By Dianne M. Pogoda
Company News
Ferguson Sponsors Women’s Plumbing Group: Ferguson Enterprises is the founding sponsor of Women in Plumbing and Piping (WiPP), an organization dedicated to positive change and empowerment, encouraging women in the skilled trades. Ferguson’s initiative includes mentorship, education, networking and recognition. Women currently make up just 10 percent of U.S. construction workers. KBB has more.
SieMatic Opens Canadian Showroom: Premium German kitchen brand SieMatic has opened a 1,000-square-foot showroom at 1327 Green Avenue in the Montreal suburb of Westmount. This is SieMatic’s only Montreal showroom, and it showcases SieMatic’s SLX and Classic collections. The company has five locations in Canada and 20 in the U.S., including directly operated showrooms and partner showrooms. For more on SieMatic, go here.
People News
Kleber Tapped for NAHB Global Opportunities Board: Steve Kleber, founder of Kleber & Associates, a marketing and communications agency specializing in home and building products, has been named chairman for the 2023 – 2024 National Association of Home Builders’ Global Opportunities Board. Kleber will lead efforts for global membership through networking forums, education and opportunities for brands seeking recognition in the North American home building market. Kleber is also president of the National Remodeling Foundation and a past president of NKBA’s Center for Kitchen/Bath Education and Research, and he serves on the board of The Home Projects Council. Learn more about NAHB’s Global Opportunities Board.
Obituary: Pioneering Architect Beverly Willis: Beverly Willis, FAIA, an American architect committed to empowering female design professionals, died Oct. 1 from complications of Parkinson’s Disease. She was 95. After starting her career as an artist, she established her own architecture firm in 1966 in San Francisco. She pioneered computer programming for residential land analysis in 1971, and in 1980, she became a founding trustee of the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. After more than three decades leading her own firm, she was dismayed that women were not well represented in the field, and in 2002, she founded the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation to promote and recognize women’s contributions to architecture. She received numerous accolades throughout her career, including The American Institute of Architects’ Lifetime Achievement Award from the AIA’s California Chapter, of which she was the first female president. Architect Magazine has more.
Chapter News
Casino Night in Colorado: Join the Rocky Mountain Chapter for its annual Casino Night Fundraiser and Silent Auction, this year benefitting Caruso Family Charities. The event takes place Nov. 16, 5:30 to 8:30 pm MDT, at Appliance Factory Finelines, 19185 Lincoln Ave #4 in Parker, CO. Food and drinks will be served throughout the evening, which also features prizes, giveaways and a grand prize raffle. Members are $25; non-members, $35; and students are free. Info and registration here.
Sunset Soiree in Arizona: Don your best cocktail formal attire on Nov. 18, 5 to 10 pm MST, for the Arizona Chapter’s Sunset Soiree and Awards Night. Taking place at the Arizona Heritage Center, 1300 N. College Avenue in Tempe, the evening celebrates outstanding achievements of the chapter’s designer members with a cocktail hour, dinner and awards ceremony followed by dancing. The evening is sponsored by Ferguson. Individual seats are $125; a table of 10 is $1,100. More info here.
Industry News
Hope Renovations Wins DOL Grant: Hope Renovations, Chapel Hill, NC, has been awarded a $713,518 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor for its efforts to grow women’s participation in residential construction careers. The DOL awarded its largest Women in Apprenticeship & Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) grants this year, totaling $5 million, to seven pre-apprenticeship organizations created to increase the number of women in male-dominated industries. Hope provides pre-apprenticeship training for women seeking careers in construction trades in the Raleigh-Chapel Hill-Durham area. Hope said the grant, dispersed over two years, will help to expand its service area and triple its reach. Pro Remodeler has more.
