Founded by Bill Martin in 1973 and now led by his grandson, Aaron Baldwin, Anchor Plumbing continues a family legacy built on hard work, honest service and relationships that span generations
DALLAS, TX / ACCESS Newswire / September 24, 2026 / In 1973, Bill Martin started Anchor Plumbing with a simple idea: work hard, take care of people and build something he could be proud to pass down to his family.
More than five decades later, that simple idea has grown into something much bigger.
Anchor Plumbing is now a third-generation, family-owned business led by Martin’s grandson, Aaron Baldwin. What began with one man and a plumbing business in Dallas has grown into a legacy that has touched generations of homeowners, employees and families across North Texas.
As Martin nears the end of his life, his family is taking time to reflect on the company he built-and the values that have carried it through more than 50 years of change.
“My grandfather wasn’t thinking about building a legacy when he started Anchor,” Baldwin said. “He was thinking about working hard, taking care of his family and doing right by the people who trusted him. The legacy came from all those years of doing just that.”
A Family Business That Grew Alongside North Texas
When Bill Martin opened Anchor Plumbing in 1973, Dallas was a very different place.
Over the next five decades, North Texas grew from a collection of communities into one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country. New neighborhoods were built, families moved in, homes became more complex and plumbing technology continued to evolve.
Anchor Plumbing grew right alongside them.
Today, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area is home to approximately 8.5 million people, according to 2025 U.S. Census Bureau estimates. The region grew another 11% between 2020 and 2025 alone, bringing hundreds of thousands of new residents and homeowners to North Texas.
Through all that change, one thing at Anchor has remained the same: the importance of treating people right.
“A lot has changed since my grandfather started the company,” Baldwin said. “The tools are different, the houses are different and Dallas is definitely different. But people still want to know they can trust the person standing at their front door. They want someone who’s going to be honest with them and take care of their home. That’s never really changed.”
More Than Customers-Relationships
For Anchor Plumbing, 50-plus years isn’t simply a milestone on a calendar. It’s measured in relationships.
It’s the families who have called Anchor for generations. It’s the employees and technicians who have built careers with the company. And it’s the homeowners who have trusted Anchor to walk through their doors, sometimes during stressful moments when something in their home isn’t working the way it should.
Some customers who first called Anchor decades ago now have children and grandchildren who are homeowners themselves.
“That’s probably one of my favorite things about being part of this business,” Baldwin said. “We’ve gotten to be there for people through different parts of their lives. Maybe we helped them with their first house, and then years later we’re helping them with another one. Then their kids grow up and call us. When you see that happen, you realize it’s about a lot more than plumbing.”
That sense of connection is at the heart of what makes a family business different.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, 27.3% of U.S. firms were family-owned businesses in 2021, collectively employing approximately 42.3 million workers. Family-owned businesses also tend to have greater longevity, with 57.9% operating for more than 10 years compared with 50.2% of non-family businesses.
For Anchor Plumbing, however, longevity isn’t just about staying in business.
It’s about staying connected to the people the business was built to serve.
Carrying Forward What Bill Started
Becoming the third-generation owner of Anchor Plumbing has given Baldwin a unique perspective on the responsibility that comes with the family business.
He isn’t just leading a company. He’s carrying his grandfather’s name, his family’s history and the trust that has been built over more than 50 years.
“You definitely feel the weight of it sometimes,” Baldwin said. “This is something my grandfather worked really hard to build, and I know how much it means to our family. I want to grow the company and make it better, but I also want to make sure we’re still the same Anchor at heart.”
That means continuing to invest in the people who represent the company every day, embracing new technology and finding better ways to serve homeowners while holding onto the principles that started the business.
Today, Anchor Plumbing provides residential plumbing repair and maintenance, drain cleaning, water heater services, leak detection, sewer line repair and emergency plumbing services throughout North Texas.
The work may look different than it did in 1973, but the responsibility remains the same.
“When someone calls a plumber, they’re trusting you with their home,” Baldwin said. “That’s a big deal. My grandfather understood that from the beginning. We don’t ever want to forget that.”
A Legacy Worth Carrying Forward
For Baldwin and his family, celebrating Anchor Plumbing’s history is ultimately about celebrating the man who started it.
Bill Martin created a business that provided for his family, created opportunities for others and became part of the lives of countless North Texas homeowners.
And now, his grandson has the opportunity to carry that work forward.
“When I think about what my grandfather left us, I don’t just think about the company,” Baldwin said. “I think about the opportunity he gave our family. He built something that gave us a place to work, a place to grow and something we could be proud of. That’s an incredible thing to pass down.”
As Anchor Plumbing looks toward the future, the goal isn’t simply to celebrate where the company has been.
It’s to make sure the next generation has something worth celebrating, too.
“We want to be here for the families who call us today, and we’d love to still be here when their kids become homeowners,” Baldwin said. “That’s what I hope for. My grandfather thought about this business in terms of generations, and I want to do the same thing.”
More than 50 years after Bill Martin opened the doors to Anchor Plumbing, his company remains a family business-and the story is still being written.
Three generations later, the Anchor legacy continues.
About Anchor Plumbing
Founded in 1973 by Bill Martin, Anchor Plumbing is a third-generation, family-owned plumbing company serving Dallas and the surrounding North Texas communities.
Independently owned and operated since its founding, Anchor Plumbing provides residential plumbing repair, maintenance, drain cleaning, water heater services, leak detection, sewer line repair and emergency plumbing services.
Built on a reputation for honest service, quality workmanship and long-term customer relationships, Anchor Plumbing continues to serve generations of North Texas families while remaining committed to the values established by its founder more than five decades ago.
Media Contact:
Dana Cobb
The Barber Shop Marketing
dana@thebarbershopmarketing.com
972.955.9747
SOURCE: Anchor Plumbing
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