This month, we’re celebrating Women in Construction Week (March 6-12) with a blog series highlighting the value and ingenuity women bring to our member businesses. We’ll also feature careers and opportunities available to women interested in a rewarding, full-time job and being a part of the precast, prestressed concrete industry’s bright future.
PCI-MA: How do you describe your job to people?
Ruth: In order to begin discussing what I do, I first start with the type of industry I’m in. The easiest way to describe it is we make large concrete LEGOs at each of our plants, and once cured, deliver them to a jobsite and erect them in place to create a structure (just like a LEGO set). People quickly pick up on the idea, and then I can share with them what I do. Being in the precast industry since 1993, I’ve been fortunate to work with many amazing people and have been taught a lot. With this knowledge, I work alongside department managers to develop, set, and implement standards for estimating so I can train estimators on the best practices. I also work with system developers to design, build, and maintain our entire estimating system.
PCI-MA: How did your career journey lead you to your company?
Ruth: There comes a point where you, as a person, still desire growth, but your current place of employment doesn’t have positions available to foster the growth. Not that these companies wouldn’t support growth, they just aren’t capable at moments when you are in a growth stage. Given I was in such a predicament, I sent my resume out to various precast companies and all responded with requests to interview me along with listing many great opportunities available at their facilities. Metromont stood out the most with their focus on taking care of their people and affiliates (employees, clients, subcontractors, vendors, and so forth), as well as employing great leaders in this industry. It was a win-win for me for growth and learning.
PCI-MA: What is one of the greatest challenges you’ve faced in our industry and how have you overcome it?
Ruth: Since I started in the precast industry at seventeen years of age, the challenge I faced at first was my age. My nickname was “Junior,” as I was the youngest employee at the time, and it stayed as such until I was in my early twenties. It took time for people to realize that even though I was young, I was a quick learner and could problem-solve very effectively. I made sure I worked hard and pushed myself to learn every aspect of every position I held and would do it to the best of my abilities. I continuously strive to do the same almost thirty years later.
PCI-MA: What do you enjoy most about your job?
Ruth: What I enjoy most about my job is seeing people grow and excel in what they do. That they are gaining knowledge and being who they desire to be and go where they desire to go.
PCI-MA: Do you have a mentor or role model? If so, how does this person support you in your personal and professional growth?
Ruth: I do not necessarily have a single mentor but a group of very wonderful women (both older and younger) who are mentors in my personal, spiritual, and professional growth. They each have various strengths that inspire me to be greater in all aspects of life. The main ways they support me is through check-ins (daily or weekly depending on events), having one-on-one meetups to discuss and reflect on life and work situations, celebrating major milestones together, and by being real in giving me the necessary constructive criticism in areas I need growth in. They are beside me and support me through all the good or not so good. Each person is my powerhouse of help, support, and knowledge.
PCI-MA: What are your career and life aspirations and goals?
Ruth: One of the major life aspirations and goals I have is to continually grow and be a better person for myself and those I encounter in my life. For my career, I want to be a larger part of research and development within the precast industry—to be a part of the next generation of discovery and expanding our reach. I want to encourage those that come after me to keep pressing forward and reaching for your goals. Personally, I want to finish well and see my children grow into honorable and noble citizens. Along this journey, I also desire to travel to Europe and see amazing contributions to the construction industry throughout history (i.e., the Palace of Versailles, the Colosseum, Notre Dame, etc.). Lastly, I want to contribute back to the community. This encompasses feeding the less fortunate, helping at my local church, and donating resources and time to other areas that need support.
PCI-MA: What advice would you give a young woman entering the construction industry?
Ruth: The advice I would give a young woman entering the construction industry is the same I would give my daughter. The most critical is to know your worth and live by it, as it is the backbone for the rest of what I will share. Look around you and envision where you desire to be. (Dream big. Is it in the field, in management? Where?) Take that vision and start working towards it. I want you to be a sponge and soak in all the knowledge that you are presented with and never forget it. Make the effort to know everyone, as each person you encounter impacts you on your journey. Some will be allies and support, and others will offer you opportunities for growth and learning. They are both critical in you being the best you can be in this industry. The field of construction may bring pictures to mind about dirt, heavy equipment, or buildings, but there is so much more beyond that. You are a part of an industry that goes out to expand and enhance our communities and our lives. As a woman, you offer valuable insight and provide direction that could otherwise be missed.
About Metromont Corporation
Metromont was founded in 1925 on the principles of faith, honor, and passion, and 96 years later, those values are still the foundation of who we are and everything we do. With nearly 1,500 associates across six manufacturing facilities in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Virginia, Metromont is a leader and pioneer in the engineering and manufacturing of precast concrete. Most of all, we’re a trusted partner, working side by side with our customers from the earliest stages of project design through turnover of the completed structure. Across the eastern seaboard, the southeast, and even as far west as Arizona, our customers rely on us to provide innovative precast solutions and the best quality for their parking structures, data centers, multifamily housing, office buildings, warehouses, and distribution centers. And we do, because a trusted partner is who we are—and who we’ve been for nearly a century.
Want to learn more about a career in precast? Check out our workforce Career Center for job descriptions, career paths, job listings, and other helpful resources.
