Foundation Success Story:

The Essentials of Project Management Class

“I am still using what I learned...it was at that point that my career moved to the next level.”

Robert Hilty is a project manager at a PHCC member company - Botto Mechanical, in New York. As a project manager, he’s responsible for estimates, project set-up, project turnover and labor projections.

Last year I started looking for better ways to manage my projects. There always seemed to be too many problems, too much wasted time, bad communications that kept getting in the way of just getting the work done. I heard about the Foundation’s Essentials of Project Management Course, and was caught by its description – “designed to teach attendees that common sense, standardized procedures and clear communication are the keys to productivity and increased profits.” That got my attention. Then I saw that the lead instructor is Kirk Alter and I signed up immediately.

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JANUARY 2012

F O C U SE D U C AT I O N A L F O U N D AT I O N

EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

Upcoming Foundation Training Opportunities

Visit www.phccfoundation.org or call (800) 533-7694 to register or get more info on any of these training opportunities.

January 18 - WebinarCustomer Service Superiority – Differentiate & Dominate Steve Coscia, Coscia Communications

February 1 - WebinarHow New Lead Laws Affect You Presented by WinWholesale

February 15 - WebinarProfit from the Aging in Place TrendPresented by Kohler Company

Essentials of Project Mgt. CourseMarch 14-17 in Northern VirginiaBusiness owners, project managers, estimators and lead field personnel learn how common-sense ideas can cut waste, reduce expenses, improve communications, boost productivity and profitability.

HVACR and Mechanical Conferencefor Professional Educators

March 12-14 in Colorado SpringsA joint industry event for secondary and post-secondary/community college instructors, focusing on technical topics. www.instructorworkshop.org

Regional Instructor WorkshopsMay 10-11 in San DiegoJune 7-8 in IndianapolisAug. 9-10 in BaltimoreFoundation workshops designed to help PHCC apprentice program instructors with lesson development, teaching methods and the how-to’s of being a great instructor. Call Merry Beth Hall at (800) 533-7694 for more information.

A Quarter Century ofMaking a Difference:

Foundation Celebrates 25th Anniversary in 2012

The contractor and manufacturer contributors who support the PHCC Edu-cational Foundation have heard us talk before about the number of people helped by those gifts – the scholarships we have awarded, the number of seminar attendees, the webinars delivered, etc. But those numbers can’t begin to tell the real story of the impact your gifts make on real people.

The Foundation will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2012. Throughout this year, we will share stories from the people who have been touched by the generosity of contractors just like you who have made gifts to the Foundation in support of education. Look for these success stories in this Focus newsletter and on the Foundation web site at www.phccfoundation.org.

Educational Foundation Focus 3

RIDGID Provides $13,850 in Support for Plumbing ApprenticesThe three top winners of the Foundation’s Plumbing Apprentice Contest are learning with a brand new set of tools and extra cash in their pockets thanks to RIDGID. Scott Shaver of Horn Plumbing & Heating in Pa. received $3,500 in cash and RIDGID tools for his first place finish in the apprentice contest. Second place winner Dennis Cribbin of UA Local 9 Training Center in N.J. and third place winner Jesse Holt of UA Local 525 Training Center in Nev., received cash and tools valued at a total of $3,750.

Adding to this exceptional support for the contest, RIDGID has also donated $6,600 in tools for the apprentice programs that this year’s apprentice contest winners attend. Philadelphia Suburban PHCC Apprenticeship Program received an assortment of tools valued at $3,300; UA Local 9 received tools worth $2,000; and UA Local 525 received tools worth $1,300. Tools donated to the appren-ticeship training programs were an assortment of items including various wrenches, faucet and sink installers, tubing cutters, augers, power tools, and drain cameras.

Sherry Hernandez, JATC Committee Member for UA Local 525 stated, “We can’t say enough to thank RIDGID for their continued support of our indus-try’s apprenticeship training programs. The tool contribution they have pro-vided is vital in assisting the training of our future journeyman plumbers and pipefitters. The tools that were sent will definitely be put to good use.”

