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Housecall Pro Announces Inaugural Trades 40 Under 40 Class of 2026
Honorees represent a new generation of entrepreneurs and leaders shaping the future of skilled trades
DENVER, May 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Housecall Pro®, a leading AI field service platform trusted by home service professionals who have served 1 in 4 American homes, today announced the Trades 40 Under 40 Class of 2026. The program recognizes young leaders who are building standout businesses, serving their communities, and raising the standard of excellence in the skilled trades.
Selected from more than 1,300 nominations across the United States and Canada, the inaugural Trades 40 Under 40 class spans home service fields including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, painting, cleaning, and more. Their stories reflect the breadth of opportunity in the trades, from young entrepreneurs scaling million-dollar businesses before turning 25, to second-generation leaders carrying forward family legacies, to veterans and mentors using their businesses to create pathways for others.
"The stereotype that trades are a fallback is outdated," said Roland Ligtenberg, Co-Founder and Chief AI Officer at Housecall Pro. "Across 1,000+ nominations, we saw the next generation of operators building real companies: trained teams, strong cultures, and customer experiences that compete with any modern brand. The trades are the smartest entrepreneurial path in America right now. It's only accelerating, and this class is leading it."
The nomination pool itself reflected the industry’s changing demographics. Roughly 1 in 9 nominations came from Gen Z professionals between the ages of 19 and 29, underscoring rising interest in the trades among younger generations. Additionally, 10 women were named to the inaugural class, representing 25% of honorees and signaling the growing influence of women across field, office, and executive leadership roles in the trades.
“You could feel the pride and work ethic coming through in these nominations,” said Tommy Mello, Founder and CEO of A1 Garage Door Service and a Trades 40 Under 40 judge. “Some of these honorees started their businesses just a few years ago and are now leading growing teams, serving entire communities, and helping inspire more young people to pursue careers in the trades.”
The inaugural Trades 40 Under 40 class will be celebrated during Housecall Pro’s Spring Summit on June 4. Nominations for the class of 2027 will open next year.
View the complete 2026 winner roster below, and full honoree profiles at trades40under40.com.
Trades 40 Under 40 Class of 2026
| Name | Trade | Business | Location | ||||||
| John Bottala | Plumbing | Western Rooter and Plumbing | Arcadia, CA | ||||||
| Mario Lopez | HVAC | Atticman Heating & Air | Sacramento, CA | ||||||
| Michael Lanphear | Plumbing | AYS Plumbing & Rooter | Upland, CA | ||||||
| Daniel Leblanc | HVAC | Simcoe Muskoka Home Comfort | Orillia, ON | ||||||
| Jay Villegas | HVAC | Frontier Cooling and Heating | Mission, TX | ||||||
| Joshua Warner | Electrical, HVAC | Maverick Electric, Heating, and Air | Roseville, CA | ||||||
| Amber Southard | Plumbing | Heritage Plumbing | Ridgefield, WA | ||||||
| Seth Chapman | HVAC | Chapman's A/C and Heating | Lafayette, LA | ||||||
| Donavan Truesdale | HVAC | Blue Diamond Heating and Air | San Diego, CA | ||||||
| Julian Chavez | Dryer Vent Cleaning | Dryer Vent Cleaning, Inc. | St. Augustine, FL | ||||||
| Stephen Miley | HVAC | Heritage Air Services | Midlothian, TX | ||||||
| Stephanie Mewherter | Plumbing | Thomas Plumbing | Raeford, NC | ||||||
| Chase Vess | Pressure Washing | Excellent Exteriors | Fredericksburg, VA | ||||||
| Jayson Jimenez | Plumbing | The Bearded Plumber | San Antonio, TX | ||||||
| Joseph Prestia | Plumbing | Pipe Wizard Plumbing & Heating | Yorktown, NY | ||||||
| John Black | HVAC, Plumbing | Yeti HVAC and Plumbing | Minneapolis, MN | ||||||
| Michael Koop | HVAC | Clean Heating & Air, Crawlspace, and Pest | Dalton, GA | ||||||
| Michael Eppich | Plumbing | Peerless Plumbing | Phoenix, AZ | ||||||
| Marco Tellerico | Chimney | Higgins Energy Alternatives | Barre, MA | ||||||
| Justin Colizzi | HVAC, Plumbing | Seaside Plumbing and Mechanical | Hampton, NH | ||||||
| Jillian Pittman | Plumbing | JMP Plumbing Services | McKinney, TX | ||||||
| Travis Austin | Garage Doors | West Coast Garage Doors | Cape Coral, FL | ||||||
| Kelly Breeden | HVAC | Monticello Air | Charlottesville, VA | ||||||
| Asher Bennett | HVAC | All Hours Heating & Cooling | Belton, MO | ||||||
| Nate Suggs | HVAC | North Myrtle Beach Heating & Air Conditioning | North Myrtle Beach, SC | ||||||
| Sam Matsuk | HVAC | Topline Heating & Air | Lancaster, PA | ||||||
| Olivia Cockroft | HVAC | Chasco Plumbing and Heating | St. Johns, MI | ||||||
| Brennan Bleile | HVAC | Suck It Up Furnace Cleaning | Chestermere, AB | ||||||
| Brian Davis | HVAC, Plumbing | Dayco Systems | Acworth, GA | ||||||
| Tanner Kielty | Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing | R.J. Kielty Plumbing, Air Conditioning and Electric | New Port Richey, FL | ||||||
| Joshua Lawson | Carpet Cleaning | Spectrum Carpet Cleaning | Frederick, MD | ||||||
| Jonathan Bucci | Painting | Apex Painting Group | Bonita Springs, FL | ||||||
| Krystal Hernandez | HVAC, Plumbing, Electric | Climate Experts Air, Plumbing & Electric | Melbourne, FL | ||||||
| Chelsea Barrett | Electric, HVAC | Luminous Electric, Heating, and Cooling | Englewood, CO | ||||||
| Courtney Terenti | HVAC | Four Seazons Heating and Cooling | Lake Havasu City, AZ | ||||||
| Amanda Kelly | HVAC, Plumbing | Beltway Air Conditioning Heating & Plumbing | Hanover, MD | ||||||
| Jake Cordero | Plumbing | Motherflushers Plumbing | Victorville, CA | ||||||
| Stephen Evangelista | Water Treatment | HQ Water Solutions | Lancaster County, PA | ||||||
| Chase Gallagher | Landscaping | CMG Landscaping | West Chester, PA | ||||||
| Amber DeLong | HVAC | DeLong and Sons HVAC | Shoemakersville, PA | ||||||
About Housecall Pro
Housecall Pro® is a leading AI field service platform trusted by more than 200,000 home service professionals who have served 1 in 4 American homes. With Housecall Pro, the busywork runs itself, from scheduling and dispatching to payments and customer communication, so Pros can focus on the job and grow their business. Housecall Pro also supports the industry through Champion the Trades™. Learn more at housecallpro.com.
Media Contact
Taylor D'Eliseo
Walker Sands for Housecall Pro
taylor.deliseo@walkersands.com
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