PHCC’s New President Charts Course for 2026

Jason Pritchard never planned to lead a national trade association. He didn’t even plan to be in the trades. At 19, he tried out for the Atlanta Braves in hopes of becoming a baseball player — not a plumbing contractor — but sometimes career paths are not so obvious.

As the incoming president of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association (PHCC), Pritchard is bringing a contractor’s perspective to an organization serving thousands of members nationwide. It’s a perspective forged in the trenches — literally — from his early days in civil construction to building Pricor Technologies into a $7 million business serving the Seattle market.

“My biggest effort is making sure that PHCC National is a bullhorn of information for plumbing contractors and our industry partners,” Pritchard says. “How can we stay ahead of the trends and better educate our market?”

From the Field to the Front Office

Pritchard’s journey to PHCC leadership reflects the opportunities available in the trades. After high school, he bounced between jobs — forklift driver, furniture warehouse worker, even a brief stint as what he laughingly calls “the worst furniture salesperson in the world.”

A friend working in civil construction contacted him in the mid-2000s during the construction boom.

“They were looking for people, construction management type of work, and were willing to show you the ropes,” he said. He spent six years with the contractor, getting what he calls “an amazing education.”

When the Great Recession hit and work slowed, Pritchard landed with a PHCC contractor doing sewer repair and replacement. Five years later, when that family-owned business disbanded, he saw an opportunity.

“I was able to take the model and go, ‘Hey, here’s what we’re doing. We will continue to service our customers,’” he said.

Along with his partners, he launched Pricor Technologies 11 years ago.

Partnerships Build Success

Pricor operates in a niche built on partnership.

“We subcontract to other plumbing contractors — sewer repair, excavation services, drain cleaning,” Pritchard said. “Where their service offering stops, that’s where we pick up for them.”

The company runs six excavation crews across the Puget Sound area, handling everything from residential sewer lines to commercial work in malls and manufacturing facilities. At its peak, the company generated nearly $9 million in annual revenue with 25–30 employees. Like many contractors, they’ve weathered economic headwinds — the business is at about $7 million now — but Pritchard remains optimistic.

Finding PHCC

Pritchard’s introduction to PHCC began as a networking move. “Our customers being plumbing contractors, I saw it as an opportunity to get in front of more potential customers,” he said. But it quickly became something more.

“It was a networking opportunity to learn from other professionals on how to better run a business,” he said. “A network of people doing the same things I was doing — hiring, training, developing, identifying equipment issues, keeping up with technology. It was a godsend.”

He was a member for eight or nine years, served as Washington State chapter president for three years, then joined the National Board of Directors. When leadership approached him about running for vice president, he said yes.

The State of the Industry

As Pritchard moves into 2026, he’s hearing mixed signals from contractors across the country. Consumers appear cautious with spending.

“We’re seeing projects that need to get done getting done, but not the bigger projects,” he said. Customers who once might have replaced an entire sewer system are now fixing only the immediate issue.

Conditions vary regionally. Some areas are seeing stronger markets, with lower fuel costs and more consumer confidence driving larger projects. “As a whole, I think we’re slowly but surely heading in a good direction,” he said.

Goals for 2026

Pritchard’s vision centers on one word: streamlining. “How can we do a better job of providing contractors with the very best membership experience?” he said. “What do our chapter executives need from us so contractors truly feel the value?”

If PHCC can gather information from manufacturers and industry partners and push it to chapter executives working directly with contractors, members receive real, actionable value.

Why He Does It

“I just love it. I love the ability to see progress at the end of the day. We did something, we helped people, we solved problems,” he said.

Increasingly, it’s about developing people. “We’re not just digging holes and fixing things — we’re developing people,” he said.

It’s the same quality that made him love catching in high school — being the smallest kid on the team at 140 pounds but earning the starting spot by his sophomore year because of the leadership role. “You call the pitches, the pitcher’s struggling, you go out, give them encouragement, shape them up a little,” he said. “Being the coach on the field was something I really loved.”