• Across the state, contractors gather in local groups to
discuss and share best practices, to be informed of
pertinent activities in their area regarding job permits,
inspections, common code violations, etc. They tran-
sition from merely being competitors to being col-
leagues; • Quarterly code intensive classes are offered to help
contractors refresh their knowledge, and to learn
about any code addendums that have been put into
effect; • A four year apprenticeship program is available for
contractor members to access for training their techs
and for attracting new employees to their companies;
• PHCC staff and leadership are collaboratively involved
with a number of statewide and regional efforts
aimed at addressing the challenges of a shrinking
trades workforce, which includes work with the NC
Community College System, the Department of Public
Instruction, and NCWorks;
• A lobbyist is engaged by the association to keep
watch for NC legislation that might adversely affect a
member’s company or livelihood. Included in this is a
vigilant effort to guard against any reduction or re-
moval of licensure for the professional services our
contractors provide to the public for their health and
safety; • An annual Connections Conference trade show – held
this year in Greensboro on April 11– brings vendors
who showcase the newest products and services
available to benefit P-H-C contractors, and hosts the
regional SkillsUSA-NC contests for high school and
post-secondary school students in plumbing, HVACR,
and sheetmetal; and
• Our affiliation with the PHCC-National association
gives our members access to an extensive library of
business and technical resources, national legislative
and federal regulatory lobbying efforts, and much
more. We could go on if space permitted, and we trust you
get the idea of the scope of our association’s endeavors
to live into our Why.
If you are a P-H-C contractor, where do you fit into
this? Rest assured, the Wright brothers weren’t so naïve
as to think that if they were able to make their machine
fly, it was only for their benefit. And neither were the
people who worked with them on the project! They un-
derstood that their combined effort as a team, one might
even say as a family, multiplied the effect of their belief
in making a difference through their profession.
Will you join the PHCC team? How to join us in Living
Into Our Why can be found at www.phccnc.com.
Jim Pendergrass is PHCC of NC’s executive director.
Check out our
construction equipment at
www. jamesriversequipment .com
The North Carolina Construction News — May-June 2018 — 5