As we celebrate Women’s History Month and Women in Construction Week, Plumbing & Mechanical is shining the spotlight on 10 influential women who are leading the plumbing industry to great success.

Meet Tracy Gawecki, regional sales manager at Oatey

What made you choose a career in the plumbing industry?

TG: During a career fair in college, I stumbled across a company that is in the plumbing industry and struck up a conversation with the recruiters there. Until that point, plumbing had not been on my radar as a potential career path. After chatting for a bit, I had my eyes opened to all the ways that plumbing touches everyone. It is one of those marvels of the modern world that many of us take for granted. While this industry has economic ebbs and flows, like all other businesses, it truly is essential. There are many things in life that you can get away with not fixing, but plumbing is not one of them! That broken pipe needs to be repaired; that toilet has to be replaced; that hospital needs to have running water. So, I ultimately chose plumbing because it is a stable industry. I chose plumbing because it is a complex and interesting industry. No two days are alike, and I am still learning new things even after 20 years in the industry.

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

TG: If I had to pick one aspect, it would be when I made the transition to regional sales manager about five years ago. Until that point, I had mostly been on the showroom side of the business in the wholesale channel. Deciding that I wanted a change, I made the move to a plumbing manufacturer and started learning all I could about rough plumbing. It was a nice challenge to learn about new product types and all the installation aspects.

While I started in customer service, I was quickly promoted to inside sales and worked with the team of regional sales managers. The inside sales team was a new division at the manufacturer, and I had to help with developing the roles and responsibilities for the position. During my time in inside sales, a regional sales manager position became available. I was very fortunate in that I did not have to even interview for the role; I was essentially pulled aside and was told the position was mine if I wanted it. To know that my hard work and industry knowledge was acknowledged and that I had proved myself in rough plumbing to secure the promotion is something that I am still quite proud. This promotion became even more rewarding when, two years later, I was able to secure my current position with Oatey. As I have told many people, there were not too many companies I would have jumped ship for; but Oatey was definitely on that short list! The position that I am in right now is one that I love, and I continue to find it rewarding to this day.

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?

TG: I think one of the biggest challenges women face in the plumbing industry is career stagnation. When women enter this profession, they tend to be directed towards more stereotypical feminine roles. I have seen many women put into either more administrative roles (customer service, accounting, receptionist) or the showroom. These tend to be jobs without a lot of career mobility. Once someone is in one of these positions, they tend to stay there. If you truly want to get out of one of these roles, you must be very persistent in advocating for a move, and even then, you still may see roadblocks to advancement. While it has gotten a bit better over the years; there are still not a lot of women who are given the opportunity to work in the field, on the counter, in outside sales or higher management positions.

As to why more women are not in plumbing; I think a lot of it is perception. There are a lot of stereotypes about working in plumbing. Most of us in the industry are guilty of making jokes about these things. Think of that plumber’s crack, or how many of us state “I sell toilets.” Most people’s thoughts on plumbing are not glamorous, which won’t endear the industry to most women. Along with the negative stereotypes, there is the fact that plumbing is still a male-dominated industry. I believe this keeps a lot of women from even considering plumbing as a viable career option.

To get more women into plumbing; I think those of us in the industry need to keep on telling our stories to anyone that we can. Talk to the younger generations and let them know the opportunities this great industry has to offer. Jump on social media and change the narrative around the industry. Try and recruit more women in the industry to post and connect about their careers. The more positive messages we can get out there, the better.

Most of our industry organizations have women’s councils. I know many of these councils are trying to find ways to be proactive in their communities and help change women’s perspectives on plumbing. Be active in these groups. Do what you can to help these groups to find ways to reach high school guidance counselors, local clubs/girl scouts, career fairs, etc. The plumbing industry is a great field to work in. We just need to keep on letting everyone know via any platform we can.

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

TG: Never stop learning. Take whatever training you can, even if it does not currently fit your position. For example, if you are in the showroom, be sure you get on the invite for any training the counter team does. If there are opportunities to do the installation of any products: do it. Get out to any job sites you can. Chat up a plumber and have them explain things you don’t understand. Literally take any opportunity you can to learn the ins and outs of the industry.

I say all this because my true advice can be summed up in two words: Be Confident.

I can guarantee you will be tested on what you know during your career. You will have those who doubt what you are saying strictly because of your gender. It doesn’t happen quite as much as it did in the past, but it is still prevalent. Be confident in what you know and don’t back down when questioned. This is not to say there won’t be times when you don’t have an answer. But again, show you are confident that you can get the answer and be sure to respond back timely. If you can do that, you will win over most doubters and you will have very respectful relationships.

What’s one thing nobody knows about you?

TG: I am a big fan of karaoke. I don’t go out and do it often, but when the chance arises; I will totally get up there and sing to my heart’s content! There are a few people in this industry who have heard me sing, but ultimately it is a pretty guarded secret (until now!).