Pennsylvania PHCC Executive Director Mike McGraw added, “On behalf of the Pennsylvania PHCC and the Philly Suburban Apprenticeship School, I would like to thank RIDGID for their VERY GENEROUS tool donation to our program. We were shocked at the amount of tools provided to our school for our apprentices to use throughout their training. These tools were much needed and will be put to use imme-diately.”

“This sponsorship has helped our contest winners with their education expenses and has provided them with quality tools they need to do their jobs. Add to that the support RIDGID has provided to their training schools, and this sponsorship goes a step further by helping the programs that produced these top apprentices to continue their traditions of excellence in training apprentices for years to come,” said Merry Beth Hall, Director of Appren-tice & Journeyman Training for the PHCC Educational Foundation.

Game Party Raises $8,000 for the Foundation

Nearly ninety attendees filled a ballroom in Minneapolis during the PHCC National Convention to play video games and help support the Foundation. Together, the players and sponsors raised over $8,000 to benefit the Foundation’s educational mission.

Six large projection screens lined a wall of the hotel ballroom at the event, each screen loaded with a Nintendo Wii video game ready to play. Attendees competed head-to-head in golf, racing, boxing, bowling and other party games. Several contests and dozens of prizes added extra excitement to the evening.

Our thanks to the players and the sponsors who made the event possible:

4 Educational Foundation Focus

You see, back in 2001, I was a foreman, and I had seen Kirk Alter teach a PHCC seminar called “Foreman as Field Leader”. Thanks to that session, I completely changed how I handled my field guys. I learned that using positive reinforcement kept them more productive and that using encouragement instead of intimidation built morale. I paid attention to matching their strengths to the tasks at hand and did more to help them when dealing with difficult situations. Even in a different posi-tion, I still use all those techniques today. Looking back, it really was at that point that my career moved to the next level.

I knew the Essentials class would be great because of Kirk’s passion for passing on his experience to educate the industry. His enthusiasm and energy really gets you going and he has a great way of using stories to teach. With those stories, he walks you through real-life sce-narios; the kind of stuff we run into every day. With those stories, Kirk throws back the curtain and shows us how the things that we agree to every day back home (that make perfect sense at the time), are just tricks or bullying from the GC that cost us money and man hours.

Too many times in the class, you sit there and say to yourself “Wow, why do we still do it that way?” Or “I had no idea we were allowed to do that!” I think that is one the main points of the class – you learn that you can and must say “NO” when someone on the project is out of line and doing something that will negatively impact you.

What was most helpful to me were the topics on job turn-over meetings, daily productivity and scheduling. I took home examples of daily logs and time sheets that have allowed me to track and identify areas of lost production and fix them.

For scheduling, we got tools and strategies for projecting job costs and the labor needed throughout the different phases of a project. Prior to the course, I was interested but intimidated by scheduling software programs. In the class we got hands-on practice with MS Project and even had a chance to generate a sample schedule. Being able to provide a schedule to the general contractor at the beginning of the project really outlines our goals and makes tracking our performance a whole lot easier.

Long term, I have really learned to focus more on pre-planning and the tasks that will have the highest dollar value–making those tasks more productive. I’m also working to promote better communication between the estimator, myself and the field foreman to ID the projects’ strengths and possible concerns before they become problems.

I really do want to thank the Foundation for putting on this class and Kirk for leading it so well. I know I am better at my job because of what I learned and I’m sure some of the lessons carry through to the rest of my life too.

The next Essentials of Project Management Course is scheduled for March 14-17, 2012, in Northern Virginia, near Washington Dulles Intl. Airport. More information on the class is available at www.phccfoundation.org or by calling John Zink at (800) 533-7694.

The Essentials of Project Management Class (Continued from Page 1)

Educational Foundation Focus 5

Foundation Success Story:$55,500 in Scholarships Awarded in 2011The Foundation is proud to recognize the following winners of 2011 scholar-ships. These 22 students received a total of $55,500 to support their education in our industry.

