolina. To reach that goal, he and his team conserve our precious natural resource by installing, repairing and maintaining the most efficient plumbing systems available.
Blue Planet Plumbing serves Asheville and the surrounding area within a 20 minute drive of the city. Georg and his staff of licensed plumbers and technicians work hard to maintain their reputation for fair, thorough service, while honoring their responsibility to both their clients and the blue planet.
Georg J. Efird
Founder & Owner
Georg practically grew up in the plumbing business. Now a 5-star licensed master plumber, the owner of Blue Planet Plumbing can do things his way.
“With so many different points of view, I believe that I’ve found the untapped markets that really need attention,” says the Certified Green Plumber. He likes to be the hero.
I found more enticement in sustainable plumbing and educating consumers on how to do it effectively and efficiently.”
Georg J. Efird walked on to his first job site at the age of 17. A new father who wanted to secure his family’s future, he applied to become a plumber’s helper despite having no experience or skills. Beginning on a new construction project, he worked under licensed plumbers and moved eventually into commercial plumbing. Georg pursued a career that supported his family while tapping into his drive to help people and serve as a steward to the planet.
He went from making $4.25 an hour in 1992 to running a successful plumbing company that earned a revenue of nearly $1 million in 2016. And he’s worked hard for every dime. Going from 90-hour weeks to hiring staff and mentoring his own son, Georg sees himself as part of the new “old generation” of plumbers who take conservation and environmentalism seriously. A Gen-Xer, he learned from the Baby Boomers and is passing the torch to Millennials.
Georg enjoys his free time with his family and his cats. He loves spending time outdoors whenever he can — gardening, trout fishing and just being out in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Cooking is another passion. To decompress, Georg gives himself up to PC gaming for about an hour a night.
Miranda L. Wildman
Owner
Miranda has been an Asheville girl since 1996 when her parents moved here from Vermont. She managed a popular restaurant downtown for six years before she met and married Georg. Miranda found the bookkeeping and managing work fulfilling, and she brought a good dose of business sense to their nascent plumbing company.
Miranda did everything but snake toilets those first dozen years before Patrick joined the team. “I did everything in the office,” she says. “But I really like doing all the reconciliation and supporting the guys in the field.”
I feel so good about how they’re changing the way people look at plumbing. We’re making an environmental impact, one house at a time.”
A husband/wife team takes effort, but Miranda says it works because the two don’t micro-manage each other. Each knows and respects the other’s expertise. She loves to see how Georg implements new strategies, and he loves it when they create good-paying jobs for their employees. Miranda appreciates the help Patrick and Corey bring to the office. And she’s really pleased with how well their plumbers listen to customers and give their best at every job. She knew they were hard workers, but it amazed her how intuitive they turned out to be.
Outside the office, Miranda is a practicing artist, with a studio in the Hatchery, which sits among the growing River Arts District community. At Studio 141, she shares space with two other artists where she paints and holds workshops. And she volunteers for Asheville Green Works whenever she can because she “loves to clean up trash.” Miranda looks forward to growing Blue Planet Plumbing more so that she can participate in more environmental groups. ““It’s a priority, personally and professionally.”
Katti Stone
Operations Manager
What Katti Stone lacks in plumbing knowledge, she makes up for in people skills. And since the team she works with at Blue Planet Plumbing wants to take care of people first, she fits right in. Owner Georg Efird and his team of experienced plumbers handle all the plumbing work, so Katti doesn’t have to get her hands dirty.
As the Asheville plumbing business grows, they need a certain level of customer service, scheduling, issue-solving and bookkeeping expertise to keep things moving as smoothly as a newly installed drainpipe. Enter Katti Stone, the latest addition to the Blue Planet team. With 10 years’ experience in corporate customer service that often meant 60-hour workweeks, Katti was looking for a more laid-back atmosphere, with less stress and more of a family vibe.
“I called, and we hit it off,” says Katti, who’s training to move into office management as she learns the business. She adds her vision to the team.
I believe in working smarter, not longer. And I know I bring skills to the company that’ll help as they grow.”
Katti moved to Asheville in 2010 after vacationing here for three previous years. She loves the city’s artsy vibes and the surrounding mountains. She enjoys crafting in her spare time, anything from sewing to mixed-media art to upcycling found objects. As for Blue Planet, she foresees a happy future together. “Everyone here is so easy to get along with. I haven’t walked in on anyone in a bad mood. And as an added bonus, I love that they are so environmentally conscious.”
Tori Spearman
Customer Service Specialist/Dispatcher
When the phone rings at Blue Planet Plumbing, Tori welcomes the chance to support a customer in need. For her, it’s an opportunity to put the skills she gained at Western Carolina University to good use. With a degree in social work, Tori opted to stay in Asheville and join BPP as a customer service representative, which helps fulfill her desire to help people.
The sense of family built into the company’s work environment also makes her feel at home, and her driven, upbeat personality has made her a natural fit with the rest of the team. It also helps that her co-workers share her obsession with pets — Tori is especially attached to her cat, Leroy.
