How 5 Women Have Found Success in the Construction Industry

Women in the building and remodeling sectors of the construction industry face a unique set of challenges. We interviewed five professional women on what they’ve done to be successful.

Here's what they have to say:

Anna Stern

Vice President, Tri-North Builders, a construction management company headquartered in Fitchburg, Wis.

How you started out in the industry

My father was in construction, so I essentially grew up “in the industry.” I’ve worked in other industries and I’ve found that the construction industry is largely populated with honest and hardworking people and I enjoy both the people and the challenges I encounter on a daily basis. There’s never a dull moment. I’ve always been drawn to the idea that you have a very tangible result for the hard work that you put in. We spend a lot of time trying to win work and making sure projects run smoothly and, at the end of the day, there’s a building we can look at that stands as a testament to all the hard work our team put in. 

A challenge you’ve overcome

Getting everyone to recognize that I have valuable insight that I bring to the table. I had to show them that I had knowledge that was valuable to them and that I could assist in a number of ways. 

When I was an attorney working in construction law, I was generally working with the older men who head up these construction companies, or the older male lawyers who’ve been doing this a long time. All of them tend to assume that the young-looking blonde female sitting across the table couldn’t possibly know what she’s talking about. They almost always start by giving some form of lecture about “what’s standard” or giving some other form of “education” about the matter at hand. It’s easy in that situation to get offended or to want to start talking over them to make it clear that you know what you’re talking about. I’ve never felt that’s the best approach. Instead, I usually would let them say their peace and then start discussing the matter at hand. If you know what you’re talking about and can hold your own, most people catch on pretty quickly and will drop the act and start treating you as an equal. 

A skill that has helped you succeed

I was never raised to believe that there were limits to what I could do because I was a female. Because I’ve never felt that way, I’ve never had a hard time voicing my opinion in a room full of men, even when it’s a group of men who have been doing this much longer than I have. If someone ignores my comments because I’m a female, I have the ability to speak louder or repeat myself. If you shrink away from providing your insight because you’re worried the men in the room will ignore you, you will not succeed in a male-dominated industry.

Recommendations to other women in the industry

(If you are just starting out your career working both onsite and in the office environment will give you first-hand experience. We had a young lady who had just graduated high school who reached out to us for an internship because she wanted to go into construction management in college and wanted some experience, so we hired her for the summer. She did some visits to job trailers and worked in the office, and seemed even more excited about her chosen major by the end of the summer.

Mimi Kress

Co-owner, Sandy Spring Builders, a custom homebuilder in Washington, D.C.

How you started in the industry

I grew up around construction since my dad was a builder. It was the 60s and 70s and there weren't a lot of women in the industry as builders, but after getting my liberal arts education, I wasn't sure what to do so I apprenticed with a local builder to learn all aspects of the residential construction business. He put me out on job sites and had me take classes at the local college. It didn't take me long to realize that I enjoyed being part of building something, and I've been doing it ever since.

A challenge you’ve overcome 

Being confident in my own abilities and knowledge. (Starting out) thirty years ago, I was not as confident in my capabilities. I’ve become much more confident as I’ve matured. 

I remember being out on a job site when I was working out in the field in my 20’s and an inspector questioned me about the way something was installed. I was absolutely sure that we had done everything correctly, but rather than say that, I told him that I would ask my direct supervisor. I knew that he was not used to or comfortable with women in the field, so he probably wanted to “bust my chops.” If the same thing happened now, I would tell him that it was correct and if he had an issue then it was up to him to show me what was wrong. 

A skill that has helped you succeed

Accepting what I know and what I don’t know. My main strength is maintaining the operation end of things and keeping all the balls juggling, but I am not up on the latest greatest construction technology. That’s why it’s important to have a great team and be able to delegate. No one person has it all.

An accomplishment you’re especially proud of

Our company believes that it’s important to “give where you live” and I am personally very active in the community. I work with our local Habitat for Humanity to raise funds, provide labor for their build days and bring unused construction materials to their store. We are currently also working with Rebuilding Together Montgomery, which is a local non-profit providing home repairs to those in need. For their latest fundraising project that we’re involved with, we will be building a “dream playhouse,” which will be prominently displayed for a week and then auctioned off to raise funds. 

Sharon Dillard

CEO, Get A Grip Inc., a kitchen and bathroom resurfacing company in Albuquerque, N.M.

A challenge you’ve overcome

Coming from the fashion industry, I had very feminine and sophisticated clothing. Early on, I was out calling on commercial accounts and I dressed like I was in the fashion industry. Going into a different looking business, I knew I had to also look the part. I learned real quickly, because I wasn't getting business. The next day I bought a pair of jeans and cowboy boots, went back out and picked up several accounts.

A skill that has helped you succeed

 One thing I didn't need to change was my sense of marketing and branding. I had been trained from the fashion industry that a professional, polished image mattered. The same thing holds true for any business. That's why we take such care to ensure that all our marketing materials and messages, including: our newsletter, website and even the way our technicians dress, look great, are grammatically correct and convey the professionalism that we provide to our customers. 

An accomplishment you’re especially proud of

Being able to resurface much of the existing housing at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M. was an accomplishment we're especially proud of. It's an honor to provide our service men and women with beautiful, elegant and durable kitchen and bathroom surfaces. They work so hard and sacrifice so much that they deserve a good place to live.

Lynn Gastineau

Owner and founder, Gastineau Log Homes, a producer of oak log homes in New Bloomfield, Mo. 

How you started out in the industry

I was very interested in construction during high school, but back then a "girl" couldn't get a job on a construction site, at least not in Central Missouri. I really wanted to be an architect, but I am what you would call "math challenged."  So I got a BFA in Fashion Design from Stephens College, in Columbia, Mo., which at the time was ranked as the No. 2 design school behind Parsons. In the design program at Stephens there is a large emphasis on Art History and other courses that are very similar to some classes required for Architecture.  So I feel like I had some educational training that has helped me in the construction field.

A skill that has helped you succeed

 Having an open mind. At my company we are willing to try new things. For example, a screw was developed years ago that could make building log homes much easier and faster and we were the first company in the U.S. to use it. Many log home companies wouldn’t try it even though testing proved the product would perform as it was supposed to do. It ended up being a big step forward in log home construction and we are still using those screws today.

Recommendations for other women in the industry

You have to be able to walk the walk and talk the talk and be able to answer any questions. You have to know more than anyone else. It¹s the same as it would be in any industry. Learn to pay attention, read, attend classes, trade shows and educational seminars and join your local homebuilders association. There are a lot of educational opportunities out there. Also, if it helps you, join your local Toastmasters to help you become a better communicator.

Beverley Kruskol

Owner, M.Y. Pacific Building, Inc., a general contracting company in Los Angeles

A challenge you’ve overcome 

As it is a male dominated industry, occassionally a contractor on-site will address one of my guys, mistakenly thinking he is the owner. Over the years, I’ve accepted this as the nature of the beast, but it is always quickly clarified. I’m really comfortable in who I am and what I’ve accomplished. You just have to go in there and show them you are a professional and you know what you’re talking about.

Recommendations for other women in the industry

Don’t be intimidated. If you know what you’re doing, you won’t have a problem. You don’t need to be aggressive, but you do need to be assertive. 

An accomplishment you’re especially proud of

I’ve successfully diversified my company so that we do painting, dry wall, special carpentry, lacquer, Venetian plaster, electrical work, etc. As a general contractor, I’ve slowly diversified and hired great people who specialize in the various construction crafts. I’m also proud of the fact that I have a lot of repeat business, as well as word of mouth referrals. Even in a hard economy, we’re busy due to our reputation and quality of work.