Bedford, Mass. – Senior Vice President John Provencal been with F.W. Webb for the past 35 years, seen lots of positive change, and made his mark on the industry. And, although a difficult decision Provencal believes now is the time to step away from what he calls a great industry to explore new horizons. May 1, 2015 will be his last day at F.W. Webb.

Provencal officially started at F.W. Webb in 1981, but knew John Pope and had an affiliation with the company since 1972. He began here as an operations manager in Merrimack, New Hampshire, before becoming the general manager of Fitchburg, Massachusetts. He then served in a dual management role, overseeing both Fitchburg and the former Burlington, Massachusetts location. After that, he moved into the executive ranks at corporate.

“The management and owners of F.W. Webb have been wonderful to me,” Provencal said. “I’ve had a great career at F.W. Webb, and I will miss all the great people I’ve met and with whom I’ve had the opportunity to interact, both in the company and throughout the industry.”

As senior vice president of plumbing and heating sales, along with oversight of the Frank Webb’s Bath Center enterprise, Provencal’s area of responsibility ranges from Webb’s bread and butter to its gourmet buffet. The Plumbing and Heating business, upon which Webb was founded, generates a majority of the company’s revenue, while the trendy showrooms are a way to appeal to a newer customer segment – homeowners.

Being a part of the company’s growth into new markets, industries and regions is one of the highlights of Provencal’s career at Webb.

“As the company has grown over the years, so too have the opportunities for so many people,” he said. “It’s been rewarding to watch people recognized for their talent and moved into key contributor roles.”

Provencal has enjoyed giving back to the industry by participating in trade groups and conducting seminars for our customers on profitability. Webb CEO John Pope said, “It was an honor for the company when John was elected as the plumbing leader of Affiliated Distributors (AD),” a position he held for 14 years.

AD recently recognized and honored Provencal for his contributions to the industry as a network chairman and for serving on the divisional board.

“John Provencal epitomizes the essence of Webb leadership,” said Ernie Coutermarsh, senior vice president of industrial development. “Dedicated, loyal, hardworking, reliable and passionate. He sets the pace and leads by personal example. He will leave an indelible role model imprint that will inspire the current and future Webb sales and leadership teams.”

Going forward with a clean slate, John has no immediate plans, but will use some of his free time to focus on his golf game (best handicap 8/best score 75), and possibly go back to skiing next winter. He wants to improve his fitness level by joining a fitness club and cycle more, a new activity he began two years ago.

John would like to stay connected to the industry by interacting with and mentoring students studying in the trades. Giving his time and talent to those in need – the homeless and hungry for instance, is also on his radar.

“Once I get into the groove of retirement, I’ll have more time to explore the possibilities,” he said. “I plan to take it a day at a time, and I’m sure things will fall into place.”

The F.W. Webb Company extends very best wishes to John Provencal in his retirement and thanks him for his many years of dedication to the company and the industry.

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