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艾米丽Bittenbender is the Bittenbender Construction的所有者和管理合伙人, a 100% woman-owned construction company based out of Philadelphia, 宾西法尼亚. 艾米丽打破了女性在建筑行业的障碍, becoming the first woman to serve as chairman of the board of directors for the General Building Contractors Association (GBCA).
为了纪念妇女历史月，我们采访了艾米丽. She shared how the industry has evolved in the past few years and offered her predictions about the future of construction. Hint: she believes many more changes are on the way – from the use of prefab construction materials to diversity in leadership. 请看下面我们的采访.
你是如何开始在建筑行业工作的?
Before opening my own business, I worked in commercial interior design, managed a $3.20亿美元的投资计划, and served as Vice President of Design and Construction for a $137 million museum project.
One day, I was talking to a friend about the next step in my career. 我告诉他我要设计女性摩托车装备. 他看着我说:“这是个愚蠢的想法. 你应该开一家建筑公司.”
那是20年前的事了. 在那次谈话之后不久, I sold everything I owned and liquidated all my accounts to start Bittenbender Construction.
是什么让Bittenbender Construction与众不同?
When I got my start, people didn’t trust construction companies and contractors. 我们想要改变这一点. 事实上，我们的口号是 改变你对建筑的看法. We’re committed to transparency, mentorship, and fostering diversity in the workplace.
Businesses in all industries are having conversations about diversity every day, 但我们确实取得了进步. Mentorship is one way we empower women and people of color to succeed in this industry.
事实上, 一位竞争对手最近请我们指导他的女儿, 所以她准备在他退休后接替他. But first, he wants her to get a different perspective on the industry. Mentoring the next generation contributes to a more inclusive workforce and promotes innovation. 当人们和我们一起工作时, they get a unique perspective on the industry that they won’t get anywhere else.
How has being a woman in a male-dominated industry influenced your approach to construction?
人们过去常问我是为我父亲还是我丈夫工作. 一切从费城老城的地下室开始, 成长为唯一一家女性拥有的公司, 女士, 以及该地区由女性创立的商业承包商联盟.
Today, five out of the six executives at Bittenbender Construction are women. 直到今天, I’ve never come across another woman-owned construction company that actually was founded and run by women.
As a woman-owned business, we take a different approach to leadership and client relationships. Many of our competitors run their companies like the military or a pirate ship. We’re more progressive and family-friendly, with a more democratic approach to operations. 团队成员感到被重视，他们有发言权.
There used to be a lot of conflict in the construction industry, 许多公司也不愿意雇佣女性. The shift began when the current generation of leaders took over. 现在, 公司对雇佣女性非常开放, 此外，雇佣黑人和棕色人种企业的势头也很强劲.
What are some of the biggest challenges impacting the construction industry?
世界正在远离手工建造的建筑. 现在, we’re still using old-school labor and materials, with everything getting built on-site.
However, things are going to change dramatically in the next 10 to 20 years. 而不是, 更多的建筑将在工厂里作为构件制造出来, 然后在现场组装. 事实上, we’re already seeing this with modular and prefab constructions, 我认为一个彻底的转变即将到来.
How would the shift to modular and prefab constructions impact clients and the community?
The positive impact in cities like my own Philadelphia would be substantial. Shifting to a prefab approach would create jobs that don’t require extensive skills or experience in the industry. +, workers don’t necessarily have to deal with the harshness of cold winters and hot summers to do these jobs – making them more attractