community | company spotlight
Wayne Kitchen & Bath Works Marti Osterhout By Deborah C. Gerbers
Marti Osterhout is a showroom consultant for Wayne Kitchen & Bath Works, a wholesale plumbing supplier serving Fort Wayne for 124 years. As a subsidiary of Wayne Pipe & Supply, Wayne Kitchen & Bath offers various home products like faucets, sinks, water closets, grab bars, bathroom accessories and vanities — most anything in a home that works with water. Osterhout came to Wayne Kitchen & Bath Works with a background in the flooring industry. “This gave me a good foundation working with the consumer,” she said. “I understand that no two bathrooms are alike, and we may need to help that customer solve problems in both small and large spaces.” Osterhout moved to Fort Wayne when she was four years old. She attended Northrop High School and IPFW. “To this day, I still get together with my besties from high school every year,” she said. “I have been married to my husband Steve for 27 years, and we have four children from ages 26- 21. So, we have been incredibly busy. We have two grandkids, and I have to say they are so much fun!” Living and working in Fort Wayne is ideal for Osterhout. “Fort Wayne is one of those cities that is small enough that you have that great sense of a small community,” she explained. “It is not too often that I go out and don’t see someone I know. And, here we have so much to offer — so many great restaurants, sporting venues, concerts, festivals and all the new things coming to downtown. I think we are lucky to be able to do something rural like go to a dairy farm or pumpkin patch, and then follow it up with a great meal at a downtown urban restaurant.” Osterhout credits her parents as being her greatest role models in life. “Sometimes, you just don’t know how lucky you are until you grow up, take a look around with adult eyes and then realize you were given more than what you needed,” she said. “They taught us that nothing in life
14 Home Living | December 2020
is free, so you must earn it. They would say ‘take the trip, give to those who are in need, take the gamble and love with all you have.’ Most importantly, don’t forget to be in the moment, because tomorrow is not promised.” When she’s not working on the showroom floor helping customers select plumbing fixtures for remodels and new homes, Osterhout enjoys spending time with her
family. “I am incredibly lucky to enjoy what I do. Going to work is something I have fun doing. If I have a long-term goal, it would be to travel more, and spend more time with my adult children since we can all be seated in the bar now.”
Wayne Kitchen & Bath Works Fort Wayne, 260.423.9577, shopwkbw.waynepipe.com
