About Hero
Our Story
Hero Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Drains, Ducts & Electrical has been a family tradition for over 109 years. In 1914, Harry C. Ridler started the company in South Minneapolis which led to the company name Uptown. Pete Savage worked for the Ridler family in the 1970s, and in 1982 Pete had the incredible opportunity to purchase it. In 2010, using the money they saved while Josh was in Iraq as a down payment, Sheree and Josh took out an SBA loan and purchased Hero Plumbing, Heating & Cooling from Josh’s father. At that time, Hero had 4 employees and focused on serving Minneapolis. Today, Hero has over 150 amazing men and women working with us and we’ve added Electrical to our expansive service offerings and have expanded our service area to cover the entire Twin Cities Metro, Rochester, Owatonna and surrounding communities.
Josh
Savage
Josh was raised in South Minneapolis until he was 10, when the Savages moved to Eagan. Josh grew up working in the family business and graduated from Eagan High School in 1996. He then went to school for auto mechanics in Duluth, working evenings delivering pizza and spending his summers working for the Forest Service in the Western US.
After getting his 2-year degree, Josh went back to school at St. Cloud State University during the day and worked as a Chrysler mechanic at night. Then, when September 11th happened, Josh enlisted in the Army National Guard as a heavy equipment operator. He was commissioned as an Engineer Officer in 2005. In 2007, he deployed to Iraq for a year, leading a team of 42 talented soldiers building combat outposts all over the Sadr City area of Bagdad. In 2015, Josh was named a Veteran’s Voice awardee of the Minnesota Humanities Center, which recognizes veterans who are “thriving and making extraordinary contributions to their communities.”
Sheree
Savage
Sheree Savage grew up in Little Falls, MN. At the age of 17, Sheree joined the Minnesota National Guard as a carpenter. After graduating, she went to school for graphic design. She met Josh while he was going to school for auto mechanics.
After getting an Associate’s degree in graphic design, Sheree worked at the St. Cloud Times designing newspaper ads. At the same time, she continued her education, seeking a Bachelor’s degree in marketing and public relations. After graduation, Sheree accepted a position as a public affairs officer for the Minnesota National Guard.
In 2011, Sheree worked full time for the St. Paul Public Library system in public relations, while managing Hero’s graphic design work at nights and on weekends. In 2014, she joined Hero full time. Throughout the years, Sheree has remained with the Minnesota National Guard. Today, she is a Lieutenant Colonel leading public affairs. She has served in South Korea, Afghanistan and Kosovo.
