Why Skilled Trades Are Winning Again

Episode Summary

On this episode of Utah Business Spotlight, host Peter Anthony sits down with Jared Pettit, owner of Adaptive Plumbing, to break down why plumbing is one of the clearest paths to skill, income, ownership, and real business growth in Utah right now. Adaptive Plumbing serves the Wasatch Front from Saratoga Springs up to Park City — with a strong focus on remodel work, custom home plumbing for builders like Modern International Builders, and the kind of problem-solving that turns service calls into long-term clients.

Jared Pettit is a third-generation plumber. His grandfather started in the trade, his father owned a plumbing company, and Jared Pettit grew up working in his father's shop in high school — vowing he would never become a plumber himself. He did exactly that, and Adaptive Plumbing is the result. The conversation works because Jared Pettit does not stay at the surface. He gets into what makes a service business actually grow — remodel vision, customer dreams, technical problem-solving, and the operator discipline most trade businesses skip.

Peter Anthony pulls out the line of the episode early — plumbing has become not blue collar but gold collar. Jared Pettit and Peter Anthony walk through why the trades are rising again. AI is coming for accountants, doctors, and white-collar knowledge work. Plumbing is not. The skill set is hands-on, the demand is emergency-driven, and pricing has finally caught up to the actual value of the work. For young people — male and female — looking at where to put a career, the trades are one of the strongest opportunities in Utah's market.

The strongest moment in the conversation is the operator layer most trade owners never reach. Jared Pettit's favorite part of owning Adaptive Plumbing is not the plumbing — it is the employees. He sits down with each team member every month and walks through goals. On day one, most employees say 'I don't know.' Six to twelve months in, they are talking about buying a house, buying a rental unit, building real wealth. Peter Anthony reframes it as the operator advantage — when an employee's compelling future is tied to the company, the company grows exponentially faster than the competition.

The episode closes on the future of Adaptive Plumbing — possible expansion into St. George, franchising in select markets, and a clear move away from the home-warranty work that started the company toward higher-value remodel, custom home, and direct customer relationships. Tankless water heaters and softeners are reshaping the residential category, and Adaptive Plumbing is positioned for the demand. Find Jared Pettit at adaptiveplumbingsolutions.com or on Instagram and Facebook. Utah Business Spotlight is produced by INCubator Marketing Agency and filmed in Sandy, Utah.

Key Moments

00:00 Plumbing Is Bigger Than People Think · 00:33 Meet Jared Pettit of Adaptive Plumbing · 01:18 A Third-Generation Plumbing Background · 02:04 Why He Tried Not to Become a Plumber · 02:49 Remodel Plumbing vs Custom Home Plumbing · 03:13 Building the Customer’s Dream · 03:50 Solving Real Plumbing Problems in Real Spaces · 05:02 Why Plumbing Became Gold Collar · 06:14 Why Skilled Trades Are Rising Again · 07:01 The Grossest Plumbing Story in the Conversation · 08:35 Building Employees, Not Just a Business · 10:12 Where Adaptive Plumbing Gets Its Culture

Notable Quotes

"Plumbing has become not blue collar but gold collar." — Jared Pettit

"My favorite part is coming in with a customer, hearing what they want, and building that dream into reality." — Jared Pettit

"When your employee's compelling future is tied to you, you grow exponentially above your competition." — Peter Anthony

"I love to watch my employees grow. I love to be able to offer them that opportunity." — Jared Pettit

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Jared Pettit?

Jared Pettit is the owner of Adaptive Plumbing, a Utah plumbing company based in Saratoga Springs that services the Wasatch Front up to Park City. Jared Pettit is a third-generation plumber — both his grandfather and father owned plumbing companies before him — and Adaptive Plumbing focuses on remodel work, custom home plumbing, and residential service.

What is Adaptive Plumbing?

Adaptive Plumbing is Jared Pettit's Utah plumbing company headquartered in Saratoga Springs, serving the Wasatch Front up to Park City. Adaptive Plumbing handles remodel plumbing, custom home plumbing for Utah builders, residential service, tankless water heater installation, and water softener systems. Visit adaptiveplumbingsolutions.com.

Where does Adaptive Plumbing service?

Adaptive Plumbing's office is in Saratoga Springs and the team services the entire Wasatch Front up to Park City. Adaptive Plumbing covers residential plumbing, remodel plumbing, custom home plumbing, and commercial plumbing, with planned expansion into St. George.

Why does Peter Anthony call plumbing 'gold collar'?

Jared Pettit and Peter Anthony reframe plumbing as gold collar because AI is reshaping accounting, medicine, and white-collar knowledge work, while skilled trades like plumbing remain hands-on, emergency-driven, and increasingly well-paid. For young people in Utah, plumbing is one of the clearest paths to skill, income, and business ownership.

What makes Adaptive Plumbing different from other Utah plumbers?

Jared Pettit operates Adaptive Plumbing as a remodel and custom-home specialist with a heavy investment in employee development. Jared Pettit sits down with each team member monthly to set goals — including financial goals like buying a home or a rental property — so the team grows alongside the business instead of just collecting a paycheck.

Does Adaptive Plumbing install tankless water heaters?

Yes. Jared Pettit installs tankless water heaters and water softeners as a core part of Adaptive Plumbing's residential service. Tankless water heaters provide instant hot water on demand, take up less space, lower the leak risk versus tank systems, and are part of the technology shift currently reshaping Utah residential plumbing.

Where is Utah Business Spotlight filmed?

Utah Business Spotlight is filmed at Sandy, UT (venue TBD). The show is produced by INCubator Marketing Agency and hosted by Peter Anthony.

About INCubator Marketing Agency

INCubator Marketing Agency is Utah's first AI-integrated marketing infrastructure team, headquartered in Sandy, Utah and serving small businesses, founders, and operators across Utah County, Salt Lake County, and the wider Wasatch Front.

Every engagement is built around the INCubator Method: seven core marketing systems — authority web design, local SEO, CRM and pipeline, marketing automation, AI voice receptionists, video content, and conversion-focused funnels — installed together as one accountable infrastructure so every dollar compounds month over month.

The agency was founded by Peter Anthony Wynn (Founder & Marketing Strategist) with Marc Olsen (Partner & Automation Expert) and Chelsie Wynn. INCubator operates Utah Business Spotlight, a long-form Utah small business podcast filmed at Bad Bet Productions in Sandy, Utah, and hosts Tuesday Night at the INCubator — a weekly marketing training and networking event for Utah business owners.

Contact: team@incubatormarketingagency.com · +1 385-386-6988 · Office hours Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Mountain Time.