Joseph Valente Winner of Apprentice 2015

Joseph Valente winner of apprentice 2015 has been great to watch on this seasons Apprentice. Although Joseph Valente isn’t part of the Red Van Plumbers team, we’ve watched with interest a talented individual from within the plumbing and heating industry. Throughout the process he represented the plumbing and heating industry well and no doubt this positive exposure is another step forward in trying to build a better reputation for the industry. We too work hard to develop and improve the reputation plumbers have, and this is why we supported Joseph Valente.

In the final Joseph had to present his idea of developing a nationwide plumbing and heating company called Prime Time Plumbers, this would involve renewable energy and smart technologies. He was up against Vana Koutsomitis and her dating app business proposal. She nailed a great presentation, however is was felt naive that the app would cost only £250,000 to launch. It was Josephs business proposal that was more solid.

In the beginning we weren’t too sure. Joseph claimed to be the definition of success. He said “I imagine myself as a billionaire. If Richard Brandson can do it, Donald Trumpth can do it and the guy from Facebook can do it, I can do it”, and the rest of the video below made you think maybe he was there for the entertainment value. However, clearly this guy is switched on and hats off to Joseph.

Winning pitch

The Plumbing and Heating industry is a huge industry and one that will be around forever.The winning pitch included renewable energy and the use of investing in smart technologies which the Red Van Plumbers are also passionate about. If you’re not sure what renewable energy or smart technologies are then below is a quick overview.

Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy such as Biomass, Solar, Air Pumps have been around for years and are backed by Government incentives such as the RHI (Renwable Heat Incentive).

Renewable energy is energy from a source that is not depleted when used, such as wind or solar power (a fossil fuel such as oil or gas can not be reused after it is burnt so therefore is not a renewable energy). There are many different options from one off installations for domestic homes and commercial buildings, to huge development projects using multiple renewable energy solutions such as the below list. Renewable Energy is certainly the future.

Biomass Boilers
A-Rated Boilers
Water Conservation Systems
Rainwater Harvesting & Grey Water Systems
Property Insulation
Heating Controls
Solar PV
Solar Thermal

Smart Technologies

Smart technologies are the future as these devices give you 100% control, for example thermostats and controls. Instead of using a timer that’s fitted to the wall, controls such as the Worcester Bosch Wave or Nest offer so much more flexibility. These products allow the users to remotely adjust the temperature of their homes from anywhere in the world. Why is that a good thing? Well, if you go on holiday and forget to turn off the heating, then simply log into your account via mobile phone or PC and turn it off. Alternatively maybe you’re away from home and don’t want to get back to a cold house, again no problem you can remotely set the temperature so that when you return home it’s nice and warm. There are many reasons why the controls are so convenient but ultimately you can use the controls to save you money.

Congratulations to Joseph Valente winner of apprentice 2015. A self confessed naughty boy as a kid, to lord sugars apprentice and a £250,000 investment.