Women in Construction: H.J. Pertzborn Plumbing and Fire Protection

The annual Women in Construction (WIC) Week, presented by The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), highlights women as a viable component of the construction industry. Throughout the week of March 7-13, 2021, Madison Area Mechanical and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (MSC) and Madison Association of Plumbing Contractors (MAPC) will be sharing the valuable and essential qualities that women bring to our contractors both in the office and in the field.

In the construction world, women represent less than 10-percent of the workforce. However, at H.J. Pertzborn Plumbing and Fire Protection, they are happy to employ women in all of their departments.

“The women that work for us have a wide range of experience and strengths that they bring to Pertzborn,” said Vice President Jesse Pertzborn. “We feel lucky to be diversified with such strong, dedicated, and caring women in these roles.”

From their accounting department to the field, H.J. Pertzborn Plumbing and Fire Protection is celebrating the following women during Women in Construction Week: Ashley Anderson, Sherry Aranda, Amy Callaway, Wendy Gundlach, Teresa Hamilton, Sandra “Min” Hilsenhoff, Ashley Kleven, Emily Schwab, and Krista Shipp.

Schwab is a second-year Plumbing Apprentice in their Contract Plumbing Department. Schwab is hardworking, wants to succeed, and takes pride in her craftsmanship. She is following in the footsteps of her father who is also a plumber. Schwab is paving the way for future female plumbers as the company is always looking to add more tradeswomen to their roster.

In their Plumbing Service Department, H.J. Pertzborn Plumbing and Fire Protection have a team that includes four women. Kleven is the manager of this department – along with Hilsenhoff, Anderson, and Callaway, who are all Service Coordinators.

“These women all do a great job with taking care of our customers and getting their needs and wants addressed quickly and efficiently,” explained Pertzborn. “There are a lot of moving parts in this roll and each day brings new challenges. As a team working closely together with not only each other, but also our service plumbers, we are proudly servicing Dane County and the surrounding communities, as we have done as a family business since 1928.”

In our Fire Protection Department, Gundlach is the Service Coordinator for Inspections and Service Calls. She ensures that customers of H.J. Pertzborn Plumbing and Fire Protection have their sprinkler inspections scheduled and the service needs of their customers are met.

Hamilton is the Purchasing and Inventory Manager for the company. Her role requires strong and efficient communication, organization, and planning in order to coordinate the proper equipment orders for all departments.

Last, but certainly not least, Aranda is a veteran of over 20 years at H.J. Pertzborn Plumbing and Fire Protection and serves as their Controller. She is assisted by Shipp, the Accounting Specialist.

“Both Sherry and Krista play key roles in our day-to-day operations as a business,” said Pertzborn.

As each of these women play different roles within H.J. Pertzborn Plumbing and Fire Protection, they keep the company running like a well-oiled machine.

“We are lucky to have so many talented women with such a wide variety of skills within our company,” said Pertzborn. “They are instrumental in the success of our business.”