Scholarships Funded by PHCC Educational Foundation, South Jersey Mechanical Contractors Association, PHCC Auxiliary of Massachusetts & PHCC Auxiliary of Texas• Dominic Goyette of Grand Blanc, Mich.• Jose Coronado of San Diego, Calif.• Joseph Nuttle of East Aurora, N.Y.• Jesse T. Horn of Paoli, Pa.• Spencer Alexander of Dayton, N.J.• Douglas Bent of Marshfield, Mass.• Jacob Hollub of Deer Park, Texas

A. O. Smith Scholarships• Katie Burns, of Social Circle, Ga.• Megan Schroeder, of Maple Grove, Minn.

Bradford White Water Heaters Scholarships• Luis Acosta of San Diego, California• Jerrid Alburger of Oceanside, California• Pattric Nealey of La Mesa, California

2012 Scholarship ApplicationsAvailable OnlineApplications forms for the 2012 scholarships awarded through the Foundation are available on the Foundation Web site. Scholarships awards are made possible by gifts supporting the Foundation scholarship fund and by these generous sponsors:

For complete eligibility requirements and applications, please visit: www.phccfoundation.org. For assistance, please contact the Foundation staff at (800) 533-7694. Application deadline is May 1, 2012.

Your Contributions at WorkI would like to say thank you to all that have had their hand in the scholarship that I have received. I have been truly blessed by this. I am so grateful that people and organizations like PHCC exist to help people like me achieve my goals.

I am currently in my 4th and final year of the plumbing apprenticeship. It has been a long road and I am looking forward to finishing this up and being a journeyman plumber. This scholarship has helped me to not have to worry about how I am going to pay for the apprentice program. That was a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders.

I think it is vital for contractors and businesses to continue to con-tribute to programs like this. This scholarship is paying for a future of good workmanship, professionalism, and values for a lifetime. I look forward to a day when I can pay it forward to the next generation and keep the cycle going.

Again, I can’t say it enough - thank you so much for your generosity and your willingness to help me and other tradespeople succeed in the workforce. May God bless you all.

Sincerely, Levi Spoto 2011 Foundation Scholarship Winner Reprinted with Permission

Delta Faucet Company Scholarships• Hunter Capilla of Pleasanton, Ca.• Nicolas Hennessy of New Hampton, Iowa• Logan Messmer of Jasper, Ind.• Matthew Nealy of San Diego, Calif.• Craig Rascoe of Keithville, La.• Saul Serrano of La Mesa, Calif.

RIDGID Tool Company Scholarships• Edward Beresford of Cincinnati, Ohio• Ray Newton of San Diego, Calif.• Levi Spoto of Streetsboro, Ohio• Mark Veneziano of San Diego, Calif.

2011 Contributors PHCC Educational Foundation

THANKS TO ALL OF OUR CONTRIBUTORS FOR THEIR GIFTS!

MAJOR CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTORS ($10,000+)

FOUNDATION COUNSELOR ($5,000+) - RIDGID Tool Company

FOUNDATION FELLOWS ($1,000+) - Individuals: Kirk & Pam Alter, David Ariano, Laurie Crigler, Jim & Judy

Driscoll, David & Janet Dugger, Joseph Finnigan, Alan Givens, Bonnie Winward Harvey, Frank & Iris Maddalon, Bill & Patty Jones, Gerry Kennedy, Rich & Karen Kerzetski, Mark & Sue Larson, Craig & Kathy Lewis, Frank & Iris Maddalon, Tom & Lynda Maniuszko, Ron & Jeanette Newman, Stephen Pfendler, Rick Solomon, Bryan Stansell, Richard B. Steadman, Jim Steinle, Kevin and Kathy Tindall, Jo Rae Wagner, Joe Whitney, Fran & Anne Williams Chapters & Organizations: Bloomington/Normal Illinois PHCC, Federated Insurance, Delaware PHCC Auxiliary, GE Mechanical, Heidler, Inc., KCL Plumbing, Merryman-Far, LLC, Miller Mechanical Contractors & Engineers, PHCC National Auxilairy, PHCC of Louisiana, PHCC of New York State, PHCC of Tennessee, PHCC of Texas, PHCC of Union County, NJ, PHCC of Virginia, Plumbing & Mechanical Contractors Assn of Northern IL (PAMCANI), United Association of Plumbers & Fitters, Shapiro & Duncan, Inc., Wolff's Plumbing & Heating

