Representing the future of the plumbing industry with exceptional skills, knowledge, and a positive attitude, Andrew Wilson was honored as the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors — National Association’s (PHCC’s) 2024 Plumbing Apprentice of the Year. Sponsored by Delta Faucet, the award was presented at PHCC CONNECT 2024 in Birmingham, Alabama.

As a third-year plumbing apprentice with Midwestern Mechanical, Inc. in Spencer, Iowa, Wilson “is at the top of the class among our 100+ apprentices,” says Cody Schroeder, education & development manager at Midwestern. “His talent goes beyond the classroom, as he is a great apprentice in the field.”

Schroeder continues that Wilson arrives to work each day with a positive attitude and “can do thought process that employers all over the world look for in an employee.” The apprentice, he says, “takes on all tasks presented to him with a vigor and intensity that are unparalleled in today’s world.”

While Wilson has just completed his third year of apprenticeship, his basic skills for the plumbing profession are strong. In fact, he was the 2024 champion of the PHCC of South Dakota Plumbing Apprentice Competition. And when Wilson is uncertain about a task, he takes time to study and analyze the situation to be sure to install with confidence and accuracy.

“Due to his attention to detail,” says Schroeder, Wilson has managed to “set the bar high” for his underclassmen. “Andrew’s ability to be taught, as well as teach others what he has learned, has placed him well within the core of his peers.”

Demonstrating a strong work ethic and passion for the HVAC profession, Alex Phrommany of South Dakota received the PHCC — National Association’s 2024 HVAC Apprentice of the Year Award. PHCC Corporate Partner Rheem sponsored the award, which was presented this week during PHCC CONNECT 2024 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Encouraged to pursue the trades by his father, Phrommany is completing his fourth year in the HVAC Sheetmetal Apprenticeship program and his second year in the Mechatronics Apprenticeship program through Howe, Inc. in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He is an “outstanding student, employee, and professional in his craft,” says Chad Oxender, director of training and development at Howe.

Phrommany attended Southeast Technical Institute, also in Sioux Falls, and was the 2024 champion of PHCC of South Dakota’s HVAC Apprentice Competition. He continues to grow his skills at Howe and pushes himself to gain more knowledge in every aspect of the HVAC trade. “He takes what he has learned in trade school, apprenticeship training, and in the field and applies that on a day-to-day basis,” writes his PHCC sponsor.

Known for being a team player and for his attention to detail, Phrommany firmly represents the future of the industry in a positive way. “He demonstrates enthusiasm for this trade … and it is contagious with the rest of the team.”