Since its establishment in 1928, the Southern Wholesalers Association (SWA) is a regional trade organization representing more than 950 member locations across the southern United States, including states such as Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Texas, as well as the Bahamas and Caribbean Islands. Its mission is to promote the business interests of wholesalers primarily engaged in the distribution of plumbing, heating, cooling and industrial products.

Dedicated to helping its wholesale distributor members succeed, SWA is a close-knit community of independents who recognize that a strong industry depends on strong member companies.

In 2023, SWA launched its Women in Leadership (WIL) group to focus on bringing more women into the PHCP industry.

“SWA’s culture is one of embracing family-owned businesses,” explains Terry Shafer, SWA’s executive vice president. “As we have strived to promote this culture and the ranks of our women have grown considerably, we recognized that we already had some very strong, smart and capable women that could be excellent mentors for the women entering our industry. We simply needed to develop a platform for our current women leaders to provide guidance and mentorship to other women.”

SWA also recognized that a male-controlled board shouldn’t define the goals of a women’s leadership group.

“We spoke with a core group of women leaders in the association and tasked them with developing a mission for the new group, and they determined that mentorship would play a critical role,” Shafer says. “The Women in Leadership was formed with that initial mission.” He adds: “These women represent all aspects of the plumbing industry channel, with manufacturers, rep firms and distributors all represented. We have owners, regional sales associates, showroom managers and other executives involved in the group. They are all ages and experience levels — from first-year professionals to senior executives. They represent a perfect cross-section of the roles women have within the industry, which allows them to mentor any women in any position within our industry.”

While mentorship remains the group’s cornerstone, its mission has expanded to include recruitment and education — starting with the next generation.

“The WIL created a ‘Girls Who Connect’ aspect within our annual convention where young women, ages 12 and up, who are the children of our members — get an opportunity to learn more about our industry and learn from some very talented women leaders,” Shafer says. “The young women are provided the opportunity to learn some basic plumbing techniques as well as see that our industry can be a great career fit for them. The WIL serves as great role models for our children.”

Driving change

The PHCP industry may not always be seen as exciting, but it’s essential — and it’s evolving. The playing field is leveling, as more women enter and redefine what leadership looks like.

“There is a misconception that the industry does not provide a successful, healthy career path for females,” says Brandy Payne, inside sales account manager at Midland Industries and WIL chairperson. “The industry has changed considerably, and women have just as many opportunities to develop a successful career as our male counterparts. While there are still challenges to overcome, we are not damsels in distress.”

Payne leads the volunteer-driven WIL group alongside two women on its Leadership Committee, three chairs on the Educational Committee, and three chairs on the Girls Who Connect Committee. Currently, WIL boasts nearly 80 active members.

“Our mission statement is clear: We are dedicated to making a better workplace environment for all segments of the industry through awareness, investment and mentorship of existing and future female industry peers,” she says. “Our goal is to highlight female leadership opportunities that accelerate personal and career growth development.”

Payne adds: “My personal statement is that I believe we provide support and development to our peers, while introducing the younger generation to the amazing opportunities that our industry presents for all.”

WIL’s committees are designed to drive awareness and foster growth in what was once considered a male-dominated industry.

“We created an educational committee to research, develop, and lead educational development sessions during our monthly meetings,” Payne explains. “Our goal is to provide a platform for the women in our industry to develop relationships that accelerate development and growth opportunities through promotion and advocacy of educational opportunities within SWA as well as other industry resources. We are building a network that transparently shares ‘lessons learned’ and insight.”

Getting involved

WIL hosts monthly meetings focused on peer-to-peer networking and developing formal programming for SWA’s annual convention, held each June.

“The educational committee is surveying the membership to determine desired educational content and developing lessons based on the membership’s needs,” Payne says. “The long-term goal is to provide educational lessons, share tips and tricks, and discuss current topics impacting our industry. We dedicate time during our monthly meetings to the current topic and will be hosting breakout sessions for those interested in additional information.”

The group is also launching a formal mentor/mentee program. “We match up noncompeting members to a mentor or mentee based on their needs,” she states. “This allows the mentee to contact and use the mentor as an educational resource, while building networking relationships.”

Its reach goes beyond current professionals through its “Girls Who Connect” initiative, which introduces the next generation to the opportunities in the PHCP industry.

“The Girls Who Connect initiative was designed to engage with the younger females who attend the summer convention with their families,” Payne notes. “We strive to educate these young women on skills, networking and career opportunities that they may not have considered simply due to the misconception that it is a male-only industry. We share our education and experience to help improve this perception and show the younger generation that they are capable and welcomed in this industry.”

Leadership is no longer defined by gender. With that shift, groups such as SWA’s WIL are creating the networks, education and mentorship needed to fuel change.

“My advice is to build your network; the support you receive from other industry members will become a lifeline that will guide and educate you along the way,” she says. “This industry has an amazing network of people who genuinely want to see you succeed.”