VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS
ADVANCE PLUMBING & HEATING SUPPLY CO., DETROIT
EMPLOYEES: 60
REVENUE: NA
COLLEGE: WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
Andrew Moss has found success where many would struggle. Being the youngest of three brothers involved in the family’s 106-year-old business could be daunting.
However, in the nearly six years he’s been with the company, he’s displayed the type of leadership and flexibility qualities that have moved the company forward. It also helps that he oversees different areas within the operation.
“It has its moments, but, for the most part, (my family and I) work really well together,” Moss says.
Today, Moss is vice president of operations at Advance Plumbing & Heating Supply Co. in Midtown Detroit, but he spent the early part of his career as an urban planner — not realizing just how much that would help when he transitioned into the business.
Urban planning focuses on redesigning the “built environment” for the people who use it. Detroit-based Advance Plumbing, which also operates a showroom in Walled Lake, does much the same thing, but on a smaller scale, he says.
“We’ve been partners with the people we work with,” Moss says. “Our tagline is ‘Rebuilding Detroit,’ and we really are.” He notes the company has been working with four generations of plumbers across the city, so they’ve helped move the city into the future — several times.
Moss began working at Advanced Plumbing in high school, helping the company with the adoption of technology to grow the business.
He also led the effort to upgrade and modernize numerous departments, including accounting, IT, and human resources functions, and helped move the company’s e-commerce infrastructure — including three websites — forward to make it more efficient and improve the bottom line.
In addition to tackling “the stuff behind the walls,” in HVAC parlance, he’s continued to make an impact within the industry. In 2025, he was named Showroom Professional of the Year at the Decorative Plumbing & Hardware Association (DPHA) Conference and was appointed vice president of communications on the DPHA Executive Committee, where he shapes the organization’s national voice and strategy.
He serves as vice chair of the NCWA Leadership Development Committee, contributes to multiple DPHA committees, and is active in emerging leader groups within ASA and IMARK, regularly representing the industry at national events such as KBIS. Supply House Times, a trade publication, named him NEXT Gen All Star Top 20, reflecting his growing influence as both an industry and civic leader.
Moss holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and an MBA from Wayne State University in Detroit, and that commitment to his education translates to his dedicated efforts to improve the training and education efforts within the industry.
He’s passionate about modernizing industry training through updated professional manuals, national webinars, and local CEU programs. He also supports initiatives including the Detroit Home Tours and the Detroit Design Awards, to be held this year on June 22 at Elevate at One Campus Martius in the central business district.
In addition, he serves on the Decorative Plumbing & Hardware Association board and is involved in a number of organizations within the Detroit Jewish community.
— Michael Strong
