Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, CertainTeed has grown to become a leading North American brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, solar, fencing, decking, railing, trim, insulation, drywall and ceilings. As a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, one of the world’s largest and oldest building products companies, CertainTeed employs more than 6,900 people, with more than 60 manufacturing facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada and approximately $4 billion in annual sales.
In addition to being a leader in manufacturing, CertainTeed is a leader in the advancement and inclusion of women at all levels of its business operations. As a platinum-level sponsor of National Women in Roofing (NWIR), CertainTeed was pivotal in helping recently establish the Philadelphia chapter of NWIR, just outside of its headquarters in Malvern, Pennsylvania. Long before CertainTeed was an NWIR partner, however, CertainTeed was promoting the inclusion, promotion, and advancement of women through its Women’s Network.
As a tenured resource group, the CertainTeed Women’s Network was established nearly two decades ago in order to make the company a more diverse and inclusive place to work. The network has since been tasked with identifying and developing women for leadership roles and marshaling resources toward helping the company and achieve the goals of inclusion, diversity, and gender balance. The Women’s Network objectives include developing a strong network of Saint-Gobain women; partnering with businesses to attract, develop and retain talented women candidates; and educate employees on the strategic benefits of a diverse workforce.
The initiative, which started in 2003 out of CertainTeed, is now open to all Saint-Gobain employees in the U.S. and Canada who support the mission of recruiting, training and retaining women. This momentum is thanks to the Women’s Network Steering Committee, which serves as the network’s single leadership body, linking to Women’s Network Hubs across North America in order to execute programs. All seats on the Women’s Network Steering Committee are elected and each year, three new members are elected to replace the three members rotating off.
Manufacturing, in large part, is a male-dominated industry. The impact of the committee, however, is one of the reasons why CertainTeed’s leadership looks much different than many other companies operating in the same space. CertainTeed recently elected Carmen Bodden to serve as vice president of CertainTeed’s roofing division. Prior to that, Bodden served as vice president and general manager of CertainTeed’s ceilings division. Barb McDonough currently serves as the general manager of CertainTeed’s commercial roofing division. Female leaders are present throughout CertainTeed’s manufacturing and communication divisions, including Senior Brand Manager, Exterior Products Liz McCarty; Commercial Roofing Product Manager Abby Feinstein; Residential Roofing Product Manager Amanda Boyer; and Residential Roofing Product Manager Bailey Reeves.
In keeping with the ideals of NWIR, CertainTeed has taken the work of its Women’s Network beyond the walls of Saint-Gobain network and into the greater community. The Women’s Network Steering Committee currently acts as a liaison with business leaders who endeavor to increase diversity and female inclusion within their organizations—making it possible to replicate CertainTeed’s success advancing the careers of women in other businesses.
CertainTeed is proud to partner with NWIR to help women make further strides in the roofing trades through recruiting, networking, education, and mentoring opportunities. CertainTeed shares NWIR’s commitment to spotlighting new opportunities for women, but also supporting the accomplishments and dedication of women already making their mark in the industry.