Top Women gather in Chicago
CHICAGO—HBSDealer’s fourth annual Top Women in Hardware & Building Supply event was held Nov. 20 - 21 in downtown Chicago. The gathering was a celebration of the women who are driving innovation, breaking down barriers and blazing a trail for future generations.
Since 2020, HBSDealer and its industry partners have teamed to promote the role of women in the hardware and building supply industry. That mission to recognize leaders and rising stars who are fueling success in their companies and communities continues to expand.
Attendees enjoyed an awards ceremony to recognize this year’s honorees, who were selected in two categories: “Rising Stars” and “Business Excellence.” Several of this year’s winners offered words of wisdom with the audience. Sarah Colpitts, a contractor sales specialist with Mass.-based Koopman Lumber and recipient of a “Rising Star” award, shared: “Carve your own path. Be you. Be the most prepared, most confident person in every room. Settle for nothing less than excellence, and the world shall be yours.”
Melissa Spencer, Metrie’s chief people officer, shared that her company has gone from 19 percent to 27 percent female leadership, with a goal of reaching at least 30 percent.. “Women increasingly feel like they belong in this industry, but there’s still lots of work to do. I don’t feel discouraged, I feel inspired. When women succeed, our businesses succeed. Your efforts matter,” she said.
Day two of the event featured an inspirational keynote from Melissa Stockwell, a two-time Paralympic triathlete, swimmer and former U.S. Army officer. Stockwell, who lost a leg while deployed in Iraq, challenged attendees to consider the notion that we can all achieve more than we might dare to imagine, explaining that every one of us has the “power of choice to live the lives we want to live.”
Attendees also engaged in rich discussions ranging from storytelling tactics, public speaking, mentorship, negotiating skills and becoming a more mindful leader. One major theme and throughline of the 2024 edition of Top Women in Hardware & Building Supply points back to advocating for yourself at work. Regardless of your role or rank, if you don’t ask, the answer is always “no.” But if you do ask with boldness, clarity, confidence and purpose, more often than not the answer will be “yes.”
In a similar vein, the event drove home that vulnerability is not weakness. Asking for what you need is not weakness. Rather, opening up with transparency and clear purpose can unlock new heights of workplace influence, inclusion, collaboration and achievement.
[See the full list of honorees here.]
Research commissioned by the National Hardware Show on the mindset of the female DIY consumer, insights and advice for improved negotiating skills and practical tactics to maintain mindfulness in the modern world rounded out the educational portion of the event, which attracted nearly 400 attendees.
The 2025 Top Women in Hardware & Building Supply event will return to Chicago next year in November.
