PLUMBING
54
phc September 2021 www.phcppros.com
a plumber, and we called Blue Planet Plumbing. I've always been a hands-on worker, so I started talking with the plumber and found out that the company was hiring. I went to the Blue Planet Plumbing office, asked for an application, and filled it out in the parking lot. In a period of two-and-a- half years, I went from apprenticing to full technician. What have been some of your career highlights so far? Coming in every day to a group of people that have smiles on their faces every morning, seeing new people and new homes on a regular basis, and alleviating all of our customers' worries they have about their plumbing systems are all career highlights. What are your thoughts on mentorship? The owner of Blue Planet Plumbing, Georg Efird, holds the mentor title among others in my life: boss, friend, and role model. Because I consider myself fairly new to this industry, I have not found myself to be a mentor to someone yet. I most certainly do believe that is my next step in this career. What professional challenges did you experience during the COVID- 19 pandemic? Working as a plumber during the pandemic, the biggest hurdle I had to overcome was losing a lot of the face-to-face interaction with my customers. I would often call the homeowner when I was on my way to their home, and they would tell me what the problem was over the phone. They would then leave the garage door open, and I would see myself in. Once I had diagnosed the issue, I would give them another call even though they were in their home. That's just a small example. How do you think the industry can better recruit and retain young professionals in a post-COVID-19 world? Recruiting new talent has been hard for ages, due to the fact that it's not a very cozy job. Working in the plumbing industry, I've accomplished in two years what I could not in 10 years working a more traditional job. Sourcing and retaining new and young talent would be easier if earning potential information for the trades was more readily available. What does it mean to you to receive this honor? I remember living in my home country of El Salvador with my grandparents when I was 7 years old. Both of my parents were in the United States, working hard to bring me here one day so I could accomplish great things. This honor now being one of those accomplishments, I want to show my son where I came from to where I am now. O
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CONSERVE
Water conservation that puts you in control
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Resilient to Most Water Conditions Can Service up to 30 Drains With One Unit Can Be Integrated Into a Buildings EMS ASSE 1044 and UPC Certified PPP Revit Objects Available Easily Adjustable Timer Capable of Serving Most Applications Lead Free - NSF/ANSI 372
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