PHCC Educational Foundation Crowns Winners of Redesigned National HVAC Apprenticeship Competition
Key Highlights
- The New HVAC National Competition replaced multiple stations with a single, comprehensive installation task to better simulate real job-site conditions.
- Participants installed and started up a split-system heat pump, emphasizing practical skills and manufacturer specifications.
- The redesigned format serves as a potential model for future national HVAC competitions to elevate technician skills.
DEADWOOD, South Dakota — The PHCC Educational Foundation recently launched a redesigned National HVAC Apprenticeship Competition that challenged technicians to demonstrate real-world installation and troubleshooting skills during a national event held in South Dakota.
Nine HVAC apprentices from across the United States competed in the new format, which replaced multiple technical stations with a single, high-stakes field installation designed to simulate a real-world jobsite.
Participants from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, California, and Virginia were tasked with installing a complete split-system heat pump. The assignment required competitors to complete piping, wiring, and vacuum charging according to manufacturer specifications, replicating a factory start-up procedure.
According to the PHCC Educational Foundation, the updated format reflects the growing technical complexity of modern HVAC systems, including the increasing role of connected technologies, smart controls, and energy-efficient equipment.
The competition was organized as a pilot program led by South Dakota contractors Dan Hartman of Wolff’s Plumbing and Heating and Brett Kaltvedt of Midwestern Mechanical. The redesigned structure is intended to serve as a model that could be replicated by other PHCC chapters nationwide.
“Putting this competition together was no small feat, but we’re thrilled to have created such a strong blueprint for national HVAC competitions,” said Hartman, technical and project chair for the PHCC National HVAC Contest. “This type of state-to-state competition motivates technicians to sharpen their craft and raise the benchmark of the HVAC industry.”
Competitors were required to have field experience and certification to safely handle refrigerants, though they were not required to be their state’s competition winners.
The event ran alongside the South Dakota PHCC state convention in Deadwood. In addition to the competition, the event included seminars and hands-on demonstrations designed to introduce local high school students to careers in the skilled trades.
“The national HVAC competition has notably improved and was a tremendous success,” said Dan Quinonez, executive director of the PHCC Educational Foundation. “We are honored to host an event of this caliber, promoting growth and skills enhancement in HVACR while demonstrating to future generations the rewarding nature of a career in the trades.”
Winners of the 2026 National HVAC Apprenticeship Competition were:
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First Place: Cole Kelley, Pipefitters Local 537 Boston, Boston, Massachusetts;
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Second Place: Jantzen Fisher, Midwestern Mechanical, Rapid City, South Dakota; and
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Third Place: Will Lauseng, Waterbury Heating & Cooling, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The event was supported by several industry manufacturers and suppliers, including Rheem, Milwaukee Tool, Mueller Streamline Co., DSG, Energy Dynamics Inc., Johnstone Supply, Midwestern Mechanical, and Wolff’s Plumbing & Heating.
According to organizers, industry support highlights the need for hands-on training models that combine practical installation skills with technical knowledge to help address the HVAC workforce shortage.
Note: This piece was created with the help of generative AI tools and edited by our content team for clarity and accuracy.