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# How John Dixon Became Riverside's Plumber
- URL: https://www.raincrossgazette.com/how-john-dixon-became-riversides-plumber/
- Published: 2026-09-11T12:00:21.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-11T12:00:21.000Z
- Description: After getting laid off from his union job, Dixon built a business — and a following — on hustle, heart and hometown loyalty
- Author: Erik Chen
- Tags: Community, Small Business

Amid Riverside's broken pipes and clogged drains is John Riley Dixon, [the man behind Riverside's Plumber](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/neighbor-of-the-week-john-riversides-plumber-dixon/). Since being laid off from his union job three years ago, Dixon has built a small plumbing business into a recognizable local brand, growing a following of more than 28,000 on Instagram along the way. But his path to becoming Riverside's Plumber was far from straightforward.

Dixon was first introduced to plumbing early on through an unofficial apprenticeship under a master plumber. After four years of learning the trade's necessary skills, he decided to join a union in search of better wages and worker benefits.

During his time with the union, Dixon picked up several side opportunities to earn extra cash. From changing water heaters to fixing leaks, he began to realize the steady trickle of income these side jobs provided, which later served as encouragement to kickstart Riverside's Plumber.

Eventually, Dixon's contract with the union came to an end. More commonly known as being "laid off," the process is not uncommon in a union: when an individual's job reaches its termination point, they get placed on the "out-of-work" list until they are hired again. For Dixon, however, that would be the last time he worked in a union.

"I always had side work, no matter who I worked for," Dixon said. "I was working on Casa Blanca Elementary School when I got laid off from the union. I had side work literally every day and was making way more money on it, so I realized I should just work for myself."

Now self-employed, Dixon began searching for a name to easily identify his business's brand. Curtis, a longtime plumbing friend who helped Dixon with his work prior to the union, was nicknamed by his customers as "Riverside's Plumber" based on his widespread recognition across the city. Fond of the name, Dixon eventually settled on "Riverside's Plumber" for himself.

Immediately, however, Dixon ran into a problem: he did not have a state-approved license. As his business began gaining attention online, he knew he had to act quickly. Unfortunately, the licensing process did not go as smoothly as he had hoped.

"I had no one who was willing to sign off \[the license\] on me," Dixon said. "A guy who I spent a lot of time working for backpedaled on his decision, and it brought a lot of tension to our friendship. I eventually got legal counsel on the issue, and I was told that California allows for witnesses to sign off on your license—like a coworker who saw you working for said party. And that's what Curtis ended up doing for me. He signed off on me, and the state accepted it."

Currently, Dixon has surpassed 28,000 followers on Instagram and built a strong reputation for his Riverside's Plumber business, which he has now grown into a team of several employees. Looking back, Dixon recognizes the fluidity of his brand to encompass the diversity of his own interests and passions.

"The most rewarding part of building my business is how I was able to seamlessly integrate so many parts of myself and my passions into the company," Dixon said. "History, music, classic cars—everything was the brand, and the brand was anything I wanted it to be."

Beyond the brand, Dixon remains grateful for the stability plumbing has provided him in his life.

"Plumbing has really taken care of me, and I take care of the people who work for me," Dixon said. "I grew up very poor, on food stamps and food banks. It's a different life to have the money to fix problems today. I'm by no means rich—just comfortable and grateful for my life."

Since being laid off from his union three years ago, Dixon has reflected on the most important lesson he's learned thus far: the value of time. He now makes an effort to recognize the time his crew dedicates to the business and show his appreciation for their work.

Most of all, Dixon expressed his sincere gratitude to the Riverside community, a space filled with people who welcomed his ambitions and self-named identity with open arms.

"I love being a plumber in Riverside," Dixon said. "I really don't know if the way my company runs would work in any other city. I was fresh on the scene calling myself 'Riverside's Plumber,' and no one ever said, 'No you're not, I've never heard of you before.' The community in Riverside is what made this all work."

Looking ahead, Dixon plans to continue growing his business. He envisions a company that pays its employees comfortably, alongside the addition of benefits and retirement. Beyond taking care of himself, Dixon hopes to build a company that can provide the same stability to others that plumbing provided for him.