Month of Moms: Q&A with Andrea Kalmbach

Mother’s Day is coming up! So I wanted to feature some awesome moms in our Instagram community. So here’s our first!

Andrea Kalmbach (@venne_plumbing) has been a Journeyman Plumber for Venne Plumbing, a woman-owned plumbing company based out of Sherwood, OR, for over four years.

“I highly respect the company,” Kalmbach said. “They are more like family to me.”

1. Tell us a bit about what you do with tools, and how you got started.

I am a Journeyman Plumber.  I started right out of high school in 2004. I loved Plumbing from the day I set foot on my first jobsite.

Once I learned how to use tools, on my days off,  I started trying other types of projects. The confidence plumbing has given me makes me feel like I can accomplish anything.

2. What’s your favorite piece/project you created, and what’s the story behind it?

My favorite part of plumbing is residential repair.  I fit into small places and can fix thing that others can’t reach.

I love meeting new people. I have so many stories with new customers.

Recently, my company has been playing around with videos for fun on YouTube.

Check out one of the videos on Venne Plumbing’s YouTube page. You can see more of the company’s videos here.

3. What tools could you not live without, and why?

I enjoy using tools like my impact, the Sawzall, chop saw, grinder and drill.

The right tools make the job go so much quicker and easier.

They also make things go much smoother.

4. Are your kid(s) and family involved at all in what you do, and if so, why and how?

Anything and everything that I can include my daughter in, I do.

She helps me do repairs for Nonna, including faucets, drain repairs.

One day [Grandma] Nonna’s  toilet handle broke, so I taught my six-year-old daughter how to change it. She felt so proud of herself.

I have had my daughter want to help me clean my van so I used it as a fun way to learn about plumbing parts and what they are used for.

5. What can we expect to see from you in the future, or what have you been dreaming of doing, project-wise?

Who knows what my future brings.

All I know is plumbing has opened so many new doors for me.

I found I have many talents I would have never found if I hadn’t stumbled into plumbing.

You can follow Andrea and the rest of the Venne Plumbing crew on Instagram here. And be sure to check out their videos on YouTube.