Plumbing Manufacturers International’s Annual Report Shows That Finding Common Ground is the Smartest Strategy

The 2025 Plumbing Manufacturers International Annual Report once again finds PMI and its members in the position of proactively finding sensible common ground as debates about the critical issues of the day swirl around them.

This role as mediator is not new to PMI or its members. Over the years, the plumbing manufacturing Industry has learned that participating in the debate is more productive than fighting or fleeing it. The industry’s responsibility to customers, business partners, and its companies is to stay relevant, trustworthy, and in the room where decisions happen.

“Everything we do ultimately leads back to our vision of safe, responsible plumbing—always,” stated PMI CEO/Executive Director Kerry Stackpole. “PMI always endeavors to find the common ground that balances the concerns of all stakeholders, whether that’s in relation to trade policy, water management, workplace issues, sustainability, or public health and safety. We have found that the best solutions, the ones that stand the test of time, have broad support.”

PMI first began establishing this business posture when the debates leading up to the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 1994 and the establishment of the WaterSense program in 2006 were occurring. At these key moments in plumbing manufacturing history, PMI and its members realized that, by contributing to solutions rather than by being simply opposed to proposed actions, they would be valuable to the powers that be. By gaining a seat at the table while the EPAct and WaterSense were being developed, PMI and its members helped to establish harmonized federal water-efficiency standards and specifications and mitigated the adverse effects created by the patchwork of state regulations.

Today, as those standards and specifications are called into question and our industry grapples with the inflationary effects of tariffs, PMI again finds itself at a crossroads—whether to oppose what is happening or to participate in the process of finding a sensible common ground. PMI chooses to be proactive and find common ground.

This year’s annual report again demonstrates the ability of PMI and its members to develop sensible and valuable solutions to many of the challenges facing our society, no matter what the government policies are. PMI members continue to build bridges to prosperity through free trade, to make water a sustainable resource, to foster productive and diverse workplaces, to extend innovation into all aspects of business operations, and to fulfill public health and safety responsibilities.

By contributing scientific data and common sense to all discussions, the plumbing manufacturing industry has earned a reputation among federal and state policymakers, peer industry groups, and the media as a credible and trustworthy voice. The examples in this report bear this out.

Read the 2025 PMI Annual Report: safeplumbing.org/2025annualreport

About Plumbing Manufacturers International

Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) is the trade association of plumbing product manufacturers that produce more than 90% of the United States’ plumbing products, represent more than 150 iconic brands, and develop safe, reliable and innovative water-efficient plumbing technologies. PMI members contribute 517,696 jobs and $116.7 billion in economic impact to America's economy, according to the Plumbing Manufacturing Industry Economic Impact Study.

With a vision of safe, responsible plumbing – always, PMI advocates for plumbing product performance contributing to water efficiency and savings, sustainability, public health and safety, and consumer satisfaction through its Rethink Water initiative and other programs. PMI members manufacture water-efficient toilets, urinals, faucets, showerheads and other products at more than 70 locations across the country and market them online and in more than 26,000 home improvement stores, hardware stores and showrooms in all 50 states. For more information on PMI, contact the organization at 1750 Tysons Blvd., Ste. 1500, McLean, Va., 22102; tel.: 847-481-5500; fax: 847-481-5501. safeplumbing.org.

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“Everything we do ultimately leads back to our vision of safe, responsible plumbing—always,” stated PMI CEO/Executive Director Kerry Stackpole. “PMI always endeavors to find the common ground that balances the concerns of all stakeholders."