What brought you to the construction industry and what made you stay? I came to the construction industry after having some experience in the marine corp with a little bit of construction and building, and then I was a police office. That route didn’t work out, and I always really enjoyed construction so I came back to it.

What has been the highlight of your career in construction? Learning the Panel Max technology and being able to run that at the Tower at Maumee. Also learning how to use the Total Station Layout System in the field.

In that whole process what excites you the most? Being able to learn the processes. And with the Panel Max a little bit of math is involved, and I’m able to use my brain while using my hands.

What is the favorite aspect of your job? Favorite aspect is coming from day one seeing there is absolutely nothing and then we build it up and whatever structure we build is going to be there for years to come. So turning nothing to something is great.

How long have you been in the industry? I’ve been in the industry for 13 years.

And how long have you been with OCP? Going on 8. I was in asphalt before.

How long have you worked for OCP and how has your role progressed? I’ve been with OCP for going on 8 years. My work has progressed because when I came into the field, I didn’t even know what a stud was. Now I know all of my materials. But, there’s always something new. It’s one of things I enjoy about the work.

What brought you to the construction industry, and what made you stay? I was laid off from my previous job, then I was in asphalt. I always got laid off in the winter months. So, I got with OCP in the building trade and they got me all year working, so I’ve stayed with them.

How long have you been in the industry? I’ve been in the construction industry for 22 years.

How long have you worked for OCP and how has your role progressed? I’ve only been with OCP for 6 months. I’m able to work more independently as opposed to having a partner, which is cool. I don’t have to fight about what’s right and what’s wrong.

What brought you to the construction industry and what made you stay? I came to the construction industry because it was a means to take care of my family. I stayed because I like the feeling of accomplishment. I am able to look back and say “I built that.” I can show my kids the projects I’ve done. So I like that, it’s cool.

What has been the highlight of your career in construction? When I went to Las Vegas for a Sisters in the Brotherhood Conference, and then I realized how many women there really are in the construction field. I was really impressed with all the women that were there.

How long have you worked for OCP and how has your role progressed? I’ve worked for OCP for 17 years now, been in the trade for 30 and my progress is I came in as a journeyman and worked my way up, and now I am a foreman on projects.

What’s your favorite project so far? A little of everything. I like it when we can do different things as in faux finishing to wallpapering and the painting. When you get all those in one project, it’s a fun job.

What do you like most about your job, what’s your favorite part? I like hanging wall covering.

What do you say to the younger generation wanting to come into construction, what do you say to them about construction? Construction is a physical job, so if you’re willing to work hard, and in a labor intensive environment, it’s good work, good money, and keeps you in shape.

How long have you been in the industry? I’ve been in the industry for 2 years, but with OCP for two weeks.

What brought you to the construction industry, and what made you stay? I’ve always been a hands-on person and can’t sit still. So construction is perfect. It’s always busy. There’s always something to do. I stay because it’s fun.

What’s your favorite aspect of your job? I would say seeing the finished project to anything is the most satisfying thing ever. Because you’ve seen it from the ground up and it’s really cool to see it completed.

What would you tell another woman interested in joining the industry? I would tell another woman interesting in joining the industry, DO IT! It’s one of the best decisions I ever made, and it’s fun. You just gotta do it.

How long have you worked for OCP and how has your role progressed? I’ve been with OCP off and on for 16 years, steady for the last three.

What brought you to the construction industry and what made you stay? My dad was a cement mason when I was younger and they used to have, I think they still do, Bring Your Daughter to Work Day, and I went with my dad one day and I just loved it, I fell in love with it and I’ve been doing it ever since.

What would you tell another woman interested in joining the industry? Don’t be sensitive, it’s hard, you gotta have a big head on your shoulders, but it’s worth it. It’s a lot of fun and I love my job, so as long as you like doing what you’re doing, you should be just fine.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? My first big job with OCP was Levis Commons, and that’s where I learned the most stuff. It was a huge project, and I met a lot of the people I still work with today there, and I just learned a lot overall. It was really neat to see it from beginning to end, and be there for the whole thing. It was EIFS. instead of drywall, so I learned most of my EIFS experience on that job. Plus with all the colors it was really neat to see the project come together.

How long have you worked for OCP and how has your role progressed? I’ve been working with OCP for four years. I started off as an apprentice and now I find myself running jobs and working with all the trades and coordinating and growing everyday.

What has been the highlight of your career in construction? I think the biggest thing is when you see buildings from nothing and you see how everyone works together, and how it comes together as a whole at the end of the project. It’s great to look back and say you’re a part of it.

What made you come to construction and why did you stay? My dad and uncle are union painters so growing up I was always familiar with the trade. I graduated in 2007 when the economy was in decline. I didn’t know what I wanted to go to college for, and didn’t want to rush in so I took my time figuring out my career. Then I realized when I was painting someone’s house, I said “I can do this,” with growing up doing it, so I joined in and it was the best decision I made in my life.

How long have you worked for OCP and how has your role progressed over the years? So, I started working for OCP in July of ‘89 and started as an accounting clerk. I worked on every accounting position and was a company controller for a quite a while, and then in 2012 I was promoted to Vice President.

What brought you to the construction industry and made you stay? Basically, I applied for an accounting job and that brought me to the industry.I stayed when I realized I had been given the opportunity to constantly learn things. Things in construction are always changing, construction is interesting, there are lots of different dynamics, there are so many different types of projects, so it’s really interesting and you just learn all the time.

What development thus far brought you furthest in your career? I had a really super mentor that I worked with. My previous boss was absolutely terrific and taught me a lot, and then I studied and passed the CCIFP exam. I think those were probably the two biggest things.

How long have you been in the industry? I've been in the industry for 6 years, and with OCP for 3 of those years.

How has your role progressed since joining the industry? I started out just insulating, and they finally got me off that. I was put on framework following that, and turns out I’m really good at frames. So they kept me on it. And now I’m a “frame hanging machine.”

How did your career in construction begin? My dad’s done small projects since I was a kid. But, when I was a kid I didn’t want to pay attention to the work. I ended up going to a vocational technical school, and really got into construction then. Then I continued on with my construction career through college in construction management, and right now I’m getting the experience I need and I plan to go further in my construction career.

How long have you worked for OCP and how has your role progressed? I’ve been in the industry for 8.5 years, and worked for OCP for two and half years. I’ve gotten to learn a lot and do a lot more of everything. I feel like my opinions are listened to more in the field, too.

What is your favorite aspect of your job? I like to do framing the most. I like just being in different building and seeing different projects.

How did your career in construction begin? My neighbor was a laborer, and introduced me to the industry eight and half years ago. He suggested it was a good industry to be in with good pay. So I came from being a stay at home mom to being in the field. My neighbor was actually on my first job with me, so it definitely helped that I knew someone and could feel more comfortable.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? My favorite project is probably Akron Children’s. My daughter has an autoimmune disorder and she’s at Akron Children’s a lot, so it was neat to be involved in a project that my family goes to a lot.

How long have you worked for OCP and how has your role progressed? I've worked for OCP for 24 years, and I started as an apprentice. My very first job was with OCP and I have worked and became a journeywoman, and now in the past year or two I’ve been job foreman and running some smaller jobs, getting used to running a lot of work and manpower.

Are you enjoying that part of your job? Yes, I enjoy doing that, and getting into more of the building, you know, understanding more how we get to the finished project. It’s interesting to see how everything progresses.

What is your favorite aspect of your job? I would say the finishing product, once it’s painted and everything, the furniture gets in, just the whole finished product, how like “wow, we did that,” you know, and driving down the streets, the city of Toledo, and saying “wow, I did that job, I did that job,” it’s kind of neat to see that.

What brought you to the construction industry, and what made you stay? I started out working for a construction manager just doing paperwork because I had a background in administrative work. It was really a fluke that I got into the safety side of construction. And then I really enjoyed the safety side of it, so much so that I started to neglecting my administrative duties and wanted to do more safety.

What is your favorite aspect of your job? My favorite aspect of my job is definitely interaction with the field, and upholding OCP’s values of being able to get the field home safe to their families. Family is most important. So that truly is my favorite part of the job, is being able to work with them and keep them safe. Sometimes it’s not easy. You have to be able to talk to people and call them out, and they don’t always like that, but in the end it’s better because it keeps them safe. They get to go home and see their kids and their wives and their significant others. Home safe every night, that’s what’s most important.

How long have you worked for OCP, and how has your role progressed? I started working for OCP in 2010. Building Information Modeling practices were just starting to become more common outside the mechanical subcontractors area. So OCP hired me as a virtual design and construction coordinator to develop their BIM capacities. Today I manage the BIM processes for all three offices making sure that OCP stays ahead of the technology and BIM practices in the industry.

What brought you to the construction industry, and what made you stay? I was doing retail design work in 2009 for a large design firm here in Columbus, and the retail construction market started to really slow down. A lot of my friends and coworkers started getting laid off, so I realized it was time for a change. I started looking for job ads and applying; I guess it was just the right place, at the right time really. I’ve stayed in the construction industry not just because I like watching something come from the ground up, but also because the people that I work with here at OCP and on the job sites are just a great team.

How long have you worked for OCP and how has your role progressed? I have just recently started working with OCP in the past few weeks. My current role as Project Assistant has been progressing by exposing me to the processes and procedures that pertain to the management style of OCP projects.

What brought you to the construction industry and what made you stay? I was pursuing a traditional format of college study. However, I felt the need to learn something different or “outside of the box” as some may say. At the same time, I did not want to stop studying which lead me to enroll at the Lorain County Joint Vocational School in the building trades program. During my time in the program, the masonry instructor advised that I apply for the apprenticeship program with the Bricklayers and Allied Craft worker. Upon doing so, I received a letter of acceptance and entered in as a pre-apprentice. After completion of the pre-apprentice program, I was placed with Corcoran Tile & Marble, Inc., as a first year apprentice and continued working until I reached journeyman status. I stayed because it was different, challenging, and I was continually learning.

What brought you to the construction industry and what made you stay? Well, when I was in school I took an estimating course and really enjoyed it and before I graduated I was given an opportunity to work at a company and do estimating, and from there I really loved it. I loved working with the numbers and doing different projects and overtime. I have enjoyed working with the the clients, and getting to do estimating all the time. I’ve stayed because I enjoy it.

What would you tell another women interested in joining the industry? Well, if they are really interested in the construction industry I would tell them not to be intimidated, yes it is mostly men in this industry, but women are accepted. I think you have to work hard to prove yourself, but don’t think you’re not as good as the next person. At the same time I wouldn’t change who you are. I have seen women who are in the industry and think they need to act and talk the men, and they don’t. They can still be a women in their own and still be successful.