Next Gen All Star: Steven Chen

By Natalie Forster, Editorial Director, Nicole Krawcke

Steven Chen

AGE: 33

COMPANY: LEE SUPPLY CORP.

TITLE: DIRECTOR OF PURCHASING

How long have you been in the PHCP-PVF industry?

About eight Years.

What drew you into the industry?

What drew me to this industry is the many career opportunities that Plumbing and Heating have to offer. I was searching for an industry to continue my professional career where I could make the most impact with my experience. I have found this working for the Lee Family and Lee Supply Corp.

What is the most rewarding aspect of working in the industry?

Most rewarding aspect would be the people you meet and relationships you build. This industry is full of great mentors and leaders, and I enjoy collaborating and learning from their perspectives.

What motivates you every day?

My family; and watching my team members succeed motivates me every day. A motivated team working towards a common goal can accomplish anything.

What is one thing you wish more people knew/understood about the PHCP-PVF industry?

You are your number one asset. If you are a motivated, hard-working individual and eager to learn, the opportunities are endless in this industry. There is a reason why many people who come into this field never leave.

What has been your proudest moment in your career so far?

I have had many proud moments in my career, but I am most proud with developing current leaders and future leaders within our organization through my department. The improved communication and interdepartmental collaboration in our company has enhanced our efficiency and effectiveness as a team.

What is one thing most people don’t know about you?

I am very competitive. With anything I do, personal or work life, I strive to be the best.

“Since Steven has taken over Lee supply’s purchasing department, he has transformed the role. He helped navigate the Purchasing Team through the pandemic, some of our fastest growing years so far, and as Lee has grown, he has grown a self-sustaining Team and become Director of Purchasing with a well-trained Supervisor to back him up. He has also gotten us involved in more events with vendors and solidified our relationships with them. This has become increasingly important as we are dealing with many new Reps across different state lines. We’ve also expanded across several newer types of products.

Steven has always been a self-starter. When he first started at Lee I noticed he took notes without being asked when he was learning new things. I’ve always seen this trait as an indicator someone is going to do well and I wasn’t wrong there. He’s the type of person that doesn’t just want to know something is fixed, he’s on that asks why and how it was fixed so he knows how to the next time.

Through our growth, uncertain lead times though the pandemic, and expansion of other product groupings, it’s impressive to see what he has done with the Purchasing Team, our vendor and rep relationships, and the dialogue between the Branches and Purchasing. He is for sure deserving of consideration and I give him my highest recommendation for this award.”

— Senior Business Analyst, Lee Supply Corp.

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Natalie Forster is the director of communications for the American Supply Association (ASA), where she leads the association's public and media relations strategy, social media efforts, and member-focused online and print communications. Prior to joining ASA, she was the Editorial Director of Plumbing & Mechanical and Supply House Times. Before that, she served as an editor and digital content director for Southern Trade Publications, a publishing company focused on the PHCP trades and real estate industries. Natalie holds a bachelor's degree in communication studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Nicole Krawcke is the former Chief Editor of Plumbing & Mechanical. She joined BNP Media in 2014 and served as Web Editor and Business Management Editor of The ACHR NEWS. Prior to joining BNP, she worked at Patch.com, a hyper-local news platform focused on community journalism. She has 10 plus years of writing and editing experience and holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Michigan State University.