Community Leader Spotlight

Leah Cooper, Marketing Manager, Mid-City Supply Company, Inc.

Tell me about your journey to Mid-City--what brought you there?

I joined Mid-City Supply in early July 2020, after being laid off from my previous position due to a downturn in sales (thanks, Covid!). Admittedly, in that role, I struggled to push many marketing initiatives forward, as it was tough to get buy-in, and once the pandemic hit, my position became even more of a challenge.

On the day I was let go, I oddly felt at ease. I stopped for a pedicure, went home, did a 32-mile bike ride, and then sat down with my laptop and started to peruse job postings. The role for marketing manager at Mid-City Supply had just been posted…so I looked it over but initially passed on it. I had never heard of Mid-City and had ZERO experience in plumbing and HVAC distribution. But after sleeping on it, I applied the next day – and the rest is history, as they say.

What role does marketing play in Mid-City's success, and how has that role changed or evolved?

While we like to believe that the marketing we do at Mid-City Supply drives our success, we know that our overall success as a company comes from our teammates. However, marketing is frequently in the epicenter of so much of what goes on at Mid-City Supply. Our marketing team absolutely thrives on service – both to our internal associates and external customers. My two-person team and I love to be the ones who provide the answer or solution to a problem, and I believe that has been a positive change in this role. Marketing, in general, tends to be stereotyped by many industries, in my experience. Do we get to have fun and be creative? Absolutely…but there is so much that goes into marketing (planning, budgeting, getting buy-in, measuring, tracking) that is always humming and clattering in the background. I often tell my team, “We’re illusionists!,” because we work incredibly hard to make it look easy and seamless.

What new things are on the horizon for Mid-City?

We are so excited for 2025, especially because we’re about a month or two away from completing our Mid-City Digital Studio! We started working on this concept a few years ago because we noticed most suppliers, including us, barely had a social media presence, let alone video content. As a company, we’re always looking to find new ways that we can provide added value to our customers. Plumbers, heating techs, builders – these folks have incredibly important jobs. People like having clean water, hot showers, and warm and cozy rooms during the winter. What things can we do to help our contractors get better at their craft? The digital studio will enable us to create an abundance of our own product training videos, industry vlogs and blogs, and take quality photographs of supplies, so that we will ultimately have a robust asset library to better serve our customers.

What has surprised you about the plumbing/HVAC industry?

The Plumbing and HVAC wholesale industry is very fraternal. Jeff New, our past president and current chairman, told me early on, somewhat in jest, “This industry is like the Mob: once you’re in, you’re in for life.” I have found this largely to be true – in a good way! I also didn’t expect that I’d love my job so much, especially in an industry that I knew nothing about and was ready to take a pass on. I’m glad I had an open mind about it all.

What do you do when you're not working?

I love to work, and I am often working! I still retain a few clients from Cooper Creative, so I can keep my creative skills sharp by working on a variety of creative marketing projects. Many associates at Mid-City Supply are also entrepreneurial, so they embrace others who engage in outside endeavors. But when I’m not working, I love to cook and research new recipes. I also love to garden, ride my bike and just enjoy spending time with my family and 2 cats.

Anything else you'd like to share?

I have been working to understand the difference between being “accountable” for something versus being “responsible” for something. As a busy marketer, I am accountable for many projects, but I cannot be both accountable and responsible. In those tough moments, I find it invaluable to rely upon trusted partners, like Villing, to help share the responsibility of getting a project done. Much is often said about treating your customers and co-workers well, but far less is said about treating your vendor partners equally well. Be gracious – you will need them!

To get our latest articles when they are posted, please subscribe by e-mail or RSS.