The Charlotte/Triangle/Triad Construction News – February/March 2009 – PAGE 3
Women Represent Untapped Resource
for NC Construction Industry
BEA QUIRK – The Charlotte/Triangle/Triad Construction News
When you look at the national statistics 1990-91 national president. She’s been a
about women in the construction industry, member for 44 years and has seen a lot of
you can either see the glass as half empty changes. “When I first joined, NAWIC was
or half full. the only organization for women in con-
For example, according to the U.S. struction. Professional groups for archi-
Census Bureau, the number of women em- tects and engineers didn’t want women.
ployed in construction has risen to about Members now are mostly owners and man-
900,000 – but that only accounts for 9.6% agers. The job demands of women in the
of the entire industry workforce of about trades don’t allow them the time to join
seven million. Women make up some 46% professional groups, and that’s too bad.
of the entire U.S. labor force. “We are a networking and support
The number of women-owned firms in group – if there is something you don’t
construction grew 20% between 1997 and know, you’ll know someone who can help
2002 to just under 200,000. But the num- you,” Johnson adds. “It’s important to sup-
ber of firms with employees (as compared port each other, especially when the indus-
to one-woman shops) declined during that try is down.”
time and women-owned specialty trade Chapman also praises the support and
firms decreased by 27%. networking NAWIC provides. “I was a
“Though we’ve come a long way, it’s member of Women Business Owners, but I
Tanqueray Richardson Darline Johnson
still pretty much a man’s world,” says was not getting what I needed – to talk to
Charlottean Carol Chapman, who owns people in construction who were facing the tion. You don’t feel judged or afraid you’ll ers rank #244 as desirable professions, just
Mobile Construction Co. with her husband same issues, like understanding the terms look foolish if you ask a question.” above a garbage man.  
Gene and was president of the National of a building permit. Dave Clewley, Director, Safety & Clewley says the career path in con-
Association of Women in Construction “I can’t say enough good things about Training, Starr Electric Company, feels struction offers an array of opportunities
(NAWIC) in 2006. NAWIC,” adds Chapman, who joined in there’s a big disconnect in the perception for women from apprentice to company
“In the construction market, a woman 1991. “There’s no other avenue for women of construction workers.  According to the owner. In the electrical industry, a woman
always must prove herself,” observes Vir- to get together and discuss the trials and Wall Street Journal ranking of jobs
ginia Jones, owner of Kinetic Electric tribulations of being a woman in construc- amongst young adults, construction work-
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Continued on page 4
Group in Laurinburg. “A man gets respect
just because he’s a man. But as a woman,
you have to earn it and show that you have
the knowledge and experience to get the
job done.” She is also a member of
NAWIC.
NAWIC is a 54-year-old organization
dedicated to enhancing the success of
women in the construction field. The orga-
nization has a strong presence in North
Carolina with about 500 members in seven
chapters—Durham, Raleigh, the Piedmont,
Charlotte, Asheville, Fayetteville and
Greenville. Nationally, there are approxi-
mately 5,500 members in 179 chapters rep-
resenting construction attorneys,
accounting and marketing professionals
CEOs, business owners, project managers,
estimators and trades people.
Darline Johnson is the president-elect of
Virginia Jones
the Raleigh NAWIC chapter and served as
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