Oatey

Formerly Vice President, Wholesale, the eight-year Oatey veteran will now take on an enhanced leadership role, including responsibility for customer service and technical support

Oatey Co., a leading manufacturer in the plumbing industry since 1916, has promoted Patrick Aquino to Senior Vice President, Wholesale.

With nearly 20 years of experience in sales and business development, Aquino is a seasoned executive with deep knowledge of the plumbing industry. He joined Oatey nearly eight years ago as Northeast Regional Sales Manager and has since gained progressive responsibility as National Sales Manager; Director of Rough Plumbing and Commercial Sales; and most recently, Vice President, Wholesale. In his new position, Aquino will take on an enhanced leadership role, assuming responsibility for customer service and technical support in addition to U.S. wholesale and commercial sales.

“Patrick is a talented and experienced leader with a proven ability for driving sales, fostering customer relationships and developing successful teams,” said Neal Restivo, Chief Executive Officer at Oatey. “I am looking forward to his expanded leadership as we continue to grow our business and support our customers.”

Oatey Co. to sponsor PHCC Connect 2023 Cleveland, offering tours of its local manufacturing and training facility and sponsoring Women in Industry Luncheon

Oatey Co. is proud to announce its sponsorship and participation in PHCC Connect 2023 Cleveland, the premier national conference for plumbing, heating, and cooling professionals in the United States. The event will take place on October 23-26, 2023, in Cleveland, Ohio, at the Huntington Convention Center.

As a Cleveland-based company and one of the oldest and most respected names in the plumbing industry, Oatey Co. will be a part of a showcase of Cleveland hometown brands, joining forces with Ridge Tool Company (RIDGID), Moen, and Merit Brass. These companies will be positioned in a central area of the Exhibit Hall and some will also be offering plant tours to celebrate and showcase Cleveland manufacturing.

“Oatey Co. is incredibly proud to sponsor and participate in PHCC Connect 2023 Cleveland, an excellent opportunity for industry leaders and plumbing experts to come together, learn, and share ideas,” says Patrick Aquino, Oatey’s Vice President of Wholesale Sales.

Katherine Lehtinen, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Oatey, added: “We look forward to giving attendees and media an insider’s look at the world of Cleveland manufacturing as well as Oatey’s many innovations and contributions to the industry since its founding more than a century ago.”

“We are excited to welcome these industry leaders to Cleveland and to showcase our region’s position as a hub for advanced manufacturing,” says Gordon Taylor III, Chief Sales Officer at Destination Cleveland, the destination marketing and management organization for the region. “While exploring our city and touring the innovative local businesses, conference attendees will see firsthand that Cleveland is The Land of building meaningful connections.”

As a Cleveland-based sponsor, Oatey will offer tours of its 160th Street manufacturing operations, providing an opportunity for attendees to gain a behind-the-scenes understanding of the company’s world-class facility, learning about the chemical and mechanical processes that bring the highest-quality plumbing products to life.

Then, attendees will enjoy a hands-on experience at Oatey University, a best-in-class training center for industry tradespeople, inspiring innovative new products and advancing the state of the art in the plumbing industry. Oatey social media ambassadors Nick Parlet (@plumbingsk8r), Colin Luttrel (@colintheplumberllc), Rob Broccolo (@prodrains) and Evan Berns (@re.plumb) will be on hand at Oatey University to welcome facility visitors. They are looking forward to connecting with fellow industry members, sharing their knowledge and personal stories about promoting the plumbing trade.

Once registered for the PHCC Connect Conference, attendees can sign up to participate in this tour, which will take place on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, from 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM ET.

That same day, Oatey is proud to sponsor a Women in Industry Luncheon hosted by the PHCC National Auxiliary and Women in Piping and Plumbing. Oatey’s Lehtinen will open the event, which will include an interactive panel discussion, featuring women who work in the plumbing and HVAC industries. Panelists will share their personal stories, challenges faced, and thought-provoking ideas for how the trades can become even more welcoming and inclusive.

Lehtinen will also highlight The House That She Built, an organization whose mission is to help generate awareness of the skilled trades. A new children’s book, also titled The House That She Built, educates young readers about the people and skills that go into building a home, telling the true story of a home built by all female tradespeople. Each luncheon attendee will receive a copy of the book and be asked to read it to a child in their life or a local elementary school classroom. Lehtinen sits on The House That She Built Executive Leadership Council.

After registering for the conference, attendees can sign up to attend the Women in Industry Luncheon, which will take place on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, from 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM ET. Each luncheon attendee will receive a copy of The House That She Built.

The program earns scouts a Business Jumpstart or Business Creator badge while educating girls about careers in STEM

Oatey Co., a leading manufacturer in the plumbing industry since 1916, recently hosted a career education workshop for Connecticut Girl Scouts at its Farmington, Conn., location, welcoming nearly 30 Girl Scouts to learn about careers in manufacturing and STEM.

