Meet Our Diamond Certified Expert Contributor

Fred Ramos: A Family Connection

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SAN LORENZO — When asked how he got involved in the plumbing industry, Fred Ramos attributes it to a family connection. “Before becoming a plumber, I was a technician at a home automation company,” he remembers. “My family had been in the plumbing industry for a long time, and eventually they asked me to come over, learn the trade, and help run the family business. Today, I work alongside my wife and my brother, so it’s really a family affair. Even my niece, Jessica, works here as our secretary.”

As owner of Star Rooter and Plumbing, Inc., Fred says that after 20 years in plumbing, his favorite part of his job is being out in the field. “Even though I’m the company owner, I still do service calls. The fact is, I’ve never really liked being in the office—I’d much rather be out interacting with customers and doing hands-on work.”

Originally from Mexico, Fred resides today in Hayward with his wife and three children. Outside of work, he and his family spend the bulk of their free time tending to their ranch. “My family owns a ranch up in the hills, so I like going up there with the kids and riding horses,” he says. “We do some competing on the weekends, so between that and keeping things maintained, it takes up a good amount of time.” Besides horses, Fred’s other passion is baseball. “My kids play baseball and softball, so I enjoy practicing with them, as well as playing with friends every now and then.”

In regard to his professional career, Fred espouses the importance of addressing a multitude of aspects. “When you run a business, you have to be on top of everything,” he explains. “You have to serve the customers, oversee your crew and make sure you have all the right equipment…and that’s just the beginning! I think a big part of my company’s success is having good, hardworking guys who take pride in their work and care about the customers. Plus, when you’ve been doing this as long as we have, it gets to be a routine, so things tend to go pretty smoothly.”

When asked the first thing he’d do if he were to retire tomorrow, Fred says he’d pay a visit to his hometown. “I generally don’t do much traveling, but I do go to Mexico every so often to visit my hometown, Zacatecas. I still have relatives there, including my 94-year-old grandfather, so I enjoy going down and spending time with family and friends.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: What’s your favorite sports team?
A: The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, mainly because I lived in Southern California for the first year I was in the United States.

Q: What’s your favorite holiday?
A: Christmas.

Q: Are you an early bird or a night owl?
A: An early bird.

Q: If you could live in the city or the country, which would you choose?
A: The city—everything is around you, so you don’t have to go far to find it.