Profiles. PHCC Inspires Dedicated Professionals PPL

Transcription

1 C o Profiles u r In a g e PHCC Inspires Dedicated Professionals 4

2 C o u r a g e Asensitive topic for Steve Carder is do-ityourself plumbing. He explains that, in his area, many rural homeowners take on home improvement jobs that they should avoid. Two years ago, a local elderly couple died in an explosion the day after they installed a gas water heater in their home. We don t know where they bought the water heater, but we decided that day never to sell water heaters to homeowners, even electric models, unless we would do the installations. Profe s s i onal install a ti on s, s ays Ca rder, requ i re high - qu a l i ty profe s s i onal produ ct s. That s why, when PHCC decided to align itself with the leading manufacturers who now make up the Profe s s i onal Produ ct Line () Partners, we were excited. The gives professional plumbing-heati n g - cooling wh o l e s a l ers and con tractors the opportunity to purchase, market and advertise qu a l i ty produ ct s, s ervi ces and profe s s i on a l ex perti s e, s ays Ha rry Ma s s ey, Exec utive Director of the for the Plumbing-Heating- Cooling Con tractors Na ti onal As s oc i a ti on. They can do this whether they re members of the national association, or not. And what we re seeing is that, by participating in the program, contractors are creating a positive relationship with consumers and within the industry. Anaheim Manufacturing Co. was one of the first manufacturers to join the in In the face o f growing retail competition, Tom A. Dugan, who retired as company president last June,says plumbing wholesalers and contractors can t rely on traditional plumbing knowledge alone any longer. The contracting business needs to offer products and services with features and benefits that the retail big box stores do not offer, Dugan says. Having products with the PHCC logo gives wholesalers and contractors their own product lines that are not sold at DIY retailers. Carder has always liked such big ideas and bold moves. Immediately after graduating from high school in the early-1970s,he enlisted in the Army s National Guard. He retu rn ed home ei ght months later and j oi n ed his father in the trade at Ca rder Plu m bi n g Co. in Sand Spri n g, a su bu rb of Tu l s a,o k l a. What made a lasting impression on Steve was seeing how proud it made his father to exceed a customer s expectations, and to get those occasional comments and notes from people who were pleased with his work. I wanted to follow my father s footsteps and feel that same sense of pride in what I would do with my life, by John Va s tya n he r ecalls. My father, George, was a great role model for me and my younger brother, Stan, who entered the business when I did.we ve now been partners in the business since Road To Success: Continually looking for ways to improve the business and sharpen their professional skills, Carder decided to join PHCC in 1991 when they helped form a local chapter. It was the best business decision we d ever made, and I can t recommend it highly enough for people in our trade. He also joi n ed PH C C s Quality Servi ce Contractors group and is now a vocal champion for QSC, insisting that their peer group sessions are invaluable. Our business has increased 10 percent a year since we joined the association, says Carder. I attribute all of our growth to PHCC. Carder Plumbing Co. now employs 12 field professionals and four support staff. The plumbing, heating and air conditioning trades are an industry for professionals, he adds. Too few of the people in the trade have that outlook. We need to raise the standard with profe s s i onalism and integri ty, work et h i c, appearance and dedication to the craft. And, we need to pay technicians a salary that will allow them to support their families and send their kids to college, just like everyone else. With the manufacturers, PHCC has given us a step up in defining our role as profess i on a l s, and differen ti a ting our business by offering products that can t be bought at the home centers. Our key wholesale suppliers including Wayne Arnold at Heatwave Supply, Mark Kauffman at Tulsa Winnelson, and a few others carry a combination of products, i n cluding Ha m m ond Va lve, Wa rd f l ex, Del t a Faucet and Bradford-White. Tod ay, Ca rder Plu m bing Co. is growi n g steadily, and s presence in the Tulsa region is on the move with them. In addition to offering its plumbing and HVAC expertise,the company provides line problem video diagnostics, leak detection, drain cleaning, and all varie ty of service and installation work. The company enjoys 90 percent repeat busin e s s, with most new business coming from referrals. Company revenue stems from 20 percent forced air, and 80 percent plumbing. Of that 80 percen t, re s i den tial and com m erc i a l work is split evenly. Carder, who has held many local and regional PHCC positions,is now running for the position as PHCC s national vice president. It s a way for me to give back to the organization some of what they ve given to us.

3 Wh en con tractor Aa ron Wen t z ra n the PH C C - produ ced Profe s s i on a l Product Line TV and radio ads in Kearney, Neb.,last year, he had to pull them because they were soon inundated with inquiries. Says Wentz: Too many leads, too fast. Wentz is so passionate about promoting the value of PHCC that seemingly every member of his community believes PHCC is synonymous with professionalism and quality. But that s the kind of re s ponse yo u d ex pect for a guy who was bu ri ed alive, not on ce but t wi ce, in a tren ching acc i den t. People rem em ber yo u, and in Aa ron s case, the incident even hel ped him rem em ber wh ere to place his pri ori ti e s. Wentz, at 31 years old and owner of his own plumbing business, recalls his life- and businessaltering experience more than two years ago. On May 4, 1999, while tapping a sewer main in town, Wentz was working on a pipe 13 ft. below grade. At hearing the train-like rumble of falling soil, Aaron s first reflex was to bring an a rm up in an arch around his head. Immediately, he leaned against the opposite wall as tons of soil collapsed around him, burying him alive. Nearly 2 ft. of soil covered his head. O rlin Wen t z, his father and em p l oyee at the s i te that morn i n g, ran to his son s aid, d i ggi n g f ra n ti c a lly with his hands at the spot wh ere he last saw him. Cries of h elp from others soon bro u ght nei gh bors, p a ra m edics and fire crews. The minutes ti cked on. 6

