Jordan Richards, 26

Jordan Richards comes across as a man of few words, but his attitude toward his work and career goals speaks volumes. He co-owns, along with his father and mentor, Rick Richards, Fehl Safe Water Systems, which they acquired in 2020. The company, founded in 1994, provides water treatment services for homes and businesses in Bradenton, North Port, Sarasota and Tampa. 

The world of water softeners, chlorination systems, aeration, reverse osmosis, etc., was new to both Richards and his father — they were in the land-clearing business. But that didn’t stop him from taking the plunge, so to speak. 

Photo by Mark Wemple

“When you come up with an idea,” he says, “take action on it. Don’t wait. Taking a lot of time to prepare for something is often a waste of time. A lot of people, when they have an idea, they’ll spend two, three weeks preparing, but by that time I’ve already done it three times.” 

For Richards, action is everything. He’s a firm believer in moving fast, even if it means making mistakes along the way. So far in his young entrepreneurial career, that seems to have been the correct approach. Not only did he quadruple Fehl Safe Water Systems’ sales in just five years, but he acquired Sarasota-based Quality Plumbing, a full-service commercial and residential plumbing company, in addition to launching Drain Clean Heroes, a plumbing company, and Nu Flow, which repairs sewers, drains and water pipes. He now manages a team of 23 employees across all three companies. And to set himself up for even more success in the industry, Richards obtained a certified plumbing license earlier this year.

Despite his rapid success, Richards says he always keeps in mind a few words of wisdom imparted by his father: “Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, you really don’t. Also, you have to make sure everybody else on your team has the same vision as you. It all comes down to having the right people in place. Without the right people, there would be chaos.”