CCA Global Partners is recognized for its deep roots in serving family businesses, but equally important to its success, the company also has a long history of women in leadership positions. Across the United States, 21 percent of women in corporate life occupy senior positions, but at CCA Global, 41 percent of the senior spots are filled by women across the company’s offices in Manchester, N.H., and St. Louis. In addition, 50 percent of all manager positions are held by women. This number compares favorably to the national average of just 39 percent. We recently spoke with leadership at the organization and some female retail leaders who are members of CCA’s Flooring America/Flooring Canada and Carpet One cooperatives to see how they got into the business.
Thirteen years ago, Cathey Gundlach Links entered the flooring industry, and she hasn’t looked back since. As vice president of merchandising for Flooring America/Flooring Canada, Links has taken her product creation and merchandising expertise, paired with her deep respect for the entrepreneur spirit, and applied them to the flooring industry, where she now leads Flooring America/Flooring Canada in bringing private label brands and products to its independent dealers.