PHCC’s next CEO on his game plan

The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC), the 143-year-old organization representing over 3,000 contractors across the U.S., announced in late May that COO Dan Quinonez will step into the chief executive role come November 1.

Ahead of the move, Homepros caught up with Quinonez for a candid conversation about his priorities for the next year, hot-button legislative items affecting contractors, including state licensing, and more. 

Below is our conversation, lightly edited for brevity.

You’re gonna step into the CEO role on November 1. What’s your plan?

I hope to bring PHCC to the next level. And what I mean by that is membership growth, educational opportunities, and more growth opportunities for the contractor member. 

We have 44 state chapters, and I see them as a strong network. They’re the local ‘boots on the ground’ that have built our organization, and I want to work closely with them to help PHCC grow for the next hundred years. 

Can you elaborate on how you think about membership growth?

It’s the relationship and networking. Our member contractor is probably the best salesperson for PHCC. And I think that as more contractors open up businesses, that’s the opportunity. 

The other part of that is there are a lot of programs — affinity programs, discount programs — that we used to do, but over time, the economy changes, the business nature changes, and I’d like to bring some of that back. 

The third part is that there’s a huge threat to the industry with licensing in many state legislatures, and I think a lot of contractors need to be aware of that. Their business is probably somewhat under attack in certain states right now, and I want to make sure that they know PHCC is working on their behalf. And the more contractors we can have join to support us, the more it helps.

Are there any areas you think PHCC has underserved contractors that you’d like to address?

I wouldn’t necessarily say underserved. I think what’s happened is that the industry itself is evolving, and as it evolves, as with any organization, you have to look internally at what works and what doesn’t.

We’ve seen a robust amount of change, whether it’s private equity or training and licensing in different states. What I’m hoping to do now is elevate that technology and the speed and reaction we need to help keep our contractors up to date. 

As a community ages out a little bit, there’s a change. There’s a pause. And I think what we’ve been able to do over the last few years is re-evaluate what works for our members and what doesn’t. And so we’re changing those tactics as we go along to better serve members.

Is there one legislative issue you envision focusing on the most?

There’s definitely an assault on licensing. Licensure allows our contractors to be the best and to be well-trained. So, we go into a consumer’s house, and we tell them, ‘You’re hiring somebody skilled, knowledgeable, who knows what they’re doing, and helps you make your decision.’ That’s the area I hope we can keep strong. 

I understand that on the other side, with weaker, watered-down licensing [which some are pushing for], there’s, ‘Well, consumers will get lower prices.’ But, for example, I used a realtor-referred contractor once, and it turned out he was unlicensed. Four years later, it cost me $15,000 more to get his mistakes fixed. 

So I’m thinking about how we communicate with consumers, at large, that a licensed contractor is your best choice, because they don’t just fix the problem now, they fix the long-term problem. 

That’s one of the big areas from a regulatory standpoint that’s going to be a fight. 

Quick take on where Washington fits into all of this?

We don’t have a national strategy to address the trades in our country. It’s broken up into 50 different states. There’s a federal government position. Then there are companies. There are colleges. 

The president has tried to put stuff out there, but unless there’s a cohesive effort to really address that across the board, where we’re all on the same page, you’re still going to see a fractured education system ripe with missed opportunities and debts for kids who don’t realize the opportunities. The HVAC and plumbing fields can be hugely lucrative and successful for kids.

So what’s the PHCC plan? Whether it’s licensing, attracting more talent, etc. 

On the apprenticeship side, it’s educating and communicating with schools and folks looking to get into the industry. We’re partnering and want to work with other organizations, like SkillsUSA and the ESCO Institute, to say, ‘Hey, there are scholarship opportunities,’ for instance. It starts with parents and school counselors. So we’re trying to spread that word and work with these districts, because the hard part is getting them in the door. 

With our PHCC Academy, which is an online program, we’ve put thousands of apprentices through and have an almost 87 percent retention rate. It’s amazing when you think about that.

When we get into the licensing stuff, we’re dealing with 50 different states and 50 different rules. I think a lot of that will come from educating the public and educating legislators in partnership with other organizations across states. When you have strong, quality licensing programs, you’re basically telling the consumer that what you’re getting is a quality contractor, not somebody who’s going to come in and either gouge you or go for the lowest buck. So it’s really demonstrating how important that is. 

Do you think the upcoming midterm elections could impact any of this?

Oh, absolutely. It’ll vary by state, and it’s hard to predict. I tend not to read the tea leaves. 

But our job is just to educate whoever comes in from the contractors’ perspective. The most important thing is sitting them down and giving them the facts, without sugarcoating. I do believe that many respect you, whether they agree with you or not, if you’re just straight with them. 

Aside from the legislative/regulatory stuff, is there a sleeper issue keeping you up at night?

For me, it’s what’ll happen over time with AI, and how it’ll impact our contractors. I want our contractors to embrace it as a resource, as a partner, and I think that as they do, they’ll find opportunities to help their businesses. 

My fear is that as it speeds up, the ones who don’t embrace it will have a harder time competing. And that, over time, weakens our membership. So we’re actively encouraging them in those things. 

How will you determine, come November 2027, whether you had a successful first year?

Well, net positive metrics are always good. But most importantly, I want to see vitality and strength within our organization. I’d rather have 3,000 members who are dedicated, willing to call legislators, and get involved, than add more who don’t. 

Beyond that, I want to see a measure of success in terms of more apprentices in PHCC schools, more financial growth, and more available programs and benefits for our membership to utilize. 

But I’m a three-year guy. To me, the first year is laying the groundwork, strengthening the organization, and preparing to do battle in these states where we can work with our state chapters. But three years down the line, I’d like to have this conversation with you again. 

Alright, to close: It’s a normal week. No travel. What are you doing on Friday night?

I have two young kids. I gotta help make dinner. It’s bath night. I’ll spend time with them and watch a movie. 

Last movie you guys watched?

GOAT on Netflix. It’s about animals that play basketball. The kids have watched it like three times. It’s better than that other one where they sing Golden. I had to watch that 300 times. I know the song.

Love it.