06/16/2026
 My name is Cory Conklin, and I am the owner of Prickly Repear Plumbing & air
I've been in the HVAC industry since 2002, when I started working for my father and his HVAC company at just 14 years old. While most of my friends spent their summers enjoying vacation, I spent mine learning the trade in Arizona's extreme heat. At the time, I wasn't thrilled about it, but looking back, those years gave me the foundation, work ethic, and knowledge that shaped my entire career.
As a third generation HVAC professional, I have spent more than two decades learning every aspect of the industry. My experience includes new construction, residential service and repair, commercial HVAC systems, facility maintenance, and plumbing. Throughout my career, I worked for several respected companies across the Valley, including Precision Air, Mesa Mechanical, Magic Touch Mechanical, Larson Air, and Tungsten Mechanical. I also served as an HVAC Engineer for Grand Canyon University, where I gained valuable experience maintaining and troubleshooting large commercial HVAC systems.
In 2014, I expanded my skill set by learning plumbing, allowing me to provide homeowners with a more complete solution for their comfort and home service needs.
Over the years, I noticed something that bothered me. Too many companies were focused on selling rather than serving. Homeowners were often pressured into expensive repairs or full system replacements when honest recommendations and quality repairs would have solved the problem.
I didn't start my company because I wanted to be a business owner. I started my company because I wanted customers to have an honest HVAC and plumbing company they could trust.
In 2019, my wife Nicole and I took a leap of faith and started Prickly Repear Heating, Air & Plumbing. While I handle the field operations, diagnostics, repairs, and installations, Nicole manages the heart of the business behind the scenes. She oversees office operations, dispatching, scheduling, marketing, bookkeeping, and customer relations, ensuring every customer receives the same level of care and attention we would provide to our own family.
Today, our business means more than providing heating, cooling, and plumbing services. It represents the values that were passed down to me through three generations of tradesmen: work hard, be honest, stand behind your word, and take care of people.
As my wife and I prepare to welcome our son, Ryker, I'm reminded daily why we started this journey. Prickly Repear isn't just a business it's a legacy we're building for our family. Whether Ryker chooses to enter the trades one day or follows a completely different path, my hope is that he grows up seeing what can happen when you work hard, treat people right, and build something with integrity.
Every service call, every satisfied customer, and every challenge we overcome helps build a stronger future for our family and the community we serve.
Today, we're proud to be a family owned and operated company serving homeowners throughout the Valley. When you call Prickly Repear, you're not calling a large corporation or private equity backed company. You're calling a local Arizona family that genuinely cares about earning your trust and becoming your family's comfort company for years to come.
