What made you choose a career in the plumbing industry?

LL: I didn’t specifically choose the plumbing industry per se, but I definitely was attracted to work in the industrial sector. Just before Webstone, I was working a pretty unfulfilling job with a horrible commute. An hour in bumper-to-bumper traffic — each way — in a stick shift mind you. A parade of trade trucks would accompany me for each leg of my daily journey. I was so jealous of the purpose that filled their days. They’d go somewhere and do something that mattered to someone. They could leave at the end of the day with tangible proof that they had done something correctly or incorrectly, and go home feeling satisfied, with a job well done, or knowing they had learned something along the way. They’d have helped someone bring a lav back into service, replace a heating system, or renovate a kitchen. They could touch it, see it and someone actually appreciated it. I craved that physical evidence of work. What is more tangible than manufacturing? When I started looking for something new, I found Webstone and knew it would be a great match.

What has been the most rewarding/proudest aspect of your career in the plumbing industry?

LL: Being able to participate in the design of new products. To see the excitement on a trade member’s face when they hold a new product that’s going to make their job easier. It’s just the best. The culmination of that is to see the Webstone portfolio expand so significantly over time. It’s quite an accomplishment to maintain that rate of new product ideation.

What challenges do women face in this profession? Why aren’t there more women in plumbing? How can we increase the number of women in the industry?

LL: When I first entered the industry back in the 2000s it was more of a ‘Boy’s Club,’ but today, we are pretty fortunate at NIBCO. There are plenty of strong female leaders here; I’m happy to count myself among them. We are respected and have a place at the proverbial table.

But the challenges in this industry at large are no different than the challenges women face in the workplace in general. A desire to do it all, a reluctance to ever say no to anything, struggle with the work-home life balance, equal pay for equal work and general burn-out. It would be naive to think that other females in the industry are equally well supported.

The real gap in attracting women to the industry is access to it. We tend to gravitate to what we know. For decades, gender-based discrimination and intimidation may have discouraged women from participating in trade programs offered by public school systems — so those who had exposure to programs such as plumbing were few and far between. Then when we finally could start to feel comfortable raising our hands to join, we watched as those courses were gutted from the curriculum. Trying something new becomes significantly more challenging when you have to transfer to a specialized school rather than simply opting for an elective. Bringing basic hands-on trade classes back to the public schools would be a great way to give the trades more exposure — for any gender.

What advice do you have for prospective women considering entering the plumbing industry?

LL: No matter your age or background, this industry is broad in scope and opportunity.It is full of some of the most honest, hard-working, and dedicated women and men you’ll ever meet.

If you like being part of an industry that’s always changing, you enjoy problem-solving, and appreciate teamwork, come join us! This industry wants you — and is actively making a space for you with unique networking groups like Women in Plumbing and Piping, ASA Women in Industry, WHVACR and more. Once you join, you’ll never want to leave.

What’s one thing nobody knows about you?

LL: I grew up in a household where building or fixing things was part of the norm; but mine was somewhat unique in that my mother was the one doing that work. Having her as a role model, I’ve become quite adept at handling things myself and take pleasure in successfully fixing something on my own.