Metal Construction News, May 2018

BUSINESS FEATURE Wonder Women T h r e e w ome n w h o e x c e l By In 2015 the number of women working in construction was only 13 percent of the entire U S workforce according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS As of Dec 31 2016 BLS counted approximately 939000 women working within the various sectors of the construction industry out of a total of 10328000 workers in construction And that number has gone down signifi cantly from a high of 1131000 women in 2006 While working in construction is historically considered a mans job we talked to three women who are all working and making a living in construction After getting their starts outside of the industry each of the women has gone on to join the family business where they dont let gender hinder their success Monica Murphy MBA RRO is the director of operations at Ray Nolan Roofi ng Co Louisville Ky The family owned company was started by her great uncle over 50 years ago and her father is currently president Murphy has been involved in the business for more than seven years but prior to joining Nolan Roofi ng she worked a corporate job in real estate development Thats really where I became excited about the industry but knew the corporate world wasnt for me she says Once I completed my MBA I began meeting with my parents about making the switch to the family business We took several months to develop a business plan that involved me transitioning into the company We had a lot of tough conversations up front so when I fi nally did come onboard we were all on the same page Sherri Miles is president of Miles Roofi ng Inc and vice president of J D Miles Sons Inc in Chesapeake Va Miles began working in the roofi ng industry when she was in high school working for her grandfather and father in the offi ce answering the phones fi ling writing accounts receivable and payables by hand and just helping around the offi ce After graduating from Georgetown with a degree in American studies and theology Miles worked for a law fi rm in Washington D C for a few years When my grandfather became ill my dad suggested I come home and work at the company and help my grandmother for awhile until I fi gured out my next career move she says I havent looked back since Grace McGregor is the director of strategy and operations at McGregor Industries a national steel manufacturer specializing in stair systems McGregor joined her familys business fi ve years ago but likes to say that she really started 30 years ago when she was born The business was started by my great grandfather in 1919 she explains My fathers been in the business since he graduated from college so I grew up really learning and hearing about the business constantly at the kitchen table at the dinner table and everywhere in between So it has been a huge part of my life and it was something that I always knew that I wanted to do After graduating from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in fi nance and operations McGregor says her parents encouraged her to work outside of the industry So before joining the family business she worked for two major retail companies in the Midwest and New York Its interesting McGregor says a lot of what I learned working at a bigger company and then a mid size company I can apply to our small business And even though it was in a different industry there are so many different things from an organizational perspective as well as an operational perspective that I apply to my work on a daily basis Proving Themselves Growing up in and around the construction industry and family business does not guarantee an easy path to success Each of the women has had to pave her own way while facing her own challenges both on the job site and in the meeting rooms And its these challenges that have made them stronger and better equipped to handle the challenges of being involved in a family business and the construction industry Since I didnt grow up working in roofi ng like most of my coworkers I found that I have had to work a lot harder to get my knowledge base up to par Murphy explains When I fi rst came onboard I spent several days each week riding to job sites with our superintendents That was a great way for me to not only get to know the fi eld crew but also see fi rsthand the hard work that they put in day in and day out When I fi rst started I tended to question myself a lot Murphy adds The reality was that Marcy Marro Editor Organizations for Women in Construction Association of Women in the Metal Industries www awmi org Canadian Association of Women in Construction www cawic ca National Association of Women in Construction www nawic org Professional Women in Construction www pwcusa org www metalconstructionnews com 48 METAL CONSTRUCTION NEWS May 2018