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE ($500+) - Association Executives Council, Ken Boen, George Brazil, Cindy Sheridan, Bill

Chronister, C.J. Erickson Plumbing Co., Corr-Tenn Company, Anthony D'Ascenzo, Doug Turner Plumbing Co., Gregory Faustina, Charlie Gans, Jr., Chip Greene, Bill Harrison, Sherry Hernandez, Evan & Jody Hibbs, Steve Irwin, Mike & Diane Kastner, Scott & Lois Kissinger, JD Plumbing Co., Rick Lanier, Bob Melko, Tom Moore, Roger Peugeot, PHCC of Greater Boston, PHCC of the Metropolitan DC Area, PHCC Auxiliary of the Metropolitan DC Area, PHCC of Iowa, PHCC of Lincoln, NE, Plumbing Air Conditioning Industry Fund, Quality Plumbing, Quality Service Contractors, Steve & Ann Rivers, Russo Bros. & Co., Douglas Santoro, Steve Schaefer, Southland Plumbing Supply, Joe Sullivan, Titan Mechanical, United Air Temp, Rick Whitaker, John Zink

CENTURY CLUB ($100+) - David Adelman, Al Bourgeois Plb. & Htg. Co., Steve Allen, Aaron Alons, Michael &

Heather Appleton, Rodolfo Avila, Aztec Plumbing and Heating, Michael Barker, Jeff Berndt, Keith & Linda Bienvenu, Roger & Pat Blank, Michael Bohinc, Hunter Botto & Roger Botto, Bradford White Water Heaters, Paul Buckley, Robert D. Burns, Anthony Caccia, Cal-Delta Plumbing, Inc., Richard Cancelosi, Bill Chamberlin, Clover Contracting, Inc., James Cole, Colony Heating and Air Conditioning, C&W Plumbing, Rene Dauterive, Jr., Paul R. Dent, Chris Edmonds, Walt Edmunds, Michael Even, Fred Falkena, Larry & Gerda Fischer, Roger Fouche, Amos Fox, Milton and Patty Frank, Friesenhahn Plumbing, Inc., Kevan Gentry, Betty & Linden Gill, Frank Gouveia, Gramman Plumbing & Heating Corp., Richard H. Gurske, Rick Gustin, G.W. Kadow Plumbing & Heating, Jane Hagedorn, Mike Haggerty, Robin Hanson, Stacey Ziegler Harp, Scott Hartman, Tina Hedrick, Jeff Heger, Brian Heisel, Wm. Henderson Plumbing & Heating, John & Misty Holey, Eddie Hollub, Illinois PHCC Auxiliary, Todd Iocco, Brad Isley, J & K Plumbing, John's Reliable Plumbing, George Johnson, Mark Johnson, Ken Neyer Plumbing, Inc., Tod Kralik, Jim Kreifels, Terry & Barb Kreifels, Rob Kreutzer, Jeffrey Kuhn, L.C. Anderson, Inc., LeDuc & Dexter, Inc., Lee Company, Leydon Brothers Plumbing, Lindenmayer Plumbing, Carol Lively, Lundberg Plumbing & Heating, Rollie Marolf, Lee McFarland, Michael McParlan, Diane Mills, John and Gail McWilliams, Mechanical Engineering & Construction Corp., Mid-City Supply, Mid-West Maintenance, Daryl Miller, Leon & Kristen Molinario, Frank Monroe, Mark Morgan, Mort’s Water Company, Jonathan Moyer, Murray Supply Co., Northern Mechanical & Plumbing Contractors Association, Oak Creek Plumbing, Dirk Payne, Jim Payne, Bill Pepelnjak, Perry Plumbing Co., PHCC Auxiliary of Illinois, PHCC of Greater Boston, Montgomery County Association of PHCC, PHCC Auxiliary of New Orleans, PHCC of California, PHCC of Louisiana Auxiliary, PHCC of Pennsylvania, PHCC of San Diego, St. Joe Valley PHCC, PHCC of Suburban Philadelphia, Vincent Pierangali, Jr., Plumb Better, Inc., Plumb Supply Company, Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union #9, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local #589, Charlie Plumley, Bev Potts, Robert Purzycki, John Radotich, Thomas C. Rechtin, Red Cap Plumbing, Reeder Chevrolet, Walter Regehr, Reliable Plumbing, Inc., Ted and Virginia Ridder, Rinchuso's Plumbing & Heating, John Rodorigo, Roto-Rooter of Sacramento, Service Roundtable, Jerome M. Sabol, Jim Sabol, Terry L. Self, George Salet, Louis Senteno, Alton Shannon, Jim Shaw, Rick Shelton, Kenneth Shoster, George Shotwell, Jr., South Dakota PHCC Board of Directors, Kathy Stradley, Delanah Suarez, Alan Taecker, Sue Taecker, Don Tanguay, Tatro Plumbing Co. Inc, Kathy Thaut, The Art of Plumbing, Susan Perlstein-Tavares, Tracy Threlfall, Mike Tilton Plumbing & Heating, David Tinius, Ray Tolar, George Trethewey, John Ugstad, Dave Waggoner, Jeff Waldman, Robert Wark, Mike Wente, Ralph Wetzel, Jim & Anne Witten Wolverine Brass, Buzz Young, Scott & Cindy Ziegler, Ted Zurn

