‘Show up early and work hard’ is the motto that has guided Indiana-based Tri-Star Pipe & Supply Owner Dave Poteete through his longtime PHCP career. An industry veteran with experience in a multitude of facets throughout the supply chain, Poteete will take the reins as the American Supply Association (ASA) President in 2025.

Graduating community college at 20 years old and just married, Poteete was working three jobs, one of which was at a warehouse with a sewer crew at a local plumbing company. Over time, he began working in the purchasing and inventory department, which is where his knack for organizing back-end systems began. Through his decades-long career in the industry, Poteete has developed a passion for problem solving.

In 1990, Poteete landed his first wholesale-distribution gig at Auburn Supply working the counter. He worked his way up, eventually becoming the Office and Systems Manager. Seven years later, Poteete began working for Wegner Plumbing, a business who lacked any type of automated system. Poteete got that company its first computer, took years of paper ledger and organized their finances and data digitally. “It was a big task, but I liked the challenge,” Poteete says.

After Wegner Plumbing, Poteete reentered the wholesale world when he joined M. Cooper Supply, a company that was acquired by Winsupply in 2015.

Taking the leap

Knowing that he thrived in non-corporate environments, Poteete felt that the new business structure wasn’t for him. With mergers and acquisitions buzzing throughout the PVF supply chain; he heard that a firm was hired to sell another set of companies: Century Supply, Cardinal Supply and May Supply – three businesses that would soon be known as Tri-Star Pipe & Supply.

“I happened to be friends with the broker that was working to sell these companies, and he reached out to me because of my software knowledge,” Poteete explains. “With Winsupply’s blessing, I was sort of working at both places, helping my friend prepare the businesses to be marketed, and Winsupply was one of the companies they would be marketed too.”

He again took on monster project, organizing five years’ worth of financials. “Somewhere along the way, Winsupply decided they were no longer interested, which created a unique opportunity for me,” Poteete says. “I sat down with the previous owner at a Starbucks and told him I wanted to purchase the companies.”

Fast-forward 90 days and Poteete was officially the owner of the newly re-named, Tri-Star Pipe & Supply in 2019. “It was a huge leap for me, but I felt confident in the team and I saw the potential to grow.”

Today, Tri-Star Pipe & Supply serves the plumbing, HVAC, environmental and decorative plumbing markets via its five branches throughout the Midwest. Tri-Star’s name was born for a few reasons.

“As we embarked on creating a new name/brand, we wanted a single name that resonated with our customers, but also embodied where the company had come from and where we wish to go,” Poteete says. “The company maintained three brands during previous ownership, each was known in the areas it served. Additionally, we have three main areas of business – plumbing, HVAC and environmental.”

Lastly, and the most special to Poteete, is that three Poteete family men are involved in the business – he and two of his sons; Poteete has three sons altogether. Poteete’s wife, Carol, runs the Human Resources and Payroll departments.

Poteete credits his wife for her support and courage as he took the leap purchasing Tri Star five years ago. “She could tell I wasn’t happy,” he says. “When I stopped being excited to go to work every day, she knew something needed to change and she was supportive through the entire process.”

He adds that while taking this leap, he had no interest in doing it with a partner. “It was important to me to have the autonomy to make all of the decisions I am passionate about myself,” he explains. “When I feel that something is the right thing to do, I want to be able to make those decisions without hesitation.”

Having worked his way from the warehouse and counter positions to now a business owner, Poteete’s advice for success is rather simple. “Showing up early and hard work have always served me well,” he says. “Back when I was at Auburn Supply, I took pride in the fact that I was one of the first people there in the morning. Showing up to work with a smile on your face and treating people how you want to be treated goes a long way.”

Poteete feels that something unique about Tri-Star is the direct interaction he has with customers. “At least in our market, I don’t think it is common for customers to have a line of communication straight to the owner,” he says. “We get feedback from our customers that proves they appreciate being able to call or text me to get answers, rather than having to work through a chain of command.”

Giving back

Poteete’s roots with ASA date back about 17 years ago to when the association had its Midwest Distributors Association arm, MWDA, and he was at the height of his career at M. Cooper Supply.

“M. Cooper was active in giving back to the industry,” he says. “And I thought I was at the highest point my career would go, so I asked how I could give back and help others in the industry grow.”

The timing was perfect, as MWDA had an opening on their Board. Poteete worked on various divisions and committees at MWDA and eventually served at the group’s President; he was the first every Plumbing Division President when that division was formed.

Having been involved in MWDA and ASA for decades, Poteete says he’s always been impressed by the culture of equality across the association. “Everyone is treated equally,” he says. “No matter your role or the size of your business, everyone is given the opportunity to build connections, make friends and benefit from ASA’s influence.”

Like many, Poteete says one of the greatest benefits of ASA is the powerful networking opportunities. “As a small family business owner, ASA provides the avenue to talk with people who have been doing this a lot longer than me, and at much larger capacities. That’s a benefit you can’t put a value on.”

Impressive growth

Looking ahead at his Presidential year, Poteete says one thing he’s most excited about is getting to attend the annual Women in Industry Division event, ELEVATE.

“Thinking back to my first NETWORK about 17 years ago, I can recall maybe three women in the room,” he says. “Today, that division is the fastest growing by far and ELEVATE brought more than 400 attendees in 2024.”

Poteete adds he’s excited to see first-hand the strides our industry has made to be more diverse. “We aren’t nearly as diverse as we need to be, but there are so many amazing people who make up our industry, so I’m excited to interact with more of them; I’m assuming the energy at ELEVATE2025 is going to be off the charts.”

This industry is special because it’s one where you can prove yourself on hard work and character; you don’t need an impressive education to advance your career.

Taking on 2025 as ASA President, Poteete urges ASA members to take advantage of the plethora of resources on ASA’s website designed to help market the PHCP-PVF market in an attractive way.

“One of the challenges we face as an industry is overcoming the stigma which surrounds us; that working in plumbing isn’t a desirable career path,” he says. “ASA has been working diligently to provide literature and resources to help our businesses paint the picture of what a career in our industry actually looks like.”

Poteete adds that ASA has opened so many doors for Tri-Star, and any company on the fence about joining, or becoming a more active member, needs to know the benefits are unmatched.

“Because of our relationships built within ASA, Tri-Star has been able to take on new manufacturers that we originally did not have connection with,” he says. “And some distributors think they get everything they need from being in a buying group. Buying groups are incredibly important, but the environment at ASA is completely different; a 10-minute ‘speed-date’ meeting is not a true networking environment. ASA invests in creating a true, non-competitive culture of networking.”

As he hits the road in 2025 to lead ASA and attend all of the events, Poteete is ready to share his story in order to encourage others to take the leap, invest in this industry and realize their full potential.

“I came into this industry young and green with only a two-year degree,” he says. “This industry is special because it’s one where you can prove yourself on hard work and character; you don’t need an impressive education to advance your career. I’m excited to share with everyone what ASA has done for me personally and for Tri-Star while doing my part to advance the organization’s many initiatives and give back to the industry that have given me so much.”