And when she isn’t helping customers or keeping Leroy happy, she spends her free time pursuing her painting hobby.
“At the end of the day, I am happiest when I can help give some peace of mind to our customers calling in with plumbing issues.”
Matthew West
Plumbing Technician
Water Heater, Water Filtration, General Plumbing Specialist
Matthew is someone who knows what he wants and deliberately goes after it. When he was younger, he joined the Air Force. But unlike other young men who haven’t a clue about what they see in their future, Matthew knew he wanted to use his time in the service to learn a trade that would serve him well in the private sector.
Ten years later, he left the Air Force as a sergeant with a well-rounded, thorough understanding of plumbing. Matthew worked primarily on the plumbing systems in family housing and military dormitories during his stint in the Air Force. He even spent a considerable amount of time in Japan doing plumbing based on the metric system.
After leaving the armed services in Goldsboro, North Carolina in 2014, Matthew moved his family to Asheville and soon set his eyes on Georg Efird and Blue Planet Plumbing.
Plumbers all know each other in this area, and I decided I was going to work for Georg one day. I like his business model and I really like giving back to the planet.”
Matthew started with Blue Planet in October 2017 and appreciates the flexibility his new boss offers compared to other companies he’s worked for. “Georg has an open-door policy,” Matthew says. “I can bounce ideas off him; I feel like I have more control over each situation. They’re giving me better hours, and it feels like a family here.”
He says he treats other people’s homes like they’re his own. He’s proud of his work and proud to call the mountains of Western North Carolina home. He spends as much time outdoors that he can, hiking and fishing with his family.
Will Dawson
Service Manager/Plumbing Technician
Water Heater, Water Filtration, General Plumbing Specialist
Will embarked on his plumbing career at a young age. His family owned a plumbing business in Texas, and from there, he received on-the-job training in new construction.
Fast-forward 25 years, and Will is a well-rounded plumber who specializes in listening to customers and solving issues that lack an obvious solution. He’s grateful for the opportunity to present homeowners with options that suit their needs. It’s equally important to him that he can alert them to potential plumbing problems before they become costly disasters. It’s this proactive approach that has made him a perfect fit for Blue Planet.
“Let’s face it, having a stranger in your home can be nerve racking, so being respectful and listening builds trust.”
When he’s not troubleshooting issues for our plumbing customers, Will focuses on spending time with his wife and two daughters, shopping, eating out, and having fun with the family.
Pablo Trejo
Plumbing Technician
After eight years working as a manager at Ingles Markets, Pablo decided that he wanted to work more with his hands. Though he had experience in construction and woodworking, recent side work as a plumber prompted him to make a career change. Now as a technician at Blue Planet, he’s learned more about the trade and applies his preferred hands-on approach to the job.
A family man with a three-year-old son, Pablo appreciates Georg’s business philosophy, which takes into account his workers’ well-being and workload. The joy Pablo brings to every job is evident in the big smile he wears whenever he greets customers, as well as his determination to solve their plumbing issues.
“After the job is done, just seeing the look on the customer’s face is what I look forward to on a daily basis.”
Jayson Richardson
Plumbing Technician Assistant
Jayson is a problem solver. During his 10 years as an independent contractor, he grew to love the multi-faceted challenges of plumbing and decided to specialize in this field.
Using a variety of skill sets to identify and properly diagnose plumbing situations, Jayson knows how to quickly and accurately assess how to get a project done right the first time.
“I love to help people get their lives back to normal when they’re in a crisis situation.”
Customer satisfaction has always been a top priority for Jayson, which makes working at Blue Planet Plumbing a perfect fit. He also shares the environmental ethos and core values of the company.
Jayson chose Asheville as the place he wanted to raise a family, and he is now the proud father of two girls and a boy, and spends time with his family when he’s not on the job.
Arion Blute
Plumbing Technician Assistant
Arion joined the Blue Planet Plumbing team in the spring of 2020. Prior to coming on board, Arion managed a franchise restaurant and worked with an apartment management company in Portland, Oregon. While at the apartment complex, Arion was able to cultivate a range of maintenance skills including plumbing, which ended up becoming his favorite part of the job.
“We would often encounter pipes leaking into the walls. I knew I wanted to become a plumber when, during these situations, I was able to bring a speedy and level-headed approach to diagnosing the issues, finding the culprit, and being able to eliminate people’s worries about what might be happening to their home.”
At Blue Planet Plumbing, he appreciates the small, tight-knit team and applauds the excellent communication, which is essential to a well functioning team. Additionally, Arion thrives on the spontaneity of plumbing work saying, “When we come into work in the morning, we don’t always know what we’ll be getting into.” The resulting challenges — and finding the solutions — are satisfying and rewarding.
Arion grew up in the central coast of California but has lived in many locations, from the icy prairies of Saskatchewan to big cities like Toronto. He moved to Asheville early in 2020 looking for a slower life amidst a beautiful landscape. He currently lives in Hendersonville. In his free time, Arion enjoys hiking, camping, fishing, and exploring the outdoors.
