Mohr Plumbing & Heating History

Leonard Mohr established Mohr Plumbing and Heating 81 years ago. Using a wheelbarrow for hauling the basic hand tools needed to apply his trade, he would hustle off to the various plumbing tasks throughout the small town of Red Bud. In order to keep up with his growing business, he soon purchased a 1929 Chevy Coupe which he converted into a truck.

Leonard sold, installed and maintained water pumps, water conditioning equipment, plumbing fixtures, hot water heating systems and steam heating systems. Occasionally he would have to re-tube steam-fired threshers for the farmers at threshing time.

Prior to 1941, Leonard worked for a blacksmith shop in Red Bud owned and operated by Mr. Henry Schuette. A sideline at the time for many blacksmiths was bringing plumbing from the outside of the house to the inside. Many back porches were divided in half. One half was left as the house entrance and the other half was partitioned off and became the showcase of the house "The Inside Outhouse" later to be updated with a lavatory and tub. This concept caught on and became known as the "Bath Room."

While working for Henry, Leonard also sold the first automatic oil burners in Red Bud, replacing the coal fired boiler stokers and the old wood burners. The Laco Oil Burner Company of LaCrosse, Wisconsin manufactured these oil burners.

In 1975, Helen, Vic Jr's wife, joined the business and assumed Trudie's bookkeeping responsibilities allowing Trudie more time to run her business, the "North County News," Red Bud's weekly newspaper.

After establishing Mohr Plumbing and Heating, Leonard married in 1941. The new bride, Dora, became the company's bookkeeper and performed all the other functions necessary to keep a business running. In 1946, Leonard's son, Vic, returned from the Navy and brought his acquired knowledge to the business. Leonard retired in 1972 and he and Dora turned the business over to their son and daughter-in-law, Vic and Trudie Mohr. Mohr Plumbing and Heating was changed to Red Bud Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electrical Contractors, Inc. (Red Bud P.H.C. & E., Inc.)

Vic's son Vic Jr. started with the business in 1973. He attended MacMurray College and has BA degrees in Biology and Chemistry. He has attended school for refrigeration, heating, and air conditioning and belongs to the American Chemical Society, and is a licensed plumber in the state of Illinois.

Red Bud P.H.C. & E. Contractors, Inc, became the local dealer for Kinetico Water Conditioning in 1986. After attending Kinetico's Sales and Service Schools, Helen is now in charge of Kinetico sales and service. In 1987 the company added the assumed name of Mohr Softwater for the water conditioning portion of the business.

In 1993, Vic Jr. and Helen purchased the business from Vic Sr. and continue to service and sell quality plumbing, heating, air conditioning and water treatment equipment. Some of the lines of products that are sold are recognized brand names like Carrier heating and cooling equipment, American Standard and Kohler plumbing fixtures, Delta Faucets, Insinkerator garbage disposals, Basco Showers doors, Elkay stainless steel sinks and the full line of Kinetico Water softeners, treatment equipment and reverse osmosis drinking systems.