Travis Abaire has some advice for contractors looking to start their own company: “Don’t undervalue yourself and don’t let other people undervalue you. You know what you’re worth, you know what you need to pay your bills and stay in business. If a customer says they can find someone cheaper, let them. You don’t need or want that kind of customer because they don’t value you.”

The owner of T.A.P. Plumbing and Heating in Bristol, Conn., has 23 years of experience and has been using Viega press fittings for the past 15 years. “It saves me time,” he said. “I’m a one-man show, so anything that can help me get a customer up and running and get me on to the next job, I’m all about.”

Like many contractors who own their businesses, Matt Fleming of All Star Plumbing & Heating in Manasquan, N.J., wishes he could spend more time in the field and less time in front of a computer. “Quite often, I’m stuck at a desk doing paperwork, but getting my hands dirty assembling and installing is what I really like to do,” he said.

Matt, who recently took over the family business from his father, uses Viega press because it’s fast, clean and dependable. “We can get jobs done much faster and it’s on to the next job – and that’s the whole point,” he said. The 22-year veteran has the same advice for those thinking of entering the trades and contractors thinking of starting their own businesses: “You get out of it what you put into it. If you stay focused and dedicated and constantly improve, you’ll succeed.”

Two years ago, Terence Chan was ready to give up on pressing. Then he tried Viega. “I had been having problems with other brands that the wholesalers carried,” he said. “Once I used Viega fittings I never went back to anything else.”

The president of Impetus Plumbing & Heating in Vancouver, B.C., said “quality” is the first word that comes to mind when he thinks of Viega. But Terence enjoys the other benefits of pressing, as well: “I like that fact that I don’t have to carry extra tools like I had to do for solder. I like that I don’t have to do extra prep work. No flame, no burning, no smell and, most of all, the speed!”

Plumber Matt Benevides treats every job like a puzzle. And that requires having the right pieces to complete it. For the owner of Benevides Plumbing & Mechanical in New Bedford, Mass., that means using Viega fittings. “Viega means quality, plain and simple,” he said. “They simplify my day and get me home faster.”

Known on social media as the Boston Plumbing Monstah, Matt has been using Viega fittings for more than 12 years on everything from new construction to remodels. His go-tos are the ½" to 1" ProPress, MegaPress and PureFlow fittings. His advice for those thinking of entering the plumbing trade: “Get through the first five years and you will thank yourself.” And for those thinking of starting their own company: “Do it. Don’t wait. Answer the phone.”    

Being fast on the snow earned Jonathan Cheever a spot on the U.S. Snowboarding Team. Being fast on the job with Viega earns him a living. Recently retired from competitive snowboarding, Jonathan now owns Team Cheever Design Build in Park City, Utah. A second-generation master plumber, he got his start at age 10, helping his father and uncle in the family business, which was an early adopter of pressing.

Viega delivers speed and reliability, Jonathan said. “Why wouldn’t I use pressing?” he said. “Any tool that is easier on my body is going to make me last longer in the trades and allow me to do more activities outside of work. It's easier on my joints. The process of pressing is light years ahead of other connection methods; less time on a job allows me to do more jobs or more recreational activities. Time is freedom and time is money, no matter which way you bend it.”     

Colton Henkowski had a pressing epiphany 15 years ago in a Denver high-rise. Working on a water line that couldn’t be shut down, he pressed his first Viega ProPress fitting. “It worked like a charm and I never looked back,” said Colton, who’s known on social media as the Viking Pipefitter.

He now works for Viega in Broomfield, Colo., training contractors on Viega products and the benefits of pressing. “Interacting with our customers is by far the best part of this career. The look on someone's face at their first sight of a durability test is unbeatable. Furthering someone's knowledge in the trades is a true passion and fills me with joy every day,” he said.