DMR Mechanical LLC

Danny Gilcrease, Mark Ross and Rick Barr founded DMR Mechanical LLC (DMR) in 2004. Since opening its doors, DMR has grown steadily for nearly a decade. The three founders each have a strong background in specialty construction services. Danny was a plumber, I was in HVAC and plumbing, and Mark was in controls and HVAC when we started,” says Rick Barr, co-owner of DMR. “Danny retired in December 2012. We started off with six trucks. Now we have 67 employees and 28 trucks. We offer a wide variety of products and services. Right now our business is about 50/50 between plumbing and HVAC. A majority of our projects are in the commercial sector, followed by industrial projects and then the residential market.”

The team operates out of a single location in Shreveport, La. From the shop, DMR travels to locations in northern Louisiana, eastern Texas and Arkansas. Between Mark, Rick and the rest of the company’s employees, DMR offers decades of combined experience in plumbing and HVAC. The business performs nearly everything in-house, with the exception of sheet metal and concrete work. “We have very good relationships with our suppliers and subs,” Barr explains. “We work with a lot of the same people, especially with our suppliers, and we need products and services we can trust to pass on to our customers.”

Leading Performance

DMR has constructed a trifecta of leading services. The three divisions of the business help the team to stay busy, even during tough economic times. The HVAC side of the business offers service, repair and installation of all major brands of heating and cooling equipment. All of the company’s technicians are EPA certified, offering customers peace of mind as well as energy savings. Customers can take advantage of preventative maintenance programs that keep systems running efficiently and include discounts on parts and labor.

The plumbing division brings in another variety of services for homes, businesses and institutions. DMR handles repair projects of all sizes, from a leaky faucet in a private residence to aging, problematic pipes in large commercial buildings such as offices and warehouses. The team offers repairs and installations for water heaters, drain and sewer cleaning, gas line repair and installation and even lawn sprinkler system service. The business strives to serve customers with leading technology to offer expedient solutions through the service department.

Keeping It Cool

Recently, a large portion of business is coming in for service, not new construction. Regardless, the team has pulled together some major portfolio pieces over the last few years. “Some of our recent major projects include major refrigeration installations for Wal-Mart in Arkansas, eastern Texas and Louisiana,” says Barr. “We have also done similar work for Brookshire’s Grocery Store in Texas. We did two Fryer Master manufacturing plants in Shreveport, a project for Oak Farms Dairy with stainless steel piping and refrigeration.”

Utility, infrastructure and energy projects are on the rise for DMR. “Oil and gas keeps the economy going,” Barr explains. “We worked on the Calumet Refinery and we have been doing a lot of utility company work. Right now it seems that the economy is at a bit of a stalemate, and we were doing really well up until the start of 2012. It’s hard to tell where things are going, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

In 2013 the business will celebrate 10 years in operation. DMR has made solid industry connections, and the team has several repeat clients, including smaller businesses with service needs and larger organizations with new construction projects in the region. “Our biggest indicators of success are repeat business and the number of customers we gain in a year,” Barr elaborates. “Of course money is a factor, and we keep a close eye on the market.” These relationships are vital to the continued success of DMR, and Barr and his team make a point to offer value as well as top performance. The company’s technicians strive to provide a project and service environment that is both friendly and professional.

Although the market seems to be getting stagnant, Barr and his crew will continue to make relationships a priority. Existing, repeat customers have become a staple of stability in the current economic environment. Barr is looking forward to growth, and the company aims for a growth of 10 percent over the next one to two years. To achieve this, DMR Mechanical LLC will continue to do what it does best, building relationships and offering value on efficient and quality work.