SUSTAINING DONORS (Up to $99) - ACE Plumbing, Inc., Ashton Service Group, BDI Plumbing, Htg., Cooling

& Vent., Gary Bell, Bill Boyadjis, Gene Burch, George Campbell, Ryan Carney, Ron Dunsmoor, Alfred Edwards, Anna Cam Fentriss, Scott & Cybill Hubert, James Haberek, Kathy Jonas, John's Reliable Plumbing, Keefe Plumbing & Heating Co., Robert J. Macca, Mills Construction, Inc., Peter and Nancy Pelicano, Stanley J. Rapp, Joe & Michelle Rascher, Gerald Richard, Randall Shoup, Michael Steel, Dorothy Witten

2011 Contributors PHCC Educational Foundation

Memorial Gifts In Memory of Past National Officers: Jim Curry, Ray Dauenhauer, Butch Kontny, William F. Lynch, George Raburn, Cecil Self – Dick Irwin In Memory of Danny Burnette – TIS Insurance Services, Inc. In Memory of Ralph Degli Obizzi – Laurie Crigler, Anne Williams In Memory of Alfred Joseph Englade, Jr. – PHCC of New Orleans In Memory of Dave Fehrenbach – David Tyska In Memory of Thomas F. Feddon, Sr. – David Feddon In Memory of William F. Lynch – Fran & Anne Williams In Memory of Ken Neyer, Sr. – Ken Neyer Plumbing In Memory of George & Karen Raburn – Jim & Judy Driscoll, Ellen Whitaker In Memory of Rudy & Marge Roeber – Roebers Inc. In Memory of Bernadine Stockmeister – Julie Turner & John Zink In Memory of Doreen Taecker – Orville, Paul and Julie Taecker In Memory of Richard Willkomm – Michael Bohinc In Memory of John A. Ward, Jr. – Kate Ward

Special Recognition In Honor of the Larry Dore Award

Lynne Finley

In Honor of Doug Santoro Quality Service Contractors

In Honor of Jim Witten's 70th Birthday Fran and Anne Williams

In Recognition of Arthur & Marie D'Attile Gregg D'Attile

In Recognition of Bill Jones Doug Turner Plumbing Co.

