Women are making a difference in the success of PHCP-PVF companies throughout our industry. Supply House Times asked our industry partners to tell us about these difference-makers. The results are our third annual look at some of the many women enjoying productive industry careers and their thoughts on their current positions, how they broke into the business and their advice for young women considering a career in the industry.
List Overview, continued:
Anderson | Benedetto | Brady | Brotherton | Chreene | Deaton | Hager | Hulbert-Bruce | Laird | Orellana | Last page
11. Naomi Anderson
Company: Central Kitchen & Bath — Division of Plumbing & Heating Wholesale (Sioux City, Iowa)
Position: Showroom Manager/Designer (almost 8 years)
Naomi says: "I get to live vicariously through each of my customer’s remodels/new builds. I love being able to chat and get to know so many different people, yet maintain great, loyal, constant interaction with my contractors."
12. Tricia Benedetto
Company: Bravo Business Media (Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania).
Position: Creative Director (10 months)
Tricia says: "Women can bring a new perspective to the business that reflects this need to provide products and marketing materials that are in tune with the needs of today’s wholesalers, retailers and consumers."
13. Kate Brady
Company: General Plumbing Supply (Walnut Creek, California)
Position: Director of Showrooms (25 years)
Kate says: "I got into the industry by accident. I graduated with a degree in interior design and took a job working in a small wholesale house while I job-hunted for what I ‘really’ wanted to do. Turned out I fell in love with the plumbing industry."
14. Becky Brotherton
Company: RIDGID (Elyria, Ohio)
Position: Marketing Communications Manager (10 years)
Becky says: "Personally, I know more women are entering the field. I’ve seen the tide shift a bit in my 10 years. I meet and talk to women in the trades more now than I ever have before — and that’s rewarding."
15. Suzanne Chreene
Company: Delta Faucet Co. (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Position: Director, Trade Sales (16 years)
Suzanne says: "The best part of my job is working with our customers. This is a close-knit industry and many of my business partners also are personal friends. We enjoy working together and we care about each other."
16. Jennifer Deaton
Company: J.L. Brasher Co. (Kannapolis, North Carolina)
Position: Owner/President (13 years)
Jennifer says: "Although the road to get to this point had its challenges, it’s extremely gratifying to have earned the respect from my peers and customers in an industry that long has been a predominantly male workforce."
17. Kim Hager
Company: Winsupply (Dayton, Ohio)
Position: Product Marketing Manager-HVAC, Hydronics (27 years)
Lauren says: "I was going to school to be in the medical field because my passion always was to help people. I soon realized what I was doing was helping people. I love what I do and am so thankful for that part-time job 27 years ago (how she started at Winsupply)."
18. Allison Hulbert-Bruce
Company: Hulbert Supply (Platsburgh, New York)
Position: Showroom Manager (20 years)
Allison says: "When a respected contractor put me through the paces before he would entrust any of his projects to me, I asked if I could go out on some jobs with him. I wanted to see from his perspective what installation was like so I could better understand how our products worked, how problems were handled in the field and what I could do to make his job easier. More importantly, I gained his trust."
19. Danielle Laird
Company: Bradford White (Ambler, Pennsylvania)
Position: Marketing Manager (1 1/2 years)
Danielle says: "Bradford White is a true leader in terms of its commitment to bettering the industry as a whole. I am privileged to work for a company that cares to make the difference in everything we do. The industry is evolving and Bradford White is committed to helping its customers and business partners prosper and remain relevant, regardless of what changes lay ahead."
20. Martha Orellana
Company: Mr. Steam (Long Island City, New York)
Position: Vice President (32 years)
Martha says: "There is absolutely no role in kitchen and bath women cannot and should not fill. Pioneering women already have broken through into every job category. All that’s left for us to do is hold the door open for women who wish to join us."
