Alex Figliolia Jr., warns fellow contractors to remove identifying information from any equipment they intend to sell before listing it as a precaution against negative publicity. The warning comes following news reports that a Texas plumber, Mark-1 Plumbing, sold his used truck to an auto dealership who insisted that he not remove his company information in order to preserve the paint beneath. The plumber agreed to let the auto company remove the information but the truck was sold with the contractors information intact. A few months later photos of Islamic extremists in Syria driving in the truck with fitted out with machine guns were posted to the internet. The plumber and his company information were clearly visible in the photographs. The plumber began receiving calls and threats for what seemed to be his support of the militant group.
a plumber who has had his own battles with negative publicity, "With the advent of the internet and social media sites, small businesses such as father and son plumbers, electricians and contractors are always at risk for adverse publicity. Historically, the contractors and plumbers have gotten a bad reputation- mostly because people do not understand what we do or because they call us in emergency situations when they are under stress. Also, anything relating to the construction industry is expensive – especially in emergency situations. So going into a job emotions and repair costs are running high. A good contractor is one who takes the time to explain everything they can to the client; who establishes trust from the onset and who stands by his/her companies work.”
“Contractors’ reputations are directly linked to their company name and since most equipment is mandated to be branded with the name and contact information of a plumber or contractor, it is important that the owner of the company remove all identifying information before equipment is sold,” Figliolia Jr. continues. “Like many contractors, I learned this lesson the hard way as negative articles and reviews were written about me from disgruntled employees or competitors. Protecting your identity is especially important for father and son plumbers or contractors because they share the same name and negative articles can live on the internet indefinitely.”
For me the negative experience has prompted him to reestablish himself and to share his lessons through blogs, social media and websites geared to helping others. As for the Texas City plumber, Mark Oberholtzer, the New York Daily News story states that he filed a lawsuit against an AutoNation dealership for 1 million dollars for failing to remove the decal identifying his company and his name as a plumber which appears prominently on the truck door in the photos. The news story goes on to say that the dealership sold the truck to the Islamic extremist brigade, Ansar al-Deen Front, who then had the vehicle shipped to Syria. The group used the vehicle in a photo op where group members stood atop the flat bed, rifles in hand and Mark-1 plumber business information clear for the world to see. Since the photo, Mark-1 plumber has received numerous death threats and just wants it all to go away.
