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 Terri Ward. I began my career in marketing back in 1990 as the marketing assistant for an investment banking firm in Philadelphia. A few years later, I relocated to Aiken, South Carolina, with my family and was hired by Bechtel Construction at Savannah River Site. That was my first experience in the construction industry. Over the years I worked in a variety of roles, mostly focused around my writing, marketing, and administrative experience. I found my way to the precast industry in 2006 as a marketing coordinator for the Shockey Precast Group. That’s also where I met my husband, Mike, who was the estimating manager for Shockey. We have six children between us—the youngest is nineteen and the oldest is thirty—as well as five grandchildren.
PCI-MA: How do you describe your job to people?
Ward: I like to say that my role as Marketing Manager is to oversee and guide the telling of Metromont’s story to both internal and external audiences. From social media posts to project videos to the content on our website and in our internal newsletter, we are always crafting and telling the story of who we are, what we value, and how we serve our customers, associates, and community. My day-to-day responsibilities include managing Metromont’s marketing department, providing support to our sales and HR teams, and overseeing the execution of our strategic marketing plan.
PCI-MA: How did your career journey lead you to your company?
Ward: My professional background is a blend of marketing, writing, and administrative experience for a variety of industries, including construction. After five years as a freelance writer and stay-at-home mom to my three boys, I decided to return to the workforce and was hired in 2006 for the position of Marketing Coordinator by the Shockey Precast Group. Unfortunately, my position was eliminated when the company downsized three years later, but I was rehired in the same role in 2014. Four years later, the Shockey Precast Group was acquired by Metromont Corporation. In July 2019, I received a call from the VP of Preconstruction and Marketing for Metromont, offering me the position of Marketing Manager at Metromont’s corporate headquarters in Greenville, SC. My husband, who was the estimating manager for Shockey Precast at the time, was offered the position of director of estimating for Metromont. It was a fabulous opportunity for both of us, and six months later, we relocated to Greenville to begin the next chapter in our careers!
PCI-MA: What is one of the greatest challenges you’ve faced in our industry and how have you overcome it?
Ward: Stepping into my authority and power as a female leader in the traditionally male-dominated precast industry has been one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced. But it’s also been one of the most empowering challenges of my career. Taking on the role of Marketing Manager, I had to trust and be confident in my own authority. It changed my entire perspective. I frequently ask myself, “What can I do and who do I need to be to serve as the most effective leader for my team and for the company?” and then I do my best to live the answer! It’s humbling yet exciting to recognize that the work I’m doing now is paving the way for future generations of women leaders in the precast industry.
PCI-MA: What do you enjoy most about your job?
Ward: I’m a creative person and a problem-solver, and my role as Marketing Manager involves developing creative solutions to help advance the company and our industry—so I love that part of my job. And of course, as a writer, I’m involved in developing content for our various marketing strategies like the internal newsletter, social media posts, and marketing materials for our sales team. But the most fulfilling aspect of my job are the opportunities I have every day to be of service to others. From giving guidance to a teammate to overseeing a major project that takes several months to complete, if I can look back on each day and know I’ve helped or inspired someone, I consider myself successful.
PCI-MA: Do you have a mentor or role model? If so, how does this person support you in your personal and professional growth?
Ward: No, I don’t have a mentor, but there are many women who’ve inspired me and supported me throughout my career. My mom is an amazing woman whose creativity, strength, and love have inspired and supported me my entire life. It’s from her that I inherited my inner strength, my love for painting, and my appreciation for long walks. My best friend from college, who I’ve known now for thirty-seven years, inspires me with her confidence, her writing, and her ability to speak up for herself in any situation. Suzanne Aultman, our VP of Engineering, inspires me as a leader. She is such a wonderful and caring person who embodies professional excellence, generosity, and service to others. She’s a joy to work with and a true model of strong leadership.
PCI-MA: What are your career and life aspirations and goals?
Ward: Metromont is a great company, and my plan is to continue in my current role, learning, growing, and deepening my knowledge and skills so I can better support my team and be an effective leader for Metromont. Beyond my career, my life aspirations are to enjoy time with our family, grow and bloom as an artist, and live the fullest expression of my best self in everything I do. My husband and I have set the goal to visit all forty-seven SC state parks this year, and I’m getting involved with our local arts community. Life is a beautiful adventure, and my greatest aspiration is to savor and learn from each new experience!
PCI-MA: What advice would you give a young woman entering the construction industry?
Ward: Keep in mind that every woman who pursues a career in the construction industry is helping to create positive change for all of us. Change happens a little more slowly in the construction industry, but don’t let that discourage you. Remember that you belong in this industry and that your skills and your contributions are needed. Know that your voice is needed, and be willing to make your voice heard. Trust yourself and have faith in your ability to succeed. And absolutely surround yourself with a community of strong, caring, and supportive women!
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.
