Normally, when people think of the roofing or construction industries, they do not necessarily picture women as playing an essential part of those businesses.  And, while the stigma of being a woman in a “man’s industry” has started to wear off, most people would  not think of generations of women being in this industry.  When I first started working in commercial roofing I was pretty sure I would be surrounded by mostly men, and that was partly true, but I was amazed at how many women there were at my company who were killing it in the roofing industry!  On top of that, I found there were generations of women working this industry together.

My Mother-In-Law introduced me to the commercial roofing industry.  She has worked for our company for over 45 years and will be retiring in July 2020.  During her tenure in the industry, she has seen women transition from being limited to secretarial duties or kitchen staff to women becoming Vice Presidents, Executive Vice Presidents, and Chief Financial Officers.  She brought me into this crazy world of roofing only four short years ago, and by that time, she had already recruited her younger sister into the company too!  I recently asked her why she was so confident in bringing in more family to the roofing industry.  “There is a lot of opportunity now for women in the industry,” she said, “and I was able to witness that evolution.  Women are doing great things in roofing.  Sharing that with my family was something I am happy to have been a part of.”

Our family’s experience is not unique to our company, or even our industry.  There are many examples of mothers, daughters, aunts, nieces, and sisters working together to make an impact in the world of construction.  What about you?  Do you work with your family or do you have a female family member who you know would do great things in our industry?  What opportunities are you sharing with the women in your life?