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?
Ray: I’m part of the continuous improvement department as a process technician. My responsibilities include auditing, improving, and developing new processes based on the needs of the company. I routinely conduct the necessary research to support those improvements and participate in the implementation of LEAN practices.
PCI-MA: How long have you been with Smith-Midland?
Ray: I joined the team this past August after working at another precaster for a few years.
PCI-MA: How did your career journey lead you to your company?
Ray: I’ve gotten to experience different aspects of the construction industry as an inspector in materials testing for the geotechnical engineering world, where I was able to travel throughout the states of Virginia and Maryland, be an estimator for precast, and now work at my dream job at Smith Midland!
PCI-MA: What is one of the greatest challenges you’ve faced in our industry and how have you overcome it?
Ray: As a woman in this industry, you really have to work to prove yourself. I’ll admit I was initially a bit overwhelmed because regardless of whatever job you have in the construction industry, you’ll always feel like you’re trying to sip water from a fire hydrant. But as the years have gone by, I’ve learned that the best antidote to that feeling is to simply get involved in the work, get your hands dirty, and always listen to and learn from those that were there before you.
PCI-MA: Do you have a mentor or role model? If so, how does this person support you in your personal and professional growth?
Ray: Kevin Corbett, our VP of Operations, has been one of the most thoughtful leaders I’ve worked for. He’s supportive and continues to mentor me through career challenges, helping me focus on and plan the next stages of my career.
PCI-MA: What are your career and life aspirations and goals?
Ray: Within the next year, I plan on transferring to an industrial engineering program to continue and ultimately earn my industrial mechanical engineering degree.
PCI-MA: What advice would you give a young woman entering the construction industry?
Ray: Find ways of creating meaningful connections with your peers. It might feel strange to be the only woman in certain settings sometimes, but more often than not, you’ll find things you have common. It’s crucial to create these bonds because if you feel like an outsider, you’ll never feel like you belong—and who wants to work somewhere they don’t belong?
About Smith-Midland Corporation
Smith-Midland develops, manufactures, licenses, rents, and sells a broad array of precast concrete products and systems for use primarily in the construction, transportation, and utility industries. Management and the Board own approximately 17.5 percent of SMID stock, aligning with shareholder values.
Smith-Midland Corporation has three manufacturing facilities located in Midland, VA, Reidsville, NC, and Columbia, SC, and a J-J Hooks Safety Barrier rental firm, Concrete Safety Systems. Easi-Set Worldwide, a wholly owned subsidiary of Smith-Midland Corporation, licenses the production and sale of Easi-Set products, including J-J Hooks and SlenderWall, and provides diversification opportunities to the precast industry worldwide. For more information, please call (540) 439-3266 or visit www.smithmidland.com.
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.
