RISING STARS THE NEXT GENERATION
BMJ meets some of the younger members of the sector, those ensuring that the industry will thrive in the future. This month, City Plumbing’s Emily Wickham.
What is your current role?
I’m a branch manager at City Plumbing, the plumbing and heating merchants.
How did you get into this industry? I got into the industry eight years ago when my dad asked if I wanted to have a trial run being a driver in his branch, I took it on and thought I would never enjoy it. I then decided I wanted to progress through the company to become a branch manager, completing my Level 3 & Level 5 apprenticeships in Management that City Plumbing provided.
What does a typical day for you at work look like?
A typical day for me at work is making sure the branch is compliant with health and safety, managing KPI’s which involves not only sales but stock too. Making sure that my colleagues are happy, performing to expectation and supporting them to achieve all their career goals. Making sure that we provide great customer service to the customers we have in the branch and exceeding their expectations. I’ve also taken on the role as health and safety champion in my region which involves helping other branches to be compliant with health and safety and being a general support if it’s needed.
What are your big challenges in this role? My biggest challenges usually involve time and managing pressure. I have to be well organised to make sure I complete everything I need to. And when it’s winter, having colleagues off due to illness can cause pressure on the rest of the team when we’re very busy. It’s about being resilient and working closely with the team to make sure we get everything done together.
What do you think has been your biggest achievement in your role?
My biggest achievement I would say on a personal level is finally getting to manage my own branch, it’s something that I’ve wanted to do since I joined the company and to finally achieve it was very rewarding, but also getting a distinction in my Level 5
What would you like to achieve next? I’m unsure of what I want to achieve next, for now I want to make sure that my current branch exceeds expectations, develop my team to become the most diverse and successful team I know they can be, and then potentially look at other career options within City Plumbing to develop my own skills.
What advice would you give to someone new to this industry?
“My advice would always be to try and learn as much as you can from others around you... there’s so many people in the industry that are willing to give you advice and help along the way. “
management apprenticeship. I also now get to pass on the knowledge that I have onto my team and the wider network within City Plumbing to develop others in the industry which has involved taking on projects with my regional director to further develop others in the business with regular meetings and activities to help colleagues in our region to exceed in their careers which for me is very rewarding.
March 2026
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
My advice would always be to try and learn as much as you can from others around you, when I started in the industry I didn’t know anything about plumbing or heating, but I learnt a lot through asking the customers, and plumbers what things were and what they did. Also never to be afraid of asking for help, there’s so many people in the industry that are willing to give you advice and help along the way.
What would you say to someone who might be thinking about a career or getting a job in the merchant industry? Take the leap of faith, it may just be the jump that you need to accelerate your career! Never when I joined the industry 8 years ago did I think I would be sat in the position I am now, I have learnt so much, and I have so many options if I want to further my career.
Why do you think young people, especially women, are hesitant to go into the industry?
I’d say the industry isn’t well known for young people especially women because it’s always been perceived as a very male dominated industry. I think young people might see it a just another retail job but for the people that work in the industry it’s much more than that, it can create opportunities for you to develop general knowledge of plumbing systems, there’s a lot of problem solving and in general you know that when you’re providing customers with products it’s helping to improve someone else’s business and home. There’s also a lot of other career opportunities within the industry that you can develop into. BMJ
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