Charlie Mullins: Becoming an apprentice at 15

Name: 

Charlie Mullins

Age: 

52

Company: 

Pimlico Plumbers

Company turnover: 

£16m

First job: 

Bunking off school to help a local plumber before becoming an apprentice at age 15.

Dream job: 

I’m doing it now – running my own successful business that creates employment and offers excellent service. Once a plumber, always a plumber. Common sense tells me to do what I’m good at!

Car: 

Bentley Azure convertible.

Economy, business or first class: 

Economy or private jet – nobody likes sitting still on a plane for hours, so can’t see why I’d want a slightly bigger place to sit still in, for a lot more money. Easyjet is a great way to get to my villa in Marbella. And if I want to push the boat out, putting the family on a private jet makes more financial sense than going first class – and it’s much better, too.

Most extravagant purchase: 

My villa in Spain, although I’m looking out for a Drophead Rolls Royce, which might take over first place if I can get it past “the accountant”…

Most-played song on your iPod: 

(iPod? That’s one of those gadgets for music, right?) Whatever’s on the wireless!

Best business book: 

‘Walking On Water’ by Brian Clough

Worst business moment: 

Leaving school at 15. I should have quit and gone plumbing at 14!

Proudest business moment: 

Restructuring Pimlico Plumbers after almost going to the wall in the 80s and building things up to the £16m per annum company it is today.

Your business mentor: 

Bill Ellis, the plumber I used to work for when I should have been in school. He was the only guy, in the area I grew up in, with his own car and enough money to go on holiday.

Next big thing: 

Getting hold of more of the market share in London. 

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