For his dedicated leadership and commitment to professionalism in the industry, Vincent “Trey” Giglio III was honored as the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association (PHCC) 2024 Plumbing Contractor of the Year. Sponsored by Delta Faucet, the award was presented this week at PHCC CONNECT 2024 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Vice president of Universal Plumbing in Shreveport, Louisiana, “Trey is a third-generation business owner, and this industry is in his blood,” says PHCC of Louisiana Executive Director Crystal Carter. “He is proud of the accomplishments his family has achieved and the torch he continues to carry alongside his father, who has not hung up his toolbelt, either.”

Giglio is quick to credit his company’s success to its efforts to elevate the plumbing industry’s reputation. “Professionalism is at the core of everything we do,” says Giglio, from requiring all personnel to wear collared shirts branded with the company name and logo, to training his crew on customer service, to maintaining a professional office atmosphere. As a result, Universal Plumbing was named Louisiana’s Business of the Year in 2011 and was recognized by BusinessWeek magazine as one of the 100 fastest-growing inner city-based companies in 2010.

Giglio also believes the company should be as “self-sustaining” as possible, including with merchandising. With that, it stocks its own mini supply house with routine parts, allowing staff access to anything they may need during the workday without chasing down parts at supply houses and losing productivity at supply counters.

The company also embraces the latest technologies available, from using a custom software program to schedule, estimate, dispatch, and invoice to prefabricating systems to reduce water or hot water downtime for the consumer. Universal Plumbing takes great pride in offering quality service at a reasonable cost and holds every trade license available in the state of Louisiana. “Despite the fact that we do not routinely perform work across all trades, when a project crosses over into some electrical work, mechanical work, or utility work, our staff is able to handle the project under one roof,” says Giglio.

Within PHCC, Giglio is a dedicated member of PHCC of Louisiana’s leadership, currently serving as president-elect after more than a decade of work on the chapter’s Board of Directors. He has been instrumental in expanding and improving the programs and services the chapter provides to build and strengthen the industry’s workforce, working with high schools and technical colleges to bring apprenticeship curricula to students at the secondary and post-secondary levels.

Giglio also holds a governor-appointed seat on the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana. “Since taking this position, he has been a mover and a shaker, seeking ways to advance the practice of plumbing, as well as continuously elevating the perception of the profession,” says Carter.

While bringing respect to the plumbing trade, Giglio also takes pride in having a positive impact on his community. His countless civic and community activities range from being the youngest bowl chairman in the history of college football, to his position as president of the Barksdale Air Force Base Military Affairs Council, to his service on numerous educational boards and councils, to his involvement with Catholic charities. “And that doesn’t include his passion for officiating NCAA football!” adds Carter. Giglio is a true leader in both the plumbing industry and his community.