RIDGID is already well into marking its 100th year in business in 2023. In recognition of the milestone, RIDGID has been holding giveaways of commemorative anniversary wrenches and other brand swag. Earlier this year the company also launched “RIDGID Wrenched 100,” a specialty beer developed in collaboration with Unplugged Brewing Co. located less than a mile from RIDGID headquarters in Elyria, Ohio.

In addition, the company has hosted events at major trade shows. Next month, for example, RIDGID plans a number of events at the PHCCCONNECT2023, Oct. 25-27, in Cleveland. 

The RIDGID booth, for example, will be part of a “hometown showcase” in the center of the tradeshow floor along with Oatey, Moen and Merit Brass. The company will also be one of the locations for manufacturing tours during PHCCCONNECT2023.

In addition, the company will support and sponsor participants in the ever-popular apprentice competition, as well as again sponsor the PHCC scholarship program.

And RIDGID will also be gifting a 100th anniversary commemorative wrench to Joe Cornetta, the incoming PHCC president.

RIDGID Experience

One other trade event at PHCCCONNECT2023 will be reunion/meetup for RIDGID Experience past participants. Last February at the WWETT Show in Indianapolis, the company kicked off its RIDGID Experience 2023 contest, giving attendees the first chance to win a spot on the sixth annual, all-expenses-paid trip to RIDGID’s headquarters.

The company ultimately held the RIDGID Experience event last June. Contest winners were selected based on their responses to questions, trade involvement, enthusiasm for RIDGID tools as displayed in submitted pictures or video of them with their favorite RIDGID tool, plus originality and uniqueness of entry.

In addition to a trip the company headquarters, the winners also toured a factory, received a customized RIDGID pipe wrench and a night out at a Cleveland Guardians baseball game. Winners also had the opportunity to shape the future of professional tool development by providing their expert insights with RIDGID leadership including engineering, marketing, research and product developments.

We asked this year’s winners of the company’s annual Experience to share their thoughts on the trades. All the contractors, by the way, regularly share their on-the-job experiences on their Instagram accounts so we’ve included their usernames to easily find them:

Antonio Delacerda

Tulsa, Oklahoma

@ATEAMPLUMBINGTULSA

What do you enjoy the most about being in the skilled trades?

What a great question. I think asking what you don’t enjoy about being a plumber would be a shorter list than what I do enjoy about being a plumber. I think plumbing is a way to challenge every person on their creativity on problem-solving, because even though there are sinks, toilets, showers and bathtubs, the way to fix,repair and resolve the problem is always different. And I think the individuals that can be creative and adapt, especially with a smile on their face while they are fixing and repairing the problem is a great joy. Lastly, I will say I love developing and creating relationships with my customers. Getting to know each of my customers from their family, pets, and just sharing life with them on the occasions that I see them makes it a wonderful experience. The best parts are when I see them outside of work, and they call me by my name, and we strike up a great conversation to include each other’s families.

What’s the best thing the industry can do to get more young people into the PHCP industry?

I believe it is up to each company, owner, each trade contractor to share with family and friends, to reach out to their communities, to talk to the parents and school teachers of our young people about the different trades. I think as tradespeople we need to be involved in our community. Tradespeople are not being represented correctly. I had a conversation with my youngest nieces who are around 10 years old ,and I asked them what they thought when someone talks about a plumber. They said we think about how clean your van is, how nice your uniform is, how hard you work and how you are always smiling and you love to talk, which I thought was a great representation of what a plumber should be.

Bobby Drescher

Newnan, Georgia

@THEPLUMBERLORIAN

What do you enjoy the most about being in the skilled trades?

I enjoy working with my hands and being able to see the fruits of my labor. It’s one thing to accomplish a task, but it’s another to physically see your accomplishment. I enjoy helping people day to day, and the variety my job gives me. Not only am I doing a different task at any given moment, but the constant change of scenery helps keep things from feeling mundane. 

What’s the best thing the industry can do to get more young people into the PHCP industry?

I think the very best way to reach the younger generation is through social media. It’s through these apps. We have to spark interest in the trades so it appeals to them. That’s at one end of the spectrum. The other I feel is at the high school level. I never had shop class like my father’s generation did. If it wasn’t for my dad I would have probably never ended up in the trades. I never would have seen it as an option for a career. I think it would be great if there was a way to showcase it at the high school level, and bring something like that back in some capacity. 

Caleb Segura

Catskills, New York

@CALEBTHEDRAINCLEANER

What do you enjoy the most about being in the skilled trades?

I enjoy the fact that every day is a new challenge, I meet new people every day and it feels good to come and save the day in emergency situations.

What’s the best thing the industry can do to get more young people into the PHCP industry?

I think the best thing to get more young people involved is to keep making events that people can see and relate their hard work to. The RIDGID Experience made me feel like the tools I use are part of the same family business I’m a part of. It’s about the bond between you and the company. These social media events seem like the “Superbowl of the Trades” and I’m just happy to be a part of it. 

