PHCCCONNECT2022 Held in Charlotte

While educational sessions and events—including the first day of the Apprentice Contest—took place throughout the day on Wednesday, Oct. 5th, the official kickoff for PHCCCONNECT2022 waited until exhibitors had finished their booth set-up in the main hall. Then, attendees were welcomed to the Opening Reception, sponsored by InSinkErator and Bradford White. Both exhibitors and attendees could wander from booth to booth enjoying drinks and light bites while getting a preview of the Expo.

The next morning, Oct. 6th was the Opening Breakfast, sponsored by Bradford White, followed by the keynote speech.

During the breakfast, PHCC—National President Joel Long, a North Carolina native, said, “This is our time to build on real relationships and forge new partnerships with our plumbing, heating, and cooling family.”

Jeff Voss, President of the North Carolina chapter of the PHCC also offered his welcome on behalf of the host state. "We hope you find Charlotte a a friendly, inviting city," Voss said, "respecting the past while embracing the future."

Bruce Carnevale, CEO of Bradford White Corp., delivered a State of the Industry Report. Carnevale spoke to the post-pandemic business climate, noting that during the shutdown water heaters were "hot ticket" items and sales were high. Now, he said, the market is in the process of balancing itself out, a period of contraction when business volume will fall.

While many changes were impacting the industry, perhaps of primary concern was what Carnevale called the "hyper-regulatory" environment, which affected or would soon come to affect products across the spectrum. These included heat pump water heater standards, commercial condensing standards, and electrification/decarbonization legislation, both at the federal and state level.

He pointed specifically to the natural gas ban recently passed in California, which now covers both new construction as well as repair and replacement. "We're not against regulation," Carnevale said, "but it has to be sensible."

Carnevale noted that if the electric power used by heat pumps was generated by plants using fossil fuels, it would never lead to the greenhouse gas reductions that were the main impetus for the legislation in the first place. The renewable or "green" electric capacity was simply not there yet, he said, and most of the raw materials needed for solar electric production were controlled by China.

He did note that the recent Inflation Reduction Act injects a great deal of federal money via rebates into the heat pump market, which would certainly be a silver lining for some contractors.

Keynotes

Two keynotes were delivered during PHCCCONNECT. The first, at the Opening Breakfast, was given by the Our Motorsports team from the NASCAR Xfinity Series (appropriate, given the NASCAR Hall of Fame just down the street from the convention center).

Co-owners Chris Our (a construction company owner) and his daughter Mary, along with General Manager Kevin Cope, shared insider secrets on how trust, dedication, hard work, and doing the right thing lead to winning in both business and racing. Among their tips:

• Diversify your business.
• Build your team.
• Get marketing right.
• Don’t grow too fast.

During a second keynote presentation held Friday, Oct. 6th, industry leaders shared their knowledge and professional opinions on a variety of topics including supply chain issues, workforce challenges, electrification and decarbonization, government regulations, technology, and the looming possibility of a global recession.

CONTRACTOR's  Editor-at-Large John Mesenbrink served as moderator for the event, which was sponsored by Kohler. Elisabeth Sutton, Kohler’s director of marketing, professional channel, Kitchen & Bath Americas, kicked off the session with a tribute to Herb Kohler, founder of Kohler Co. who died in September at the age of 83. Kohler generously pledged one of the first $1 million corporate donations to launch the PHCC Educational Foundation more than 30 years ago.

Other panelists sharing their knowledge and insider tips were:

• Bruce Carnevale, president and chief executive officer of Bradford White Corporation;
• Randy Roberts, vice president of sales and marketing, Rheem Air Conditioning;
• Jeff Fetters, chairman of the Federated Insurance Companies;
• Scott Teson, senior vice president of skilled trades, Milwaukee Tool.

Educational Sessions

A strong line-up of 28 education sessions offered attendees relevant and timely topics, including The Art of Managing Workplace Conflict, 10 Stupid Financial Mistakes Contractors Make and How You Can Avoid Them, Electrification and How It Will Impact Your Business, and Why You’re Losing Your Best People—How to Avoid the Great Resignation.

The session on electrification, given by the PHCC's Chuck White, VP, Regulatory Affairs, and Mark Valentini, Director Legislative Affairs, was well-attended and much remarked upon throughout the show. In it they detailed the PHCC's efforts to push back on natural gas bans, while giving advice on how to cope with and possibly profit from the new regulatory environment.

Several sessions focused on the workforce challenges impacting the p-h-c industry. A Workforce Development Breakfast – Ideas to Inspire the Next Generation – sponsored by the PHCC National Auxiliary, PHCC Educational Foundation and SupplyHouse.com—featured speakers from the latest season of American Plumber Stories, a docuseries created by Pfister that profiles working plumbers throughout the country, showing the actual work and rewards involved in a career in the trades.

Larry Jones, President of Universal Plumbing was one of the speakers at the breakfast. "We need to show young people this is what it can be like," Jones said, "this is the life you can earn for yourself. We need to tell young people that it's okay to work with your hands."

Jones said plumbing has allowed him to travel the world, adding that, whenever he gets to a new hotel, the first thing he does is look under the sink.

Awards

The best in the industry were celebrated during the Oct. 7 Awards Luncheon and at other various events during the week. Of particular note, Charles “Chip” Greene of Macon, Georgia, received PHCC’s highest honor, the Col. George D. Scott Award (for more on Chip's story, and his legacy of leadership and service, see our extended coverage on the cover).

Other awards included:

• 2022 Plumbing Contractor of the Year (sponsored by Delta Faucet Co.): Ray Toczylowski, Marines Service Company, Manassas, Virginia
• 2022 HVAC Contractor of the Year (sponsored by Rheem): Mike Giordana and Butch McGonegal, United Air Temp, Lorton, Virginia
• Federated Insurance “Safety First! Contractor of the Year”: Kevin Purnell and Mike Levenseller, Granite Corporation, Oakland, Maine
• 2022 Plumbing Instructor of the Year (sponsored by Milwaukee Tool): Paul Hallam, Indianapolis, Indiana
• 2022 Plumbing Apprentice of the Year (sponsored by Delta Faucet Co.): Nick Santmyer, Davken Mechanical, Virginia Beach, Virginia
• 2022 HVAC Instructor of the Year (sponsored by Milwaukee Tool): John McCuen, Jr., PHCC of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Chapter
• HVAC Apprentice of the Year (sponsored by Rheem): Troy Bryant, Pioneer Heating & AC, Knoxville, Tennessee

Naturally, awards were also presented to the winners of the 2022 National Apprentice Contest. The contest was held on the tradeshow floor Oct. 5th and 6th. A total of eighteen plumbing and ten HVAC apprentices from across the nation took part.

For the full awards list—including awards for advocacy, the PHCC Auxiliary, and scholarship awards of more than $186,000—visit www.phccweb.org/news/celebrating-the-very-best-of-2022/.

Leadership

In his speech at the closing event, 2022-2023 PHCC—National President Dave Frame, who is also chief executive officer of Bob Frame Plumbing in South Bend, Indiana, pledged to stay the course on the PHCC strategic plan. Frame encouraged clear communication among all PHCC staff, members, and partners; “this will truly be our strong foundation for constructive collaboration,” he said.

Frame also credited outgoing PHCC—National president Joel Long with being a “perfect example of positive leadership.” It was announced that Long’s PHCC Rocks podcast this past year (23 episodes featuring 49 guests) has reached nearly 5,000 people so far.

During the Oct. 7 PHCC Annual Business Meeting, PHCC members elected Rick Whitaker, owner of Brown Brothers Plumbing and Heating Co. Inc., in Durham, North Carolina, as PHCC—National Association Vice President. The members also approved Laura Ciriello-Benedict as the Association’s Secretary.

Networking

Several networking events took place during the conference, including breakfasts, dinners and coffee breaks. This year's First Timers Get-Together (sponsored by Air & Water Solutions) was well-attended. A Charlotte bus tour provided an opportunity to get familiar with the host city. The National Auxiliary hosted a bingo game, as well as a "morning energizer" line dancing session.

Looking Ahead

PHCCCONNECT2023 is already scheduled for Oct. 25-27, 2023, in Cleveland, Ohio. The Call for Presentations is now live through April 7, 2023. For information about exhibiting or sponsorships, contact VP of Business Development Elicia Magruder at [email protected].