phcc helps renovate

flood - damaged new orleans homes

( 215 ) 338-4803

New Orleans — Forty members of the Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors Association participated in a day of service, this October, in conjunction with the PHCC annual convention, CONNECT 2009, here. Through a partnership with Rebuilding 


Together New Orleans (RTNO), p-h-c contractors, 

spouses and staff helped renovate the exterior of

a mid-city home that was damaged by Hurricane

Katrina. The individuals scraped walls and applied

primer to the house owned by Patricia and Leonard

Johnson, who had lived in the home for 20 years

until August 2005. During the flooding, the

Johnsons were rescued and transported to Houston

and eventually moved to Georgia for a year. They 

returned to New Orleans in a FEMA trailer near

their house until the home was habitable.


“Although PHCC has partnered with Rebuilding Together for the last few years, particularly through our state and local chapters across the country, this was the first time we approached a project on a national level,” said Ike Casey, PHCC executive vice president. “We enjoyed being part of such a worthwhile effort, and were very pleased to see how much the homeowners appreciated the assistance.” 


In addition to the day of service, PHCC recruited companies to contribute more than $10,000 of donations, including faucets, toilets, tank-less water heaters and other plumbing fixtures for use in the homes RTNO rebuilds and repairs. Participating companies were Accubid Systems, Barnett Pro Contractor Supplies, Bemis Manufacturing, InSinkErator, Gerber Plumbing Fixtures, Noritz and Viega.

RTNO plans to rebuild 200 homes this fiscal year, doubling its completed homes from last year and matching the 200 homes rebuilt in total since Hurricane Katrina. The following individuals and companies participated in the day of service:


  • Michael Allen, Allen Plumbing & Heating, Somerville, Mass. Alice Ames, Maine PHCC, Portland, Maine

  • Rob and Lori Basnett, Basnett Plumbing & Heating, Littleton, Mass.

  • Hunter Botto, Botto Brothers Plumbing & Heating, Hicksville, N.Y.

  • Ike Casey, PHCC National, Falls Church, Va.

  • Maureen Coleman, PHCC National, Falls Church, Va.

  • Stephana Cunningham, Nibco, Elkhart, Ind. Brandon Dubois, Payne Company, Bossier City, La.

  • Ronald Dunsmoor, Eastern Mechanical Inc., Biddeford, Maine

  • James and Nancy Eberhardt, Eberhardt Plumbing & Heating, Adell, Wis.

  • Jeff Eisen, J & J Plumbing Service Inc., South Pasadena, Calif.

  • Katie Gilbert, PHCC National, Falls Church, Va.

  • Charles Hicks, Dodson Plumbing, Heating & A/C Inc., Graymont, Ill.

  • Dea Hicks, Dodson Plumbing, Heating & A/C Inc., Graymont, Ill.

  • Guy Hurt, Payne Mechanical Co., Bossier City, La.

  • Sharon Kelly, Knoxville, Tenn.

  • Ron King, Accubid Systems, Concord, Ontario

  • Elicia Magruder, PHCC National, Falls Church, Va.

  • Vincent Marzulli, Marzulli & Son Plumbing & Heating, Philadelphia

  • Robert Maslo, McDonnell Plumbing Inc., Pinellas Park, Fla.

  • Frank North, R.C. North Plumbing & Heating Inc., Naples, Maine

  • Arnie Prime, A & B Plumbing & Heating, Bay City, Mich.

  • Steven Rivers, Rivers Plumbing, Heating & Air, Pleasanton, Calif.

  • Fred Robillard, Reliable Plumbing Inc., Baton Rouge, La.

  • Rhonda Robillard, Reliable Plumbing Inc., Baton Rouge, La.

  • Grace Santana, Grace Santana Plumbing, San Francisco

  • Mike Schmitz, Cox Plumbing Company Inc., Waukesha, Wis.

  • Cindy Sheridan, PHCC National, Falls Church, Va.

  • Sandi Soleta, PHCC of Greater Los Angeles Area, Los Angeles

  • Richard Steadman, Bartlett-Steadman Plumbing, Marblehead, Mass.

  • Anne Steadman, Bartlett-Steadman Plumbing, Marblehead, Mass.

  • Charlie Wallace, PHCC National, Falls Church, Va.

  • Luther Westman, Westman Plumbing Inc., Minneapolis

  • Jeanette Westman, Westman Plumbing Inc., Minneapolis