F.W. Webb Cohosts PHCPPros' Rugged Mind and Body Road Show

Trade professionals like you face considerable challenges—labor shortages, business complexities, and social isolation—that can take a real toll.

"In the past few years, after we started our PROs Reps Influencer initiative, we've realized how prevalent mental health challenges are for trade professionals,” said Brad Burnside, principal and publisher of PHCPPros. “The suicide rate is alarmingly high for tradespeople compared to other populations. With our Rugged Mind and Body program, our goal is to provide as many resources as we can to help people in the industries we serve.”

PHCPPros publishes The Wholesaler, PHC News, and Plumbing Engineer, so the group initially helped as much as it could through articles and other media. In late 2024, PHCPPros started holding events in conjunction with suppliers to further address these challenges.

“Because building a community and support system is so important for mental health, we started these events as a way to bring tradespeople together, get them to interact, and form connections with each other,” said Nicole Meyer, Digital Media Associate at PHCPPros.

The group has organized three events, called Rugged Mind and Body Road Shows, thus far. F.W. Webb sponsored and cohosted the most recent show November 4 at Topgolf in Canton, MA. It began with a talk from Nate Agentis of Plumbing CEO and Business Development Resources. His presentation, “How to Grow Your Trades Business Without Burning Out,” discussed living a balanced life while managing a business in the trades.

When planning the Canton show, Brad and the PHCPPros team approached F.W. Webb specifically seeking promotional support, and F.W. Webb's involvement proved significant to the show's success. The F.W. Webb-sponsored event drew the largest attendance in the series.

“I've worked with you for so many years; you have such a great reputation in the Northeast,” Burnside told us. “When we were planning these shows, we said, ‘If we're going to have this in the Northeast, there's no better company to partner with than F.W. Webb.' You have the reputation, the customers, and the team to make this work. We have tremendous respect for the Pope family and what you've built. Our values align, so the partnership was a natural fit.”

F.W. Webb customers from Bellingham, MA; Warwick, RI; and other locations joined us for the free gathering, which included food, drinks, and golf at the heated range.

Steve Turner, founder of Bring Back the Trades, and his wife, Shari, also drove two hours through rush hour traffic to attend. Steve had great things to say about F.W. Webb and our sponsorship of his group's recent Skills Expo at Gillette Stadium.

The strong turnout and positive response to the Rugged Mind and Body Road Show are encouraging signs as PHCPPros begins planning for the future.

“In 2026, we look to continue full speed ahead,” said Burnside. “We’re just getting traction, but we’ve heard from so many people who want to join this effort. I’d love to see this become a big event where it almost becomes a convention.”

F.W. Webb will continue supporting that vision as a Guardian Sponsor of the Rugged Mind and Body initiative in 2026. The partnership will also expand to include coverage of F.W. Webb’s 160th anniversary celebration.

For more information about PHCPPros and the Rugged Mind and Body Road Show, visit here.