When plumbing work needs to be done, it is important that it gets done right the first time. Westlake Plumbing, which has roots going back to 1972, promises to do just that while also providing the client with the best experience possible. CEO and President Allen Westlake described the company’s approach as “experience-forward.”
“The basis for how we approach all our processes begins with answering the question, ‘What kind of experience do we want our customers to have after encountering our team?’” he said.
Westlake, who grew up working summers in the trade, found his way into the field again after college. He enjoys the diversity and challenge of the plumbing trade, he said, and a wealth of firsthand knowledge has taught him how to turn one-time customers into repeat clients — positive interactions with members of the Westlake team are paramount.
“We do not just want the job or service call,” Westlake said. “We want the client to think of us first next time they have any need for plumbing.”
Westlake officially incorporated the business in 1995 and has been running Westlake Plumbing ever since.
“We grew fast in the early years,” he said. “We primarily did small homes and light service work. By 2000, we had around 15 personnel and were adding light commercial and custom homes to our project base.”
As the business grew on the construction side, Westlake felt the need to create a different company that would focus on the service side. That business operates under the Ben Franklin Plumbing franchise.
“Our goal was to hire plumbers that would help us create the experience that would deliver excellent customer service and also provide the best technical solutions for the needs of our existing and future clients,” he said.
Between the two companies, Westlake currently employs 37 people, and as the team continues to grow, he said he hopes employees will continue to provide the ideal balance of expert solutions and excellent service. After all, a great experience on a project has lasting positive effects not only for clients but for team members themselves, who will strive to improve that much more with every job.
“I enjoy when our team delivers the final product and our customer or contractor expresses that we met or exceeded their expectations,” Westlake said. “If our team can have intentionality through any of the variety of challenges we have to overcome, with any new project or service opportunity, I believe that instills a desire to dig a little deeper the next time.”
As a known entity and trusted name in the industry, Westlake makes an ideal fit for the Little Rock Executives’ Association, which he joined last year. Membership in the association has given his teams a new level of exposure, he said, and he relishes the chance to network with other leading businesspeople from across central Arkansas.
“I welcome the opportunity to visit and learn from some established leaders in our community,” Westlake said. “Without fail, every encounter has been a positive step to a greater connection, and the mutual success through collaboration of the members is a plus I didn’t realize when I first joined.”
2300 South Pine Street, Cabot
501-843-6763
Year founded: 1995
Years in business: 31
Number of employees: 37
Joined LREA: 2025
With an experience-forward approach, Westlake Plumbing keeps clients coming back for all their plumbing installation needs.