4 Wentz never lost con s c i o u s n e s s, and rec a lls a pe aceful answer to prayers as images of his life streamed through his mind at lightning speed. Visions of his wife Jane, mother Kay and father Orlin, all employed by his company, and 9-month-old daughter Kayla, stirred his will to survive. Then there were voices, light and the sudden onset of pain. But just as re s c u ers cl e a red his ch e s t, the soi l rushed in again, throwing 3 ft. of dirt over his head. This time, though, with one hand pinned behind his back, and a fractured elbow, he had only one hand to raise to his mouth, forming a small pocket of air. Painfully, Wentz was at last raised from the trench and walked into an ambulance. The crew wore looks of joy, and dismay. There was no logical explanation for what had happened. Covered for 15 minutes, where had the air come from? How is it he wasn t crushed by the weight of the soil? The story ran nationally because of the uniqueness of his miraculous surviva l. And that bri n gs us back to Wentz s uncanny ability to promote the association. Ra i s ed Up : Now a master plu m ber, and pre s i dent of PH C C s state ch a pter, Wentz ch a m p i ons PHCC at every ch a n ce : His chu rch s sof tb a ll te a m s ports the PHCC logo on its jers eys ;h i s va n s, tru ck s,u n i form s,s t a ti on a ry, bu s i- ness card s, ads and direct mail pieces all prom i n en t ly display the logo. And because the com p a ny doe s business in a 100-mile rad ius of Kearney, their trucks car ry the PHCC logo far and wide. For me, PHCC is a symbol of professionalism and pride, says Wentz. We use it to show the community how proud we are of PHCC. That s why we also install produ ct s whenever we can. The products must be installed by a professional. And the logo s there to remind customers of our dedication and craftsmanship. Th a t s con f i rm ed by Joe Sobo t k a, one of Ke a rn ey s most su ccessful re s i- den tial devel opers. We ve given Aa ron a lot of business over the past three ye a rs. His servi ce is excell en t, and he s a lw ays tre a ted us fairly. With ren t a l properti e s, and new con s tru cti on, l i fe s ch a ll en ging en o u gh ; I don t want to worry abo ut plu m bing and mech a n i c a l probl em s. Aa ron s work is first cl a s s. Al Emken, president of Kearney Wi n n el s on, a gree s. Aa ron s been a customer since 1995.With him,there s a lw ays open com mu n i c a ti on and quality work. In a town our size, you learn about who s doing good, quality T H E N EW V I C TO R I AN F AU C E T. T H O U SANDS O F HOURS IN DEVELOPMENT. INSTAN T C USTOME R A P P RO VA L. Our meticulous design process means easy installation features for you. Our patented Quick-Snap feature makes connections to water supply hoses a snap. And height-adjustable end valves ensure both handles will be aligned correctl y. For more information about Delt a products including our lifetime limited warranty, call: DELTA (3358). Or check out our Web site at Time well spent: the unique look and feel of our two new handle options sculptured metal and fluted porcelain as well as our elegantly shaped high-rise spout, do a b e a u t i f u l job of attracting customers. Thoroughly inspected over 100 times (including air and water leak testing) to catch even the smallest imperfection. The result is a faucet that looks and performs flawlessly. Model # 3555-NNLHP H212NN B e a u t i f u l l y E n g i n e e r e d. Circle 301 7

5 work, and who isn t. Aaron s work is always well done, and he likes a good produ ct. We move abo ut 250 Whirlaways a year, and a good number of those through Aaron. Gl owing Pri de : An o t h er of Wentz s suppliers for garbage disposals, fittings, some faucets, fixtures and s eptic sys tem piping is Chu ck Proch a s k a, gen eral manager of Holmes Su pp ly in Ke a rn ey, an indepen dent wh o l e s a l er with 20 em p l oyee s. Prochaska, PHCC s state wholesale repre s en t a tive and spo ke s m a n, s ays Plumbmaster 1/2 Isl Circle 303 Aaron promotes PHCC better than any contractor I know; he s a forerunner, and proud of it. As a professional, I accepted the re s pon s i bi l i ty to pro tect the health and well-being of the community, says Wentz. All aspects of our work key off this. It s not just a job. It s a profession, and PHCC represents the best of what the trade has to offer. I wish that everyone in the trade, even my competition no, especially my competition would be involved in PHCC. It s no su rprise that Aa ron s P lu m bing is growing at 10 percent to 20 percent a ye a r. Re s i den tial servi ce and install a ti on make up abo ut 70 percent of that bu s i n e s s ; mu l tihousing 20 percen t ; and com m ercial servi ce ( re s t a u ra n t s, retail and manu f actu ri n g ) 1 0 percen t. Th eir futu re looks good. Thanks to professionals like Steve Carder and Aaron Wentz, each one of us can take pri de in the many improvements we see in the P-H-C industry. PHCC s proud of them, too. Because of the pride in their work, they make us all look good. John Va s tyan is a marketing co m mu n i c a- tions professional wh o se fo c u s, for 15 ye a rs, has be en wo rk for the pl u m bing and m e ch a n i c a l, radiant heat and HVAC i n du s tri e s. His trade co m mu n i c a ti o n s, P R and media rel a tions experti se stems fro m l o n g - term involvem ent with the Burn h a m Co rpo ra ti o n, Co n tra cto rs 2000, No rte c, P H CC, the Radiant Pa n el As so ci a ti o n, Uponor Wi rsbo and Yo rk In tern a ti o n a l Co rpo ra ti o n. He can be re a ch ed in Ma n h ei m, PA at: 717/ , and at va s tya d e su pern et. n et. PM 10