Birmingham, Ala., rolls out the crimson red carpet for Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC) and its attendees. “The Magic City” played host to the annual PHCC CONNECT show and the city pulled out all the stops. With mild October temperatures, it was the perfect setting to connect with fellow attendees and soak in the vibrant culture Read more
PHCC Connect
Birmingham, Ala., rolls out the crimson red carpet for Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC) and its attendees.
“The Magic City” played host to the annual PHCC CONNECT show and the city pulled out all the stops. With mild October temperatures, it was the perfect setting to connect with fellow attendees and soak in the vibrant culture of Birmingham.
The CONNECT show began with an opening reception at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum—recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest motorcycle collection and home to other rare cars—and ended with an Alabama Tailgate Party at Birmingham Citywalk, where visitors could enjoy an array of food trucks serving local delicacies and engage in fun games.
The trade show floor was buzzing with latest in products and technology. New this year—although one needed to be a member to gain full access to the entire CONNECT experience—the Products & Technology Showcase floor was open free of charge to local walk-ins. This indeed brought in dozens more from the greater Birmingham area.
“This is the best place to do all of the networking,” says Erica Barnes, president, General Plumbing & Air Conditioning, Inc., Lake Worth, Fla. “I love getting new ideas form the floor and seeing what’s developing over time, such as artificial intelligence (AI) or seeing what new tools are coming out.”
A cool moment during PHCC president Joe Cornetta’s CONNECT opener, 94-year-old James Lindsey of Lindsey Brothers Plumbing and Heating in Norfolk, Va., was recognized for his contributions to PHCC and the industry. Starting his plumbing career at 16, he founded his own business, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2026.
The annual CONNECT Show opens with an opening breakfast emceed by Bruce Carnevale, CEO, Bradford White, a staunch supporter of the association and the skilled trades. Carnevale gave an update on the company and talked about the impending NAECA 4 regulations coming down the pike in 2029, with the eventual movement away from atmospheric venting to all condensing. The Department of Energy (DOE) says the standards will require minor updates to gas-fired storage water heaters, while electric storage water heaters more than 35 gallons will require heat pump technology.
A yearly staple at the CONNECT show is the PHCC Educational Foundation’s National Plumbing and HVACR apprentice contests where plumbing apprentices roughed-in a bathroom—including the drain, waste and vent lines, a toilet, a sink and shower. HVACR apprentices demonstrated their knowledge with a written test, and put their hands-on skills to the test with brazing, pressure testing, refrigerant recovery, and diagnosing and repairing a package unit system. This year, Logan Cunningham with John J. Maurer Inc., Cataumet, Mass., took top prize for plumbing, while Dane Gonser with Emcor Services Fagan, Kansas City, Kansas, was the winner of the HVAC portion.
This year’s theme, “Authentic Connections,” highlighted the importance of building trust and fostering relationships within the industry. From the daily keynotes featuring best-selling author and Navy commander Mary Kelly, who uncovered the key factors behind leadership success and failure to Jeff Butler, who with the help of the three “Cs”—cadence, collaboration and communication—explored actionable strategies to effectively manage cross-generational challenges and leverage the diversity of your multi-generational workforce as a competitive advantage.
Another highly informative and interactive session featured some of the industry’s most recognizable social media personalities who gave advice in a session aptly named, “What the Hell Is an Influencer?” In addition to friends George DeJesus, George’s Drains LLC, Morris County, N.J., and Mike Prencavage Jr., The Family Plumber, Los Alamitos, Calif., last-minute, heavy-hitter fill-ins, Dustin Van Orman, Any Hour Services, Orem Utah, and Roger Wakefield, Richardson, Tex., stepped in to inform attendees how to use social media in an effective way, for business of course.
The final keynote on reverse mentoring, moderated by yours truly, featured Erica Barnes, president, General Plumbing & Air Conditioning; Daniel Birmingham, project manager, JRC Mechanical, Chesapeake, Va.; Chris Johnson, owner, Charles Chester Plumbing & Heating, Elko, Nev.; Chase Johnson, general manager, Charles Chester Plumbing & Heating; and Tyler Arndt, Arndt & Sons Plumbing, Brooklyn, Wis., as they shared their experiences and how their ideas and contributions could help their companies thrive in the future.
Also new this year to CONNECT was live podcasting from the tradeshow floor. The magic of spontaneous discussions, solutions, and insights came alive with some of the industry’s top podcasters. These media personalities hosted high-profile guests as they shared their particular insights to the industry.
Oh, and why is Birmingham called the Magic City, you may ask? Including other names such as “The Iron City” or “The Pittsburgh of the South,” Birmingham is referenced as the Magic City because its soil contained the three necessary elements to produce steel: limestone, coal and iron ore.
Next year’s CONNECT will take place in Grand Rapids, Mich.
https://vimeo.com/1020210961 What normally is a “quiet” time of year in terms of traveling for us, we have been on the road the road these last few weeks. In this update, we’ll talk PHCC CONNECT in Birmingham, Ala., ASPE in Columbus, Ohio, our critically-acclaimed weekly podcasts, and, yes, hand washing Read more
What normally is a “quiet” time of year in terms of traveling for us, we have been on the road the road these last few weeks. In this update, we’ll talk PHCC CONNECT in Birmingham, Ala., ASPE in Columbus, Ohio, our critically-acclaimed weekly podcasts, and, yes, hand washing.
Attendees gathered to learn and engage with the industry at PHCC CONNECT 2024 October 2024 – Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association (PHCC) recently hosted CONNECT 2024 from October 7-10, where forward-focused plumbing and HVAC contractors came together for an engaging experience. This year’s theme, “Authentic Connections,” highlighted the importance of building trust and fostering relationships within Read more
Attendees gathered to learn and engage with the industry at PHCC CONNECT 2024
October 2024 – Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association (PHCC) recently hosted CONNECT 2024 from October 7-10, where forward-focused plumbing and HVAC contractors came together for an engaging experience. This year’s theme, “Authentic Connections,” highlighted the importance of building trust and fostering relationships within the industry.
The event featured a packed schedule filled with more than 20 education sessions and multiple networking opportunities, allowed participants to gain valuable insights, share best practices and create lasting connections within the plumbing and HVAC industry. A total of 24 plumbing and HVAC apprentices from across the country took part in the competition, and the winners were Logan Cunningham, plumbing, and Dane Gonser, HVAC.
The 2024 Colonel George D. Scott Award was presented to Keith Bienvenu of Bienvenu Brothers, recognizing his years of service and devotion to the association and the industry. This award honors those whose efforts have significantly benefited other plumbing, heating, and cooling contractors.
At CONNECT, 94-year-old James Lindsey of Lindsey Brothers Plumbing and Heating in Norfolk, Virginia, was recognized for his contributions to PHCC and the industry. Starting his plumbing career at 16, he founded his own business, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2026.
“CONNECT is a powerful reminder of how vital our connections are in this industry,” said Joe Cornetta, PHCC National President. “By coming together, we not only share knowledge but also strengthen the foundation for our future success in the plumbing and HVAC industries.”
Save the date for next year’s conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, scheduled for October 27-30 at the DeVos Place and Amway Grand Plaza. Don’t miss the opportunity to continue building connections and enhancing your business.
For more information on future events, visit phccweb.org/CONNECT. Thank you to our 2024 CONNECT sponsors for their support.
https://vimeo.com/1015853224 This week’s update is loaded with industry happenings. We cover the Nexstar Super Meeting, PHCC CONNECT, ServiceTitan’s Pantheon, podcasts updates with Eric Aune and a super cool “Did you Know” segment regarding T&P relief valves. Check it out Read more
This week’s update is loaded with industry happenings. We cover the Nexstar Super Meeting, PHCC CONNECT, ServiceTitan’s Pantheon, podcasts updates with Eric Aune and a super cool “Did you Know” segment regarding T&P relief valves. Check it out!
The global business training, coaching and implementation organization will be on hand at the annual event to discuss growth strategies for the home service industry Sept. 26, 2024 – CEO Warrior, a global business training, coaching and implementation organization for service business owners, will be on hand to discuss innovative growth strategies for the home service Read more
The global business training, coaching and implementation organization will be on hand at the annual event to discuss growth strategies for the home service industry
Sept. 26, 2024 – CEO Warrior, a global business training, coaching and implementation organization for service business owners, will be on hand to discuss innovative growth strategies for the home service industry at the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association (PHCC) CONNECT 2024 conference in Birmingham, Alabama, Oct. 7-10. CEO Warrior will be at Booth No. 705 during the event.
“As leaders in instruction and continuous education in the skilled trades space, PHCC CONNECT is a must-attend event,” said CEO Warrior CEO Scott August. “This show attracts the best and brightest in the trades service sector. It also caters to leaders in these organizations who make the decisions on how to spend their training dollars. CEO Warrior’s value-added advantage is that we not only help leaders overcome the obstacles they face when trying to grow and scale their companies, but we also understand the skilled trades industry.”
August said most of CEO Warrior’s coaches and mentors came up through the residential and commercial service industry and have real-world experience. CEO Warrior Director of Sales and Marketing Sandy Papavero, Director of Business Development Caroline Moriarty and Director of Advisement Jason Noel, who each have more than 10 years’ experience helping business leaders, will be at the booth to answer questions.
CEO Warrior advisors Caroline Moriarty, Jason Noel and Sandy Papavero, clockwise from left, will be at Booth No. 705 at PHCC CONNECT 2024 Oct. 7-10 in Birmingham, Alabama, to discuss the importance of ongoing training and mentorship.
“Our advisors have built and managed successful home service companies and know this market and what it takes to compete in it,” August said. “As this conference shows, effective training is the cornerstone of any thriving home service business. At CEO Warrior, we believe that ongoing training not only helps employees improve in their roles, it also instills a mindset of continuous improvement and customer-centric service.”
CEO Warrior not only provides training and mentoring for business leaders in the home service and skilled trades industries, the company has also developed a partnership program with some of the industry’s leading product providers and service leaders to provide innovative products and meaningful knowledge to its members.
PHCC CONNECT 2024 is an annual conference hosted by PHCC, a national trade organization for plumbing and HVAC contractors and technicians and has more than 3,500 plumbing and HVACR open shop and union businesses and 65,000 technicians. Approximately 125 state and local association affiliates are part of PHCC’s chapter network.
This year’s PHCC CONNECT 2024 conference, held at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, will feature more than 20 educational sessions covering topics like finance, business management, legislation, regulatory issues, influencer marketing, sales and marketing strategies, and the latest in artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
For more information about CEO Warrior and the training sessions offered to those in the home service industry, visit https://ceowarrior.com/.