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.
My name is Stephanie Hampton. I’m the Senior Technical Sales Engineer in the Northeast region for Lehigh Hanson. My background is in technical services, quality control, and sales in ready-mix concrete, manufactured concrete products, precast, aggregates, asphalt, and supplementary cementitious materials. I have a broad background in developing quality control and quality assurance programs, as well as working with value-added products and services while improving sustainability across all construction sectors.
PCI-MA: How do you describe your job to people?
Hampton: I provide technical services and sales support to the Mid-Atlantic region with a focus on cementitious products, sustainability, and business development.
PCI-MA: How did your career journey lead you to your company?
Hampton: My educational background is in chemical engineering, and my first internship was working with admixtures in the concrete industry. From there I started my career focusing on quality control and technical services for producers in all construction sectors. I wanted to continue to grow and be able to make a larger impact in the surrounding industry. Utilizing my technical knowledge mixed with my love for teaching, I was able to naturally thrive in sales and business development. I always found myself drawn towards trying new technology and using it to help the industry solve problems, improve efficiency, save money, enhance quality, and promote sustainability. I wanted to be able to maximize my broad background in technical services and sales, as well as my experience in all construction sectors. I felt that working for one of the largest building materials manufacturers worldwide, with a commitment to sustainability, was the best way to make a valuable impact on the industry.
PCI-MA: What is one of the greatest challenges you’ve faced in our industry and how have you overcome it?
Hampton: Initially one of my greatest challenges was earning trust and respect from older male colleagues in the industry. I found that the best way to prove myself was by putting in the hard work, humbly learning through experience, and presenting myself and my knowledge with confidence. In addition, I found that both men and women have a difficult time celebrating a woman’s success and progression in her career. Situations have not always gone as I planned, and I have faced resistance more than once, but I have been able to thrive by always staying true to myself and my values no matter how people have challenged me.
PCI-MA: What do you enjoy most about your job?
Hampton: I love seeing my work come to life in the form of a hospital, school, bridge, tunnel, airport, even aquatic and ocean habitats . . . the possibilities seem endless! I enjoy the fast-paced environment, variety of challenges, chance to always learn something new, as well as the people that I get the opportunity to work with and meet.
PCI-MA: Do you have a mentor or role model? If so, how does this person support you in your personal and professional growth?
Hampton: I do not currently have a mentor, although I have had the pleasure of having two female role models previously. I was lucky enough to work with a young female engineer during my first internship, it was a great introduction and ultimately how I fell in love with the construction industry. Not long into my career I was blessed to be able to work with a woman that was very involved with the local chapters of female associations in the construction industry. I found that joining these associations helped me meet wonderful like-minded people in the industry, provided an invaluable source of support, as well as helped develop my career in various aspects.
PCI-MA: What are your career and life aspirations and goals?
Hampton: I plan to expand my technical, managerial, and financial backgrounds within the industry, through licenses, master’s degrees, and available trainings. I was raised to love and appreciate the outdoors, especially the water, and I have raised my children to do the same. For these reasons I plan to focus on our environmental impact and sustainability. I love to encourage the younger generation to explore career opportunities in the construction industry, and I am very actively involved in outreach programs. On a more personal level, I have a six-year-old daughter who I encourage to explore STEM-related activities. We always make sure to give STEM-themed gifts to young children as well.
PCI-MA: What advice would you give a young woman entering the construction industry?
Hampton: Put in the hard work, stay humble, accept the helping hand, and always strive to learn more. Keep an open mind, try to stay flexible, and when possible, have thick skin. Always stay true to yourself and your values. If you choose to start a family, make sure that you position yourself to have a supportive supervisor and team; it will make all the difference in being able to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Most of all, find your people and have fun; you’ll find that “work” is easy when it’s something you love! When you’ve made your way, make sure to return the favor and help the other young women following in your footsteps!
About Lehigh Hanson, Inc.
Lehigh Hanson, Inc. is a leading supplier of construction materials in North America. Our core activities include the production of cement and aggregates, and we also produce ready-mixed concrete, asphalt, and other downstream products. With our innovative approach, focus on sustainability, and extensive network of facilities, our customers trust us to provide the products, service, and experience it takes to get the job done. At Lehigh Hanson, that's a trust we earn every day. Lehigh Hanson, Inc., and our affiliated companies are part of the HeidelbergCement Group, one of the largest building materials manufacturers worldwide.
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.