In Recognition of Delaware PHCC Auxiliary Bonnie Winward Harvey

In Recognition of Ron Newman Tom Applegate

Foundation Mourns Loss of Past Chair Francis A. Williams Fran Williams, past president of the PHCC—National Association, and chairperson of the PHCC Educational Foundation, passed away Sept. 9th in Belmont, Mass., from leukemia.

Fran received numerous career awards, including the prestigious Col. George D. Scott Award for meritorious service, and Mass. PHCC’s Bradford-Rose award. He was also named Mass. Contractor of the Year in 1994 and Delta Faucet Plumbing Contractor of the Year in 1995.

Beyond the awards, Fran was a truly special individual who devoted his life to helping others. He was a respected leader in his community and our industry, with a talent for identifying future needs and leading the way to solutions. His generosity, vision and advice will be sorely missed by all of us at PHCC.

Gifts Made In Memory of Francis A. Williams Paul & Mary Ahern, Keith & Linda Bienvenu, Dennis & Mary Lou Broderick, Gerald & Elizabeth Cahill, David & Elizabeth Calcaterra, Dorothy & Paul Carey, Laurie Crigler, Bob & Judy DeLucchi, Jim & Judy Driscoll, Emerson-Swan Co., Patrick & Geraldine Flaherty, the Friedrich Family, John & Mary Garvelink, Tanya & Ryan Gaspar, Mark & Terry Giebelhaus, Linden & Betty Gill, Glover Sheet Metal, Robert & Mary Goulet, Wendy Hathaway, Steven & Monica Heidler, Hickory Mechanical, Inc., Larry & Diane Howe, Independent Pipe and Supply Corp., Dick Irwin, Bill & Patty Jones, Eric Kardovich, DMD, Gerry Kennedy, Terry & Barb Kreifels, James J. & Patricia Kreifels, Bob & Barbara Kreutzer, Mark & Sue Larson, Tom Lawless & Maryilyn Bowman, Craig & Kathy Lewis, Leydon Brothers Plumbing, Frank & Iris Maddalon, Erik & Beryl Maseng, John & Gail McWilliams, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Paul & Suzanne Oates, Joseph & Theresa Paratore, Nancy Lee Paratore, Esther & John Pasalis, Roger W. Peugeot, Skip & Ann Pfeffer, PHCC of Massachusetts, PHCC of Rhode Island, PHCC of Texas, PHCC—National Association, PHCC National Auxiliary, PHCC Educational Foundation, PHCC Past National Officers Ralph Porter, Bev Potts, Julie (Ahern) & Tim Reilly, William & Corinne Riley, Anthony Romano, Dan & Eva Roos, Fran & Joe Rubino, Fifi & Barry Salway, Mike & Joan Schmitz, Cindy Sheridan, J.F. Shine Mechanical Inc., Corinne & Robert Smith, Jim & Sandy Stack, Stebbins Duffy Inc., Orville Taecker, Kevin & Kathy Tindall, Friends at Victaulic, Susan & Eric Westin, Mary Grace Whelan, F.A. Williams, Inc., James & Paula Friedrich, Mary Jane & Perry Yarrington, Joe Whitney, Anne Williams, Tommy, Laura & JD Williams, John & Michele Zink , Jim Zona

Make your gift in in Fran’s memory at this link: www.tinyurl.com/FranWilliams

The Invest in Your Future annual giving campaign helps to fund the development and delivery of educational programs and scholarships to the contractors in our industry.

Please make checks made payable to the PHCC Educational Foundation & return to: 180 S. Washington St., P.O. Box 6808, Falls Church, VA 22046. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Call with

questions (800) 533-7694. More details at www.phccfoundation.org.

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