As we celebrate Women in Construction (WIC) Week, we embrace this year’s theme: “Together We Rise.” This theme highlights the collective strength, unity, and growth of women in the construction industry, emphasizing their vital role in shaping its future.
In Ohio, the contributions of women to construction are both significant and inspiring. Their dedication and expertise have been instrumental in driving the state’s infrastructure and development projects forward. WIC Week offers an opportunity to recognize these achievements and encourage more women to pursue careers in this dynamic field.
Here are some of the stories of the women of Ohio’s construction workforce. Together, we rise!
- Name: Gillian
- Company: Ohio CAT
- Title/Position: Rental Project Manager
- Years working in construction: 4.5 years
- What inspired you to pursue a career in construction, and what has kept you motivated along the way?
Joining the family business! As a member of the 4th generation at Ohio CAT, I have been motivated to continue the Taylor family legacy! I also fell in love with the construction industry and all the people in it shortly after joining the company.
- How have mentorship and collaboration played a role in your success in the construction industry?
I have had the pleasure of getting to work with my dad who has been an incredible mentor for me as a leader. I’m a proud daughter when I hear how much the employees love working for him as the President of Ohio CAT. I have another mentor within the company that has helped our family through career development and education. She has connected me with many opportunities to learn the industry, meet necessary people, and grow as a leader. She connected me to a professional coach outside the company as well that I’ve been working with for two years. Finally, all of the different supervisors I’ve had in my four different roles at the company have been valuable in my understanding and love of the construction industry, whether it’s through support services type of work or operationally on the front lines.
- What challenges have you faced as a woman in construction, and how have you overcome them?
There have been multiple times when I was a Rental Store Manager where customers or vendors would be shocked when I told them I oversaw Rental in those locations. They would seem surprised because it’s not typical to find a young woman running a Rental store in this industry. Once the initial shock wore off, the customers were always happy to work with me and it wasn’t ever a problem. More and more women are joining this industry. I think we are approaching a time where this won’t be as much of a surprise anymore and I’m excited to see the amount of women holding roles in construction continue to grow.
- Can you share a moment when you felt especially empowered or supported by your colleagues in this industry?
I had the opportunity to be the first Women in Construction feature in the Associated Equipment Distributor’s monthly magazine! They wanted to start this column and reached out to us to see if I would be interested in highlighting my career. I was so honored to have been thought of for this opportunity. Knowing that I’ve made enough of an impact in the industry already that I would be asked to do such a thing was so validating and exciting. The article was titled “From Crescendos to Construction.” I got to share my story of moving from the Music Education world as a teacher, to the Construction industry working for the family business. I am grateful for my past experience and perspective being in another industry, but I’m so happy I am doing what I’m doing now. I hope it inspires others to not be afraid to make career changes if you’re feeling ready for a change, because my leap into this industry changed my life.
- What advice would you give to young women considering a career in construction?
Working in the construction industry is extremely rewarding and is a field that will always be needed despite all the technological advancements we see in our world today. There will ALWAYS be a need to construct new buildings, pave roads, landscape new properties, plow snow, put in new stadium lights, etc. Seeing all the ways our equipment impacts the world we live in is fascinating and really cool to see. It might seem like you have to “work in the dirt” to work in construction, but there are so many roles that support construction companies where that’s not the case. Don’t let that steer you away from an opportunity to work in a rewarding industry.
- How do you see the role of women evolving in construction, and what changes would you like to see in the future?
The longer I’m in the business, the more and more women I’m seeing join the industry. I see new leaders of equipment dealerships, new sales representatives, new construction managers on jobsites, new service technician interns, new HR personnel, new service supervisors. The list goes on and on. I hope to continue to see women joining the industry, shifting the ratio between men and women, and seeing it as a great life-long career opportunity.
- What does the theme ‘Together We Rise’ mean to you, and how do you apply it in your work?
This theme really hits home the idea of working together, respecting one another, and supporting each other as we want to grow and succeed. This is a people business and always will be. We can always do more when we work together. So with that said, it’s important that we learn each other’s strengths, know when to get out of the way, or when to step up, be respectful, and always want to continue learning to be better. Keep things moving forward and support one another to get there!
