Tom Ford, owner of Liberty Plumbing, sits down with Eric Kilstrom and Sawana for a candid look at a career built on reinvention. Raised in Queens, he trained as a union plumber before joining the NYPD, then relocated to Arizona after September 11 and chose Anthem as the place to raise his family. He recounts launching Liberty with a single work truck, nearly losing everything when contractors left him roughly eighty thousand dollars short during the 2008 downturn, and clawing back by simply refusing to quit.
Today the company posts double-digit annual growth and runs divisions in Flagstaff and Prescott, with his two grown sons working alongside him. Tom makes a strong case for the skilled trades as a debt-free path for young people, and points to a coming shortage of plumbers, electricians, and HVAC techs across the valley. He credits steady values, answering the phone, showing up on time, and standing behind the work, for keeping a fast-growing business rooted in the community.
Key takeaways
- Tom Ford went from union plumbing (starting in 1992) and serving as an NYPD officer to founding Liberty Plumbing after moving to Arizona in 2002.
- He spent roughly three months on the pile at Ground Zero after 9/11, which happened just two days after he got engaged.
- Liberty nearly went under when contractors left it about $80,000 short during the 2008 recession, and small mom-and-pop clients are what kept it afloat.
- The company reports about 40% growth last year and is pacing for 30% this year, with newer divisions in Flagstaff and Prescott.
- Tom is a vocal advocate for the skilled trades, noting his sons earn strong incomes without college, and he wants to introduce Anthem-area kids to plumbing, electrical, and HVAC careers.
- His playbook for lasting local business: keep the mom-and-pop feel, answer the phone, show up on time, and stand behind the work even when the customer is tough.
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