Barretta
by the decade
Est. 1896
1890-1899
In 1896 H.J. Himes & J..C. Barretta purchased Lewis W. Gould Plumbing & Hardware store. Himes & Barretta operated a Plumbing, Heating, Steam Fitting and Roofing business where they sold from the store location at 521 Landis Ave, Vineland, NJ. A plumbing contracting business was run out of the rear of the building fronting on Elmer St.
1900-1909
In this decade Himes & Barretta replaced the horse driven flat bed trucks with several Ford model T pick up trucks. Tin roofs were a large part of the business. Water wells and pumps, furnaces and boilers were also very popular.
1910-1919
In 1918 J.C. Barretta purchased H.J. Himes out of the business and the hardware store was sold to the Franks Brothers. Barretta Plumbing relocated to the south corner of 7th. & Landis Ave. This was a very prosperous decade for the business.
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1920-1929
In 1920 Valroy S. Barretta, oldest son of J.C. Barretta joined the company after graduatingfrom the University of Michaigan with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He later relocated back to Michigan where he eventually became superintendent of the Detroit -Edison Power Plant.
1930-1939
In 1930 J. Milton Barretta, youngest son of J.C. Barretta's 3 sons joined the business after graduating Pierce Business College. This time period saw the advent of the oil burner and Barretta Plumbing converted many coal fired heating systems to oil burners. The depression brought hard times, but the business survived.
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1940-1949
During this decade the business downsized from 20 employees to 8. Upon J. C. Barretta's death in 1948, J. Milton Barretta took over the business and further downsized to 6 employees. The business relocated in 1945 from 7th. & Landis Ave. to a garage in the rear of J.C. Barretta's home on Valley Ave.
1950-1959
The business remained fairly stable during this time period. About 65% of the business was plumbing, heating, and, oil burner service, while new construction filled the remaining 35%. Roofing was discontinued during this decade.
1960-1969
In 1962 Milt Barretta's son Jack took over the business. Air conditioning was becoming more popular and it was introduced into the business. Jack changed the trade name to Barretta Plumbing Heating and Cooling during this decade. The business relocated in 1962 to 318 Elmer St.
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1970-1979
Throughout this decade the business remained stable. In 1974 the business relocated to 519 S East Avenue, the former LJ Zucca Confectionary Office & Warehouse.
1980-1989
Throughout this decade a large amount of work was done in the South Jersey coastal shore towns. In 1984 Jack entered a joint venture with another company, which was discontinued in 1986. In 1987 Barretta Plumbing relocated to 609 Bellair Street, Vineland. Residential plumbing, heating and cooling became a focus.
1990-1999
During the 1990's Jack's son John Barretta became the 4th generation member of the family to join the business. Lowenstern Plumbing was purchased during this decade. Tony Reale, then a 38 year employee of Lowenstern, was hired in the 1991 transition. He remained an employee of Barretta Plumbing til his retirement in 2016. Employment rose from 6 to 15.
2000-2009
In 2004 John Barretta purchased the business. The volume increased to its highest level and employment rose to 30. Commercial work increased and the business relocated to its current address, 1784 Pine Ave, Vineland, NJ. In 2007 Barretta Plumbing merged with John Scagnelli Heating & Cooling, Inc. Mr Scagnelli is a highly skilled Heating, Cooling and Ventilation designer and technician. He has become the HVAC supervisor with Barretta Plumbing Heating and Cooling.
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2010-Present
After the Great Recession in 2008 the company began to focus less on commercial construction and more on residential and commercial service & installations. That business model remains in place today. In 2021 and 2022 John Barretta's son's, Jack and Nick Barretta, began working full-time for the company, representing the 5th generation of family members employed there.
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We value all of our old and new customers and thank them for their support and trust. We could not have had such continued success in this community without them.