Women in Construction Week (March 4th-10th) is aimed at highlighting women in the construction industry and raising awareness of the growing role and opportunities available for women in the industry. To help celebrate, we asked women working in our landscape construction division to share their experiences and their thoughts on the opportunities for women in the field of construction.
Haley Boyd (TXL) | Estimator | 1 Year of Service
“I decided to join the construction industry because of my life-long love of building and understanding how things piece together. My final semester in college, I knew subcontract work was the way I wanted to go, and found Ruppert through my school’s career fair. I wanted to do something different and they were the only large-scale commercial landscape company I had ever seen; needless to say, I was intrigued. I loved the focus on giving back to the communities they work in, too. Women should consider the construction industry for so many reasons, number one being the opportunity. Construction allows individuals, no matter their walk of life, to grow their career if they are willing to put in the hard work. Second is the learning opportunity; you will learn something new every single day.”
Hannah Meyer (MDL) | Project Manager | 2 Years of Service
“Two years ago, I began my search for a full time position after completing my Industrial Engineering degree at Virginia Tech. Engineering had always appealed to me because of how technical it was, how diverse every solution can be and how it could be applied to create something innovative. I knew I wanted to work somewhere I could apply all of these things but not be held to a desk or inside all day. I took the less traditional route in Industrial Engineering to pursue a career in Construction. In doing so I found a home at Ruppert Landscape. Ruppert is more than landscaping and planting. We typically handle large, multi-scope, commercial jobs involving everything from drainage to concrete, walls to pavers, soils to decking, water features to site amenities. Taking on multi-scope projects allows us to become knowledgeable in a variety of scopes and trades. We work hard, have fun and love it!
More and more often, we find women present in the construction industry but still we remain as the minority. Construction provides the opportunity for women to do hands-on work, get in the field or stay in the office. We provide a unique perspective to the industry, whether it be in the design or execution. The construction industry is one of the most rewarding there is. Seeing a job progress through its life cycle, starting as a mere hole in the ground and finishing as something beautiful and useful through hard work and dedication, provides satisfaction not many other things do.”
April Rose (VAL) | Project Manager | 10 Years of Service
“I started at Ruppert as an intern straight out of college, then joined full-time as an estimator, became chief estimator and now have been in the project management role for the past three years. Growing up, I was always my dad’s sidekick, which helped me understand construction practices early in life. That, coupled with my love for the outdoors, made it a no-brainer that I would choose a career in construction. Construction is a very crucial part of my life. It is a very challenging, but rewarding career. It would be great to see more women find success in this field of work.”
Kelly Shaffer (VAL) | Assistant Project Manager | 2.5 Years of Service
“I began my career with Ruppert as a branch administrator. After a year as the BA, I was eager to learn more about what we do and how we do it. I applied for the assistant project manager position and was given the opportunity. I was drawn to production because I knew it would be exciting and challenging. Since taking the position, I have worked on multiple large/multi-scope projects and have learned from every single one. It has been rewarding to see the projects come together from start to finish. I believe if we could eliminate the stereotype that construction is strictly for men, it would attract more women and those women would find themselves in a very rewarding industry with a fulfilling career.”