Earl Gray & Sons Celebrates Decades Of Service & Community Commitment
Writer & Photographer / Christina Cochran
This year marks a milestone for one of Johnson County’s most enduring businesses. Earl Gray & Sons, a plumbing and mechanical company based in Franklin, Indiana, is celebrating 70 years of service. From its humble beginnings inside a small family home to its reputation today as a trusted community partner, the company’s story is one of hard work, strong values, and a commitment to people above all else.
“It all started in my parents’ home on 3rd Street in Beech Grove,” recalls Mike Gray, owner and head of service, and son of founders Earl and Sylvia Gray. “The home became too small for four kids and a business. They then moved it to Southport. The business was still run from the home with a small rented building on Gray Road for storage.”
That spirit of blending family and business was the company’s foundation. In the early years, it was more than just about plumbing — it was about survival, growth, and the kind of grit required of young entrepreneurs.
“They then moved because the business was growing, and they were now up to three employees,” Gray explains. “In 1968 they moved to Johnson County. They remodeled an old farmhouse and built a new building for materials and equipment. They also raised beef cattle and boarded horses at this location. The business was continuing to grow. Now six employees. It was time to move the business out of the home.”
The move to Johnson County marked a turning point. With property purchased in Bargersville, Earl and Sylvia built a larger building to meet the demands of their growing customer base. But success seemed to chase them at every step.
“In a few short years that building became too small as well,” Gray says. “In 1983 another larger warehouse was built next to the original building. During this time Earl and Sylvia opened up the service department in Martinsville. The service department moved to Franklin in 2005 where it is today.”
Building on Values
The company’s growth has always been guided by a clear set of values — principles that Earl and Sylvia instilled in their children and employees.
“The key to the longevity and success of the company stems from the values that it was founded on,” Gray says. “The only thing that you can provide to your customers is service. The next is treat everyone with respect. When our parents sold us the company in 1997, they left us with a lasting message: To be successful you pay your bills and pay your employees before you pay yourself.”
That philosophy has become more than just advice — it’s the cultural DNA of Earl Gray & Sons. And employees, some of whom have been with the company for decades, feel it every day.
Kregg Fisher, who has been part of the service department for nearly 15 years, echoes the same sentiment.
“I think the key then is the same as the key now,” he says. “Everything is customer-focused. From the top down, everyone knows we have nothing if we don’t have the customers’ trust. When you have customers that have been with us for more than 20 years, you know you are doing something right.”
For Fisher, it’s about a mindset that every team member carries.
“Anytime you can alleviate someone’s misfortune and come to their rescue it’s a good day,” he explains. “But the stories I hear from the ‘old timers’ that knew Earl and Sylvia and how they helped them out — you didn’t have to be present in those times to feel the impact today.”
A Legacy of Giving Back
Beyond plumbing, Earl Gray & Sons has built a reputation as a community partner, deeply invested in the people around them.
“We have always been supportive of the communities around us,” Gray shares. “We have supported the area schools with donations for projects and also support for local charities. We have a couple charities we have supported for 25-plus years.”
That dedication has remained consistent, even through hardship.
“We had a time of two years where we could not donate during the downturn in the economy,” Gray says. “That was upsetting that we were not able to. We have been blessed to get past that time. Now through the dedication of the four owners, they will always be supported.”
Today, the business is guided by four family owners who each carry an essential role in its operations: Mike Gray, Mark Gray, Kathi Gray, and Jeri Mitchell. Together, they keep their parents’ values at the center of every decision while ensuring the business grows with the needs of the community.
For Fisher, the community commitment is one of the company’s most admirable traits.
“I’ve seen just in my short time here, giving back to local schools via dropping off teacher wish list supplies, supporting school sports with donations, donating plumbing services for those in need,” he says. “This company does a great job of creating that family vibe that takes care of each other and those in our community.”
That sense of family extends to employees, too. Many of them have stayed with the company for years, building careers and friendships that last a lifetime.
“The future of this business lies with the employees,” he says. “We have several employees that run the business day to day. They know the history and philosophy behind its success.”
Pride in a Family Business
Like many family-owned businesses, the proudest moments are not just measured in profits or buildings but in the lives touched along the way. For Gray, that pride comes in reflecting on the legacy of his parents.
“The proudest moments were during the passing of our parents,” he says. “They taught us to love and to give back. This was greatly shown when people whom we have known for many years would come up to us and tell us that our parents helped them start their businesses. This was done by giving advice and monetary support to them. Some were even our personal friends that we had no clue.”
Fisher agrees that the company’s impact is felt in ways that transcend plumbing.
“The stories I hear from customers and older employees are what makes me proud to work here,” he says. “You don’t have to have known Earl and Sylvia personally to understand how much they meant to people. The values they set are still alive here today.”
Looking Ahead
Seventy years in business is both a celebration of the past and a look to the future. While technology and the industry have changed, Earl Gray & Sons has remained committed to adapting without losing sight of its roots.
“The amount of technology coming into play within the plumbing industry is staggering,” Fisher explains. “Being able to mix what the newest and greatest products are while maintaining that long-lost art of repair when you can, replacement when you must — it’s the perfect balance of new and old.”
Gray sees the future in the people who carry the company forward.
“Work hard, it will be rewarding,” he says. “That’s what we were taught, and that’s what we continue to believe.”
With four owners at the helm and a dedicated team of employees, Earl Gray & Sons is poised to carry its legacy into the next generation, blending tradition with innovation.
A Legacy of Trust
At its heart, Earl Gray & Sons’ story is one of trust — trust built between a family and its employees, and between a business and its community. That trust is what has carried them through expansions, recessions and the passing of generations.
“When you have customers that have been with us for decades, it says everything,” Fisher says. “It means they know who we are, and they believe in us. That’s not something you buy. That’s something you earn.”
For the Gray family, the celebration of 70 years is not just about a business anniversary. It’s about honoring Earl and Sylvia, who started with little more than determination and a belief that service and respect matter. It’s about acknowledging the employees who have carried that vision forward. And it’s about a community that has supported them every step of the way.
“We have been blessed,” Gray reflects. “Blessed to work with great people, blessed to serve this community, and blessed to keep building on what mom and dad started. That’s what makes 70 years so meaningful.”