Derek Zeolla

Stoughton, Massachusetts

@ZEOLLAPLUMBING

What do you enjoy the most about being in the skilled trades?

What I love most about being a plumber is the gratification and pride I feel through my work. Working hard on something and stepping back to see the results is very rewarding. 

What’s the best thing the industry can do to get more young people into the PHCP industry?

Something we can do as a society is introduce trades at a very young age so it becomes almost a natural thing to think about growing up. I think there should be programs for the skilled trades in grade schools. The earlier the education, the better. Why wait until high school for the kids whose dads don’t work in the trades and have zero exposure?

Jacob Cordero

Victorville, California

@BADMOTHERFLUSHER

What do you enjoy the most about being in the skilled trades?

Being a plumber has brought so much prosperity to my life it’s hard to choose any one thing I enjoy the most. I never would have thought this career choice would have the capability to let me make so many new great friends and travel to places I’ve never been. I’m grateful to the people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve been granted. It’s all thanks to plumbing. 

What is the best thing the industry can do to get more young people into the PHCP industry?

Continue to hit these trends on social media and giving back to the trades that support these brands. In fact, I was heavily influenced to document my journey on social media by those who preceded me. I don’t think I would have ever known about trade shows or the possibility of attending the RIDGID Experience without social media. 

James Brand

Sarasota, Florida

@STRAYDOGPLUMBER

What do you enjoy the most about being in the skilled trades?

The thing I enjoy most about being a plumber is ,honestly, satisfaction. At the end of the day, I’ve either saved someone from a terrible situation or made someone’s dreams come true. There is a physical result from my efforts and an appreciation for them.

What is the best thing the industry can do to get more young people into the PHCP industry?

The best thing that can be done to encourage people to gravitate towards the trades is engagement. Companies like RIDGID are incredibly invested in the community and supportive of our endeavors. Social media allows us to share our daily routines, maybe even glamorize them. In my opinion, the fanfare associated with actors and musicians should be at the very least equal to the men and women who keep this impossible infrastructure working. Social media allows us to do that to be rock stars for 30 seconds at a time. Hopefully someone sees that and says “You know what? I don’t want to be a rapper anymore. I want to be a plumber.” If we want to replenish the labor pool, social media is the well to dip from. 

Jeff DeMassari

Parlin, New Jersey

@JEFFJDEMHVAC

What do you enjoy the most about being in the skilled trades?

My favorite aspect is being able to finish a job, look at it and be proud of the work I did. I also really enjoy training new apprentices and watching their skills grow. 

 What’s the best thing the industry can do to get more young people into the PHCP industry?

Continue to place a focus on social media, by highlighting the craftsmen and women that dedicate their time to making videos that teach the correct way of doing things in the field.

Joao Escorio

San Lorenzo, California

@JOAOTHEPLUMBER

What do you enjoy the most about being in the skilled trades?

I think the thing that I enjoy most about being a plumber is getting to save someone’s day. Usually when I show up to a job, it’s because of dire need. Using my experience, quality tools and methods I am able to save the day and make someone’s residence or work space better than it was before. I love the mechanical aspects of the job - how much there really is to it. I have been fortunate as a plumber for the last 23 years that I have literally plumbed from the roof top vent all the way out to the San Francisco Bay. I started out doing new construction, then went to work for the city of South San Francisco where I worked on city mains, laterals and the treatment plant. Now I work for Stanford University where I lead the housing and dining’s plumbing department. Some days I may be working under a historic building from 1891 repairing a 4-inch steam line and the next day I am diagnosing a hot water complaint in a building 6 months old. 

What’s the best thing the industry can do to get more young people into the PHCP industry?

I think the industry needs to continue to promote the trade early on. Media such as TikTok and Instagram are doing a good job of it, but I think more can be done. I have followers who tell me how much they and their children enjoy my videos and content. But it would be nice to see the trade promoted in a more commercialized way, such as cartoons, TV programing. My kids are always proud to tell everyone their dad is a plumber because someone is always needing one! Getting trade skills back in the high school and middle schools and teaching young people that if they are somewhat mechanically inclined this job would not only provide for them and their family but there are so many different directions you can go once you have the skills. College has been pushed hard for so many years, but without a doubt trade school is higher learning, too. 

Megan Watson-Jesso

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

@WATERPLUMBERGIRL

What do you enjoy the most about being a plumber?

What I enjoy most about being a plumber is that I have a passion for helping people, and once I realized how much opportunity there is in the plumbing industry to help, it was the motivation to help me push through the challenges and obstacles you face in the industry. Being able to solve complex problems, such as providing cleaner drinking water, proper sanitation, and water and drainage has been amazing experience.

What’s the best thing the industry can do to get more young people into the PHCP industry?

If I would have known this opportunity existed when I was in high school I probably would have joined the industry earlier, so having more resources for younger people in schools would be great. One of the reasons I make plumbing content on my platforms is to show people what plumbing is all about and what it entails. In this day in age, social media is a great resource.