On Sept. 14, Plumbing and industrial supplies distribution giant Ferguson announced that it is a founding sponsor of Women in Plumbing and Piping (WiPP), an organization poised to “catalyze positive change by fostering community, empowerment and resounding success among women in the skilled trades.”

“The timing for women to enter the skilled trades has never been better,” Melissa Hazelwood, Director of Social Impact at Ferguson, said in a news release. “With the recent federal investments in upgrading our country’s infrastructure, available training and just the sheer volume of career openings – the opportunities for women are limitless. We’re thrilled to partner with Women in Plumbing and Piping to help attract more women to and support the women currently in the industry.”

Despite the fact that more women are joining the trades, there remains fewer than 4% of women who work as plumbers and pipefitters, said Kim Gill, WiPP executive director.

“There’s a real opportunity to close the skilled labor gap by creating awareness of these fulfilling careers, recruiting women into them and then supporting these women to keep them engaged,” Gill said. “We are excited to work with Ferguson to attract and retain women into the industry with their support and through our collaboration.”

The organization will focus on four key pillars intended to bring more women into the plumbing and pipefitting industry: mentorship, education, networking and recognition.

With $28.6 billion in 2022 revenues, Ferguson was prominently featured in MDM’s 2023 Top Distributors Lists as the No. 1 Plumbing Distributor, as well as No. 8 in Industrial, No. 2 in HVACR, No. 2 in Industrial PVF and No. 7 in Building Materials/Construction.

Read more about the partnership here.