Charlie Mullins
Sidney Charles Mullins OBE (born 28 October 1952) is a British businessman. He is the founder of Pimlico Plumbers, London's largest independent plumbing company, which he sold in 2021.[1][2]
Charlie Mullins OBE | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sidney Charles Mullins 28 October 1952 St Pancras, London, England |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Founder and CEO, Pimlico Plumbers |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 4 |
Early life
Mullins is the son of a factory worker father and his mother who worked as a cleaner.[1] When he was born, they "lived in a couple of rooms in Camden", before moving to the Rockingham Estate in London's Elephant and Castle, where he grew up, and left school at 15 with no qualifications.[1][3][4]
Career
Mullins was apprenticed to a local plumber at age 15.[1] In 1979, he founded Pimlico Plumbers operating from a basement in Pimlico.[5]
He is known for his collection of plumbing-themed number plates, used on the company's vehicles, and worth around £1.5 million.[3]
In September 2021, Mullins sold a 90% shareholding of Pimlico Plumbers to US home services group Neighborly in a deal worth between £125 million and £145 million.[6] At the point of sale, the business had revenues of $70 million and employed over 400 people.[6] Mullins' son, Scott Mullins, remains Chief Executive with a 10% stake.[6]
Politics
Pimlico Plumbers donated £22,735 to the Conservative Party in 2015, and Mullins donated more than £48,000, in the two years to July 2017.[1] He was a business adviser to David Cameron and George Osborne, and has been a vocal critic of Brexit.[7]
In January 2018, Mullins announced that he would no longer be a Conservative Party donor, and declared his candidacy as an independent at the 2021 London mayoral election (which had been scheduled for 2020, before being postponed) but Mullins did not appear on the ballot paper.[1] In March 2018, Mullins said he would financially support the Liberal Democrats to support their campaign to prevent Brexit.[8]
Personal life
He divorced his first wife, Lynda, to whom he had been married for 41 years. She is the mother of their four children, two of whom work for the company. He then married Julie Anne Morris, who also worked for Pimlico Plumbers. The couple later divorced.[9][3]
Mullins was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours, for services to the plumbing industry.[10]
Works
- Bog-Standard Business: How I Took the Plunge and Became the Millionaire Plumber, 2015,288pp, ISBN 978-1784183356, John Blake Publishing Ltd.
References
- ""We need a stronger leader": Charlie Mullins, the millionaire plumber, pulls Tory funding". www.newstatesman.com. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- "Pimlico Plumbers sold to US firm Neighborly". BBC News. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- "A-list clients and Dubai escapes – the norm for Pimlico Plumbers boss". realbusiness.co.uk. 25 January 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- "How I Made It: Charlie Mullins, founder of Pimlico Plumbers". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- Prevett, Hannah. "I knew I was on a winning horse all those years ago, and it's still winning". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- Thomas, Daniel (20 September 2021). "Mullins sells Pimlico Plumbers to US company Neighborly". Financial Times. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- O'Carroll, Lisa (5 October 2018). "Millionaire refuses to take down 'Bollocks to Brexit' poster". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- Santolo, Alessandra Scotto di (2 March 2018). "'We need to back out!' Charlie Mullins vows to donate millions to Lib Dems to STOP Brexit". Daily Express. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- Brown, David (20 February 2016). "Self made supporter of the apprentice". Retrieved 26 January 2018 – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
- "New Year's Honours lists 2015" (PDF). Government of the United Kingdom: Cabinet Office and Foreign Office. 30 December 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2021.