When Marki Huston was recruited to join Viega North America, she admits to not knowing anything about the company. However, the 20-year veteran of the aviation industry did know plenty about manufacturing and operations. And after quickly learning about Viega’s commitment to quality products, innovation, customer focus and its people, she was quickly sold on a manufacturer that got its start 126 years ago in Germany.

“Who wouldn’t want to be a part of this journey,” she says. “So I jumped in.”

Huston started at Viega North America, based in Broomfield, Colorado, as the chief operating officer in 2022 and then moved up to be the interim CEO in October 2024 before being appointed CEO this past January. Huston will also join the Viega Group Board, further aligning North American operations with the broader strategic goals of the company’s global organization.

We sat down with Huston to talk about her background, Viega’s aggressive growth strategy, product innovation and the future of press fitting technology and how she plans to keep the company’s culture intact as it continues to grow.

PHCPPros: Marki, you come from an aviation background. How did you end up leading a plumbing company?

Huston: I was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. My dad worked in aviation, and that’s the path I took as well. I spent over 20 years in that industry, and honestly, I hadn’t really considered construction or plumbing before Viega reached out through a recruiting firm.

But the more I learned, the more I realized this industry is full of opportunity. Viega stood out as a company focused on innovation, quality and customer impact. Once I saw what they were building, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.

PHCPPros: You officially became CEO in this past January after serving as interim CEO. What’s your vision for the company?

Huston: My vision is to make Viega the brand everyone chases for quality, for innovation and for customer focus. What that means to me is tripling the size of our business in North America over the next 10 to 15 years.

To support that, we’re expanding our domestic manufacturing capabilities and investing heavily in our training and experience centers. We want to bring sustainable plumbing solutions to the forefront of the industry and continue pushing press technology as the go-to standard. I see us leading the way in bringing sustainable plumbing products to the market and continuing to innovate to bring solutions to the industry and maintaining the best in class workforce and culture that we have.

PHCPPros: Tripling the size of the company is a bold goal. What’s your roadmap for achieving it?

Huston: It starts with infrastructure. We’re opening a new manufacturing and training hub in Ohio that’s strategically located within six hours of a significant portion of our customer base. That plant was a greenfield project. We broke ground in October 2023, and we’re already producing qualified sellable product as of July 2025.

We also plan to open more training and experience centers across North America, including Canada, to make our products and expertise more accessible.

PHCPPros: We’ve toured your training centers, but tell us the difference between a training center and an experience center?

Huston: Sure. An experience center is more about product discovery and education. It’s where contractors, engineers and even end-users can come in, see our products in action and understand how they fit into real-world applications. It’s a way that we can broaden that conversation.

A training center is more hands-on with classroom instruction combined with working labs. That’s where we train people to use our press systems correctly and effectively. Both are critical to driving adoption.

PHCPPros: You mentioned growing the awareness of press fit technology. Maybe we’ve just been inside the PHCP industry for so long that we take it for granted that everyone knows about it. But is it really still a new concept to some contractors?

Huston: Surprisingly, yes. Even though press is more efficient, safer and better suited for today’s labor constraints, it’s still used by less than half of the market. Many professionals are still soldering or using older mechanical connections. So there’s a huge opportunity for us, not just in market share, but in educating the industry about a better way to build.

PHCPPros: Tell us more about the new Ohio plant that produces your ProPress and MegaPress products. How does the new facility play into your growth strategy?

Huston: It’s pivotal. The facility helps us increase domestic production, reduce lead times and serve our customers more responsively. We chose Ohio because of its workforce and proximity to a large portion of our customer base. In addition to the factory, the facility also houses a training center and represents our long-term commitment to localized manufacturing.

PHCPPros: What are the biggest challenges facing Viega right now?

Huston: Demand is growing fast, and it takes time to scale production. Building new facilities, sourcing machinery, training staff aren’t overnight efforts. We’re also navigating dynamic economic conditions: tariffs, changing government regulations and shifting commercial project types. The construction industry is evolving rapidly, especially with growth in sectors like data centers, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. We have to stay agile.

PHCPPros: Speaking of tariffs, how is Viega managing those?

Huston: Tariffs are part of doing business today, but our long-term strategy of producing domestically helps insulate us. We’re committed to that strategy not just because of tariffs, but because it’s the right thing to do for our customers, our employees and our communities. When tariffs do hit, we don’t react impulsively. We assess, gather feedback from our partners and take deliberate action. Our customers appreciate that thoughtful approach.

PHCPPros: Let’s talk about growth markets. Where are you seeing the most opportunity?

Huston: Just about everywhere. Press has room to grow in residential, commercial and light industrial. There’s so much opportunity just in converting from traditional joining methods. They’ve worked for a long time, but our customers have different needs now.

Challenges, such as the labor shortage and the need for efficiency, means contractors need a quality product that can help them get their jobs done quickly. We’re also especially seeing strong potential in industrial sectors, such as data centers, semiconductor plants, marine and military applications. We recently got our marine product line certified, and that opens up even more opportunities. Plus, as manufacturing localizes, there’s more need for fast, efficient plumbing systems in factory construction.

PHCPPros: How does Viega stay connected to the needs of contractors and engineers?

Huston: Listening is one of our core principles. I spend a lot of time in the field, and so does the rest of our leadership team. Beyond that, our sales, product and engineering teams regularly meet with contractors onsite, provide project support and gather feedback that feeds directly into our innovation pipeline.

PHCPPros: You’ve touched on training already, but what’s new in contractor education?

Huston: We’ve expanded training around our valve offerings and our plastics systems, including radiant and manifold products. Many people don’t realize how extensive our plastic product portfolio is, so we’re investing in education there. We’re also seeing great response to our transition fittings, which help customers integrate press into systems that include legacy piping. Our job is to make it as easy as possible for them to adopt our solutions.

PHCPPros: What does Viega’s German heritage mean to its North American operations?

Huston: A lot. The German commitment to precision, quality and innovation is part of our DNA. But our North American market has its own challenges and customer expectations. What’s exciting is that some of our innovations here in the U.S. are now influencing our global product development. I can’t share specifics yet, but several concepts born in North America are in the pipeline for global adoption. It’s a two-way street for innovation.

PHCPPros: As a leader, what values are most important to you?

Huston: Integrity, vision and culture. My job is to set the strategic direction and maintain our customer-centric mindset as we scale. But I also believe in leading by example by upholding our values, modeling the behavior we expect, and never losing sight of what made Viega successful in the first place. That includes preserving our strong culture and making sure our people feel connected to our mission.

PHCPPros: Finally, what advice would you give to professionals looking to advance in this industry?

Huston: Be bold. Be curious. Don’t be afraid to try new things or step outside your comfort zone. Build relationships, stay humble and maintain your integrity. This industry is full of good people who want to help others succeed. Pay it forward and invest in your network You’ll be surprised how far that can take you.