This week marks two important events: Women in Construction Week, which works to raise awareness for the equal role women play in our industry; and International Women’s Day, which celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

At McKinstry, we aspire to a world where there is gender equity in all aspects of the construction industry. This means plumbers and pipefitters, sheet metal workers and site superintendents, project engineers and designers. We know that women and men can work together and thrive in all parts of the industry – helping us to build a more innovative, inclusive, creative, and robust future of construction.

As a leader in the built environment, McKinstry strives each day to innovate, engineer and deliver the best solutions that drive waste from the construction industry, improve buildings and decrease energy consumption. We steadfastly believe that one of the most important enablers of innovation is diversity and inclusion. Diverse ideas, backgrounds, experiences, identities and more help us to think differently and push boundaries. Research has found this to be true – companies with more diverse teams are more profitable, more successful and more innovative.  However, the key to unlocking these perspectives is creating an environment where each person feels they belong and has a voice.  

Unfortunately, the construction industry has been one of the slowest to change and remains one of the least gender-inclusive industries in the country. While the number has slowly improved, women still make up only nine percent of the construction industry in the U.S. McKinstry is proud that over 30 percent of our professional staff and 15 percent of our total workforce – including tradespeople – are women, and we continue to work to increase gender representation across the company.

Throughout this week and next, McKinstry teams across the country are recognizing and celebrating the many women building innovation in our industry. Together, each of us can innovate towards a brighter tomorrow.

Cheryl Chamberlain is McKinstry’s Chief Administrative Officer.