Director of operations, Korey Silverman, is one of the fourth-generation employees at General Pipe Cleaners. Korey has been at General Pipe Cleaners for three years but began working in the factory back in 2015. General Pipe Cleaners spoke with Korey to learn more about working at his family-run business and what being a fourth-generation employee means to him.
As a fourth-generation employee at General Pipe Cleaners, what does it mean to you to be part of a family legacy?
It means that I have a lot of work to do if I want to honor the legacy that the first generation started, the second generation grew, and the third generation will bring to the century mark. My job is not done until the fifth generation is here leading the way!
What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned from the previous generations that you apply in your role?
My dad often says, “If you’re going to do something, be good at it.” The fulfillment in this job comes from the hard work and energy invested. You get what you give, and half-measures won’t help anyone. They’ve taught us to leave the world a better place than you found it and if you smile at the world, the world is more likely to smile back.
The compassion, patience and wisdom of the third generation as a collective have deeply influenced me. More than four successful decades of working together and growing the business serve as proof that giving people the benefit of the doubt leads to greater success.
What skills from previous work experience do you bring to the company?
During my time working in Texas, I had the privilege of being mentored by powerhouses in the commercial real estate industry. My mentors instilled in me a relentless hunger for growth and excellence. Their competitive drive to constantly outdo themselves, combined with an obsession for knowledge and complete immersion in their work, left a lasting impression on me. I learned that “living and breathing” your work—where knowledge breeds more knowledge and success breeds more success—was key to thriving in any industry. They also demonstrated the importance of sharing expertise with others and the need to constantly adapt. I brought values and skills—continuous learning, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to excellence—back with me to General.
How has the family dynamic influenced the culture and operations at General Pipe Cleaners across the generations?
We are a family business across all areas of the company. We have people in the factory and office who are also fourth-generation General employees. My great-grandpa Abe started this company in 1930, the worst year of the Great Depression, to help his family members find work during a difficult time. We have a business that will never forget the importance of the people upholding it.
How has working in a family-owned business shaped your personal and professional growth?
I have developed more patience out of work as well as an understanding that personal sacrifice will help the greater good. Accountability, dependability and stability are the understated yet essential character qualities I’ll work to strengthen throughout my life and career at General.
What do you find most rewarding about being part of General Pipe Cleaners, and what motivates you to continue the family tradition?
I’m proud to play a small part in creating a product that helps tradespeople provide for their families while quietly protecting the infrastructure of our country. Knowing that these products have been developed by my dad, his dad and his dad (along with my uncles and cousins) adds even more motivation to continue the tradition of General and to work toward getting our orange drain cleaning machines in every plumber’s hands!
What are your hopes for the future of General Pipe Cleaners?
I hope and am confident that General will continue to be a steady and reliable presence in the drain-cleaning industry for the next 95 years.
What drew you into the industry?
Family! I grew up coming into General with my dad from the time I was a baby, and many of the best parts of my life can be directly attributed to this company.
What has been the proudest moment in your career so far?
For a number of reasons, I always bring up the gentleman who supervised day-to-day production prior to me. He began working for the Company in 1965, then left to serve in the Vietnam War, and then returned to General where he worked until his retirement in 2022. We knew with his retirement that the intimate product knowledge and expertise he’d built up over the previous 5+ decades would be out of the building. Despite this significant loss, we were able to continue production as usual and increase our capacity after “recalibrating” our approach to production scheduling.
What is one thing most people don’t know about you?
I play the guitar!
What’s a hobby or interest you have?
I have a racing simulator where I spend hours and hours inside the “cockpit.” I have a small obsession with Formula 1, so I moonlight as a fake race car driver.
Do you have a funny or memorable story about working with family members that you can share?
Many! One that comes to mind right now is from my first summer at General in 2015. There were 10 fourth-generation Silverman cousins working in the factory. The older you were, the better your job was likely to be. I was at the bottom of the food chain, so I had been plugging thousands of boring gimlets (a type of General cutter) with a hand crank for weeks, and I was finally moved to maintenance to wheelbarrow gravel into potholes. A couple of my older cousins wanted the outdoors time I was getting in maintenance, so they bumped me back to plugging boring gimlets. Ironically, the same day they bumped me was the day a truckload of asphalt arrived. Unfortunately for them, there wasn’t any proper tooling, and all they had to lay the asphalt were a couple of cinder blocks with rebar “handles.” Needless to say, I was back in maintenance the next day.
What’s your favorite way to unwind after a busy day at work?
Dinner at my mom and dad’s with my brothers and my dog.
For more information about General’s tools and equipment, visit drainbrain.com, or contact the Drain Brains® at General at 800-245-6200.
