US Dollars
Spartan Industry Heroes:
ACE Mechanical
In the traditionally male-dominated plumbing industry, Elsie Matamorros stands as a testament to perseverance, dedication, and the ability to defy expectations. As the owner of Ace Mechanical, based in New Jersey, Elsie has transformed a small family business into a thriving company that continues to grow and evolve. Her journey has been anything but easy, but through integrity, teamwork, and an unwavering commitment to customer service, she has built a reputation that speaks for itself.
Ace Mechanical has come a long way from its early days. “When my husband was here, we were only doing sewer and drain cleaning,” Elsie shares. “Now we’re doing water heaters, excavations, and a lot more plumbing services. We had 2 vans and now we have 11.” The company’s expansion hasn’t happened by chance—it’s the result of a strategic focus on improvement and customer satisfaction. In fact, their commitment to excellence has not gone unnoticed. ACE Mechanical has received multiple awards for outstanding customer service, both within New Jersey and on a national level.
"I always say the best way to improve is by providing the best service, that is the only way.”
As a woman running a plumbing company, Elsie has faced her share of challenges. “After my husband, Kevin Denion, passed away and I decided to take over, we lost a lot of customers,” she recalls. “When I introduced myself, about 60 to 70 percent of people told me not to call them again just because I was a female.”
Instead of giving up, Elsie asked for a chance to prove herself. “I told them, ‘Give me an opportunity. Let me show you what I can do. If I don’t do a good job, you can fire me.’ And even now, ten years later, I still get questioned about being a female business owner. When I sit in meetings with other plumbers, they ask me, ‘Where’s your husband?’ I tell them, ‘No, I’m the owner.’” Despite the challenges, Elsie has embraced her role and found inspiration in the impact she’s making. “I feel very proud of where we are today, where we’re taking the company, and where we’re going.”
Elsie is passionate about addressing the shortage of skilled tradespeople, including plumbers, electricians, and HVAC professionals. When her husband passed, she was teaching, and she made the choice to leave that profession to continue the Ace Mechanical legacy. “I remember telling my students to go into plumbing, and nobody wanted to because they thought it was a dirty job. But it’s one of the best trades.” She urges young people to do their research and consider the financial benefits of learning a trade. “If you look it up, plumbers and electricians are among the top earners. It’s a very rewarding career. During the pandemic, we were essential. Everybody was home, and we were out in our trucks, helping people. This type of trade isn’t going anywhere—there will always be a toilet backing up, always a sink that nobody can open.”
One of Elsie’s core values is maintaining a professional and polished image for Ace Mechanical. “I designed our uniforms, and I want everything to look clean and professional—our office, our vans, our storage. I don’t want people to assume that just because we do sewer and drain cleaning, everything is dirty.” This attention to detail extends to her team’s work on-site. “I always make sure my plumbers leave a job cleaner than it was before they arrived. It’s a reflection of our company.” Elsie’s dedication to excellence, customer service, and breaking barriers in the trades has made Ace Mechanical a standout in the industry.
One key aspect of ACE Mechanical’s success is its loyalty to quality tools. Elsie remains steadfast in her use of Spartan Tool equipment, a brand she and her late husband trusted from the very beginning. Every service van is stocked with the Spartan Tool Model 100 and Model 300 at a minimum, ensuring reliability and top-tier performance for every job. “I feel like I’m very faithful to Spartan Tool,” Elsie says. “My husband started with Spartan, and that’s the only sewer and drain cleaning equipment we use. If you visit us in New Jersey and open all our vans, you’ll find the Spartan Tool machines. We don’t use anything else because it’s the best, the most reliable, and I will not change it.”
ACE Mechanical’s story is one of resilience and triumph. Elsie Matamoros has not only preserved her husband’s legacy but has elevated the company to new heights. Through integrity, respect, and an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction, she has carved out a space for herself in an industry that once doubted her. Her journey serves as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women looking to break into male-dominated fields. As ACE Mechanical continues to grow, there is no doubt that Elsie’s impact on the plumbing industry will be felt for years to come.
"We’re always looking to grow, always looking to gain more customers, more jobs, more contracts. Ace Mechanical is not going to stop -- we're going to keep going.”
