Need a plumber? Or someone to fix your heat or air conditioning? Check. But what about electrical work or, maybe even (for companies), fabricating sheet metal? Check. A more than century-old Erie company has grown to do all that, and more.

Sparks fly from a welding job, hands-on work done right inside the William (WM) T. Spaeder Company in Erie.

Its footprint in the city spans more than 100 years, thanks to the namesake, William, who started the company in 1914 from his home.

"When he started the business, he started working on plumbing, a little bit of industrial work, fire protection work," said Elliot Spaeder, COO. 

There was a brief hiatus when William left to serve in World War I. He later returned, as printed in the local newspaper, ready to resume his work.

William's family told Erie News Now the company really grew when William and his wife, Julie, had 11 children, nine of whom went into the business.

Elliot Spaeder is William's great-grandson. He worked on sites and in the warehouse in high school and is now the Chief Operating Officer, overseeing projects from commercial to industrial.

The construction of a new Edison School in the City of Erie School District is just one of several school projects the Spaeder Company is working on, and overall, it's about one of 90 that the company has going on at this point.

Elliot showed Erie News Now one that entails bathroom plumbing for the school and fire protection.

"We started underground last May, and we've been working on coordination with our VDC department," said Elliot. 

That's the Virtual Design Construction department. Design and assembly is done at the company, but it's not for just big jobs.

"We'll do somebody's house, and the next day, we can be working on a big industrial project," said Elliot. 

The layout of jobs is structured with more than 200 employees across offices in Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and the Erie headquarters. Those headed to the jobs are skilled workers.

"All of our techs come through the apprenticeship program with the trades they are associated with," said Jayson Spaeder, VP of Service. "That is provided by the union itself. We continuously do continuous training."

Jayson Spaeder is the Vice President of Service, who also came up through the apprenticeship program.

"As a fourth-generation family member, it's everything to me. I want to continue it on for years and years to come," said Jayson. 

Whether it be a wastewater or piping job, emergency or scheduled, a working legacy is what drives this company. The current headquarters on East 18th Street is the third location for the Spaeder Company, and what family hopes can be a spot for even a "fifth" generation to work out of.