What PLUMBERS AND STEAMFITTERS LOCAL 166 does

Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 166 is a labor union local chartered on June 12, 1899 and affiliated with the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada. Headquartered at 2930 W. Ludwig Road in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the union represents 1,100 members and 326 apprentices across 14 counties in Northeast Indiana (Adams, Allen, Blackford, DeKalb, Elkhart, Grant, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells, and Whitley). Its jurisdiction was consolidated through two historical mergers — Elkhart Local 278 in 1977 and Marion Local 689 in 1981.

The union's core product is a five-year Building Trades Apprenticeship Program that combines 1,700-2,000 on-the-job training hours per year with 246 annual classroom hours, producing certified plumbers, pipefitters, and HVAC service technicians. The training portfolio is delivered through a dedicated training facility and includes specialized certification modules — Medical Gas System Installation (the only such simulator in Indiana), Backflow Testing, orbital tube welding, 57+ welding and brazing procedures, ASME Section IX soldering/brazing, and OSHA 10-Hour with First-Aid/CPR. A joint educational program with Ivy Tech State College (since 1996) allows members to earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree. Adjacent services include a Family Medical Center benefit program, a pre-apprenticeship high school internship pipeline, and an annual High School Welding Contest.

The union operates on a traditional labor union business model: members pay dues and are placed with 45 contractor member employers through a hiring hall, while contractors contribute to collectively bargained wage packages and benefit funds (Health & Welfare, Disability, Death Benefit, Pension, Annuity). The union invests approximately $2,000,000 annually in workforce training. Go-to-market is community-led, with recruitment driven by high school articulation agreements, word-of-mouth referrals, and apprenticeship applications rather than commercial marketing. Per Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited by the union, unionized wages in Indiana are nearly three times higher than non-union wages including fringe benefits.

Name

PLUMBERS AND STEAMFITTERS LOCAL 166

Legal name

Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union 166

Website

https://ualocal166.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 166 is a labor union chartered in 1899, representing 1,100 members and 326 apprentices across 14 Northeast Indiana counties. It runs a five-year apprenticeship program, specialized trade certifications, and a hiring hall connecting members with 45 contractor employers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Wayne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Collective Bargaining Agreement Revenue: Revenue generated through collective bargaining agreements with contractors. Union wages are negotiated with employers who contribute to benefit packages including Health & Welfare, Disability, Death Benefit, Pension, and Annuity.
2. Apprenticeship Program: Probationary and formal apprenticeship programs providing skilled craftsmen to the plumbing, pipefitting, and HVAC industries. Apprentices serve 1-year probationary period followed by 4-year apprenticeship totaling 5 years.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 166 is a labor union that recruits, trains, and dispatches skilled plumbers, pipefitters, HVAC service technicians, and welders to mechanical contractors across 14 counties in Northeast Indiana. Its core offering is a five-year Building Trades Apprenticeship Program combining on-the-job training and classroom instruction, supplemented by journeyman continuing education, internship opportunities for high school students, and specialized certifications (medical gas, backflow testing, welding, OSHA 10-hour, soldering and brazing).

Product overview

PLUMBERS AND STEAMFITTERS LOCAL 166 operates as a labor union offering a portfolio of vocational training programs and member services centered on the plumbing, pipefitting, and HVAC trades. The core offering is the five-year Building Trades Apprenticeship Program, supplemented by Journeyman Training and Internship Opportunities for pre-apprentices. The training portfolio includes specialized certification modules (Medical Gas Certification, Backflow Testing, Welding, Plumbing Fixtures, Soldering & Brazing, OSHA 10-Hour) delivered through the Local 166 Training Facility, which partners with Ivy Tech State College to offer an Associate Degree Program. Member services include a Family Medical Center, while community outreach includes an annual High School Welding Contest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Building Trades Apprenticeship Program Five-year apprenticeship program training individuals to become plumbers, pipefitters, and HVAC service technicians, covering 14 counties in Northeast Indiana with 1,700–2,000 hours of on-the-job training per year plus 246 hours of classroom instruction annually.
• Journeyman Training

Quantifiable outcome

• Union wages nearly 3 times higher than non-union wages in Indiana (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ivy Tech State CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996Since 1996, Local 166 and Ivy Tech have operated a joint educational program enabling members to earn credit toward an Associate of Applied Science Degree. Apprentices earn credit for both apprenticeship classes and on-the-job training through Ivy Tech courses including History of Labor, Human Relations in the Workplace, and Technical Writing.
• United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe fitting Industry of the United States and CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1899Parent organization affiliated since June 12, 1899. The United Association is the international union for plumbers, gas fitters, apprentices, and pipefitters representing workers in the United States and Canada.
• Mechanical Contractors Association of IndianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Local 166 and the Mechanical Contractors Association of Indiana to train skilled craftsmen in Plumbing, Pipefitting, and HVAC Technician fields.
• Fort Wayne Career AcademyminorOthersHigh school with articulation agreement for internship program in HVACR, pipefitting, plumbing and welding trades.
• Garrett High SchoolminorOthersHigh school with articulation agreement for internship program in HVACR, pipefitting, plumbing and welding trades.
• Columbia City High SchoolminorOthersHigh school with articulation agreement for internship program in HVACR, pipefitting, plumbing and welding trades.
• Northridge High SchoolminorOthersHigh school with articulation agreement for internship program in HVACR, pipefitting, plumbing and welding trades.
• Huntington North High SchoolminorOthersHigh school with articulation agreement for internship program in HVACR, pipefitting, plumbing and welding trades.
• Smith-Green Community SchoolsminorOthersHigh school with articulation agreement for internship program in HVACR, pipefitting, plumbing and welding trades.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plumbers-and-steamfitters-local-166

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about PLUMBERS AND STEAMFITTERS LOCAL 166