The program was organized by Oatey’s Women’s Resource Network, an associate resource group dedicated to the professional, personal and leadership development of women. Oatey developed the event as part of the Girl Scouts’ BADGE BOSS program, which connects local professionals with Girl Scouts to share their expertise, advice and passion, while enabling the scouts to earn a relevant Girl Scout badge. After piloting a similar event at the Oatey University facility in Cleveland last year, members of the Women’s Resource Network in Farmington took the lead on a program in their own community.

Attendees at Oatey’s workshop, which took place on November 9, gained hands-on exposure to careers across manufacturing, while also exploring their own interests and passions. Key components of the two-hour workshop included:

• A panel discussion in which Oatey associates explained their roles in the development and delivery of Oatey products
• An overview of plastic tubular manufacturing and commercialization
• A hands-on plastic tubular engineering challenge, in which Girl Scouts applied problem-solving skills to determine the most efficient way to move an object

All Girl Scouts who completed the workshop qualified for either a Junior Business Jumpstart Badge or a Cadette Business Creator Badge.

“Oatey’s Women’s Resource Network is pleased that we could expand our partnership with the Girl Scouts through our second STEM Career Education Workshop,” said Dawn Lawson, co-chair of the event and associate at Oatey’s Farmington location.

Kelly O’Donovan, also co-chair of the event and an Oatey associate in Farmington, added, “It is critical to educate girls and women about the robust STEM career opportunities available to them, including the development of products we use every day. It was a joy to welcome the Girl Scouts to our facility and share our passion for what we do.”

ABOUT OATEY CO.

Since 1916, Oatey has provided reliable, high-quality products for the residential and commercial plumbing industries, with a commitment to delivering quality, building trust and improving lives. Today, Oatey operates a comprehensive manufacturing and distribution network to supply thousands of products for professional builders, contractors, engineers and do-it-yourself consumers around the world.

Oatey is based in Cleveland, Ohio, and has locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and China. For more information, visit www.oatey.com, call (800) 321-9532 or follow Oatey on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram.

Oatey Co. remains committed to supporting, advancing and retaining its operations associates through world-class, on-the-job training, as well as educational opportunities.

In 2016, Oatey launched its first-ever Industrial Maintenance Apprenticeship Program, designed to promote the advancement of operations associates into higher-skilled positions that are more aligned with their long-term career goals. It also leverages additional career-development opportunities for the company’s more experienced associates, allowing them to hone their leadership, training and mentoring skills, while working with a diverse group of apprentices.

Oatey’s registered apprenticeship program, which is based at its Cleveland Manufacturing facility and led by Maintenance Supervisor Ruben Santos, is sponsored by Manufacturing Works and regulated through the State of Ohio. As the sponsor, Manufacturing Works helps manage the program and provides Oatey with continuous expert guidance about how to offer the most cutting-edge resources for associates.

“Since its inception, the program has received a tremendous response, and associate participation continues to grow,” says Santos.

To date, the program has included three groups (or cohorts), including a total of six registered apprentices. Every other year, Oatey anticipates adding a new cohort to the program roster. “We continue to maintain 100% retention of associates who participate in the apprenticeship program,” Santos explains.

Oatey’s inaugural group of two apprentices successfully completed all of the program’s training requirements in 2020, and two deserving individuals earned the title of Journeyman. After graduating from the program, these individuals have gone on to advance their careers.

“Our Journeymen continue to embody the spirit of Oatey and set a positive example for fellow associates,” says Santos. There are currently two active cohorts with four apprentices making their way through the program. All current apprentices are from underrepresented groups (Hispanic and African American). Oatey also recently welcomed its first female apprentice, who will graduate as part of the third cohort. Oatey’s commitment to small cohorts ensures personal attention to the apprentices’ development.

When the need for new apprentices is determined, positions are opened and the application, recruiting and selection process begins. The four-year program welcomes applications from any active operations associate in good standing, including those at Cleveland Manufacturing and Distribution facilities; however, the selection process for admission is rigorous. Applicants must display a strong work ethic, reliable attendance record, commitment to Oatey, and passion for skilled technical work.

Prior to acceptance, new candidates for apprenticeship must provide evidence of earning their high school diploma or GED, and complete a Mechanical Aptitude Test and a college admissions placement exam to ensure successful completion of the program.

The Industrial Maintenance Apprenticeship is a hybrid program that offers both in-classroom instruction with college credit and on-the-job training (OJT). Oatey partners closely with Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) to deliver a robust, specialized curriculum to complement the OJT that takes place at the Oatey facility. Every apprentice must complete up to 10,000 hours of OJT.

Visit Oatey.com to learn more about career opportunities at Oatey Co.