Raytown—Fortunately for Bill Graham, the flames of the November fire that ripped through 7609 Raytown Road didn’t make their way to the 6,500 square feet of space he leases on the west side of the building. A little smoke damage is all Graham Plumbing Supply sustained.
But it took several months to get his electricity back on after the blaze, and the whole ordeal has Graham, 71, thinking a little harder about retirement lately.
“I’m looking for a successor,” Graham said the other day, leaning back in a low chair behind the shop’s long wood counter.
Graham is Kansas City’s go-to guy for antique toilets, pedestal sinks and the thousands of obscure (in some cases obsolete) repair parts that help send water into and out of those fixtures. He’s who plumbers might call when they need a particular brass valve for a 100-year-old sink. He’s who homeowners might call when they’re remodeling a bathroom and would like a toilet with a bit of vintage character.
