INDIANAPOLIS – The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association named the recipient of the PHCC/Delta Faucet Company John Eberhardt Contractor of the Year Award at its annual meeting, CONNECT 2010. At the awards luncheon, Mitzi Smith of Sundial Plumbing, Marietta, Ga., received the prestigious honor.
Mitzi Smith, president of Sundial Plumbing Services, a residential and commercial plumbing contractor, received the award in 2010. Just five years ago, Sundial’s workload consisted of 80 percent new installations and 20 percent service. But by 2009, this flip-flopped to only one percent new installations and 99 percent service. Vision, strategic planning and flexibility have allowed Sundial to survive — and flourish. In fact, it recently won several awards, most notably the Excellence in Innovation Award from Georgia’s Lt. Governor and the 2010 Small Business of the Year award from the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce. The business has steadily grown since it was first launched by Smith and her father, Jack, in 1999, and continues to garner awards and accolades.
For 2010, the Contractor of the Year award was named after John Eberhardt, the former senior vice president of sales and marketing at Delta Faucet. Eberhardt passed away in April of this year. He spent 30 years with Delta Faucet Company and under his leadership, sales multiplied ten fold. Eberhardt was also responsible for starting the relationship with PHCC twenty-five years ago and committing Delta Faucet to the PHCC through the annual awards.
“John was instrumental in making Delta the No. 1 brand in America with wholesalers and the professional plumber,” said Jon Dartt, vice president, trade sales at Delta Faucet Company. “He was an incredible mentor to Delta associates, representative agencies, wholesalers and plumbers. He was a friend to everyone and was respected for his knowledge and insight. We believe that these personal qualities are important for any business person, including the Contractor of the Year.”
For 2010 and beyond, the award has been renamed the PHCC/Delta Faucet Company John Eberhardt Contractor of the Year.
More than 1,000 people attended the Oct. 27-30 CONNECT 2010 in Las Vegas to learn how to be stronger and more competitive in a changing economy. Through a wide array of seminars, product updates and networking opportunities, attendees learned the latest about topics like energy and water conservation opportunities, BIM, lean construction, geothermal sales and website marketing. The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association is dedicated to the promotion, advancement, education and training of the industry, for the protection of our environment and the health, safety, and comfort of society.