One thing I know I’ll never mess with is attempting any plumbing repairs. The thought of flooding my own house horrifies me to my core. Thankfully, there are people like Max and Rachel Rose that can come to the rescue. Together, they run Four Seasons Plumbing, a local business that specializes in all of your plumbing needs. This dynamic duo has found a perfect balance, as Rachel is the owner and Max is the face of the organization. With three children and five pets, they have a packed house to go along with their full workload, and yet they still find time and energy to support pets in need at Asheville Humane Society. Recently, they sat down with me to answer some questions so we could learn a little bit about them.
Daniel: So how long has Four Seasons been operating in the Asheville area?
Max: Since January 1st, 2006.
D: And how much has the business grown since then?
M: It’s grown and shrunk quite a bit, but right now we’re at 29 employees.
D: So what did it start with?
Rachel: It started with two!
M: Just Rachel and me!
D: How much do you enjoy working with your wife Rachel? Answer carefully, she’s listening.
M: I enjoy it. Work is our life, really. We can’t get away from it. We’ve tried to separate it, have these rules where you couldn’t talk about it, right?
R: I do know that multiple times in this business journey, one of us has felt like quitting, then the other feels the same. There were times we’ve had to email each other to make sure the communication was there. What I do know for a fact is that Max and I are so different in how we approach both life and the business that when we find that third option, that’s when things are beautiful for the business.
M: I agree. We used to try not to talk about work at home, which is almost impossible, and we learned to just integrate it. So honestly, I love working with Rachel.
D: What pets do you have at home and what are their names?
M: So we’ve got Roxie, our German Shepherd, we’ve got Charlie our kitten…
R: Charlie is a twelve-year-old cat…(laughter)
M: PG, Pescado Gato, is our little upside-down Catfish, then we have Kirby, our daughter’s hedgehog, and then Dash…
R: Dash is a bearded dragon.
D: You’ve got quite the domestic zoo!
D: Tell me a funny, crazy, or memorable story from a house call if you have one.
M: We had this one customer…I loved her, I thought she was awesome…and she needed some work done on her house, and she had a pet squirrel and a pet rabbit. I had to do a bunch of work and there was an electrician there, and I just remember she was laying in her bed, I was collecting payment from her and the squirrel is running around the room, the electrician is standing on the bed she’s laying on while he’s fixing the ceiling fan and she just laid there like this was all normal. I’ll never forget that!
D: What is your favorite thing to do or place to go in Asheville?
M: Personally, I like to fly-fish…I like going into Pisgah or Mills River and go fishing. That’s one of my favorite things to do. I also like the Arboretum a lot, taking the kids there is a lot of fun, going to Bent Creek to mountain bike…I also like to go downtown, and now [Whistle Hop]…this is my new favorite place!
D: Why would you recommend Asheville Humane Society to others?
M: For me, I am just blown away how comfortable the pets are there. I kid around a lot but the animals are treated so well there with the doggie and cat condos you all have and how much effort is put into the comfort of the animals. I’ve also seen the organization grow over the years and that it has remained about saving the animals, and that’s why I will always recommend you guys.
It was refreshing to find out how down-to-earth and kind Max and Rachel are, especially considering how hectic their daily lives can be. We are happy to support those businesses that support us, so please consider Four Seasons for the next time you have a plumbing project. They can handle any job, big or small, and they’d love to help you however they can!
By Daniel Gruhn – Corporate Partnerships Manager at Asheville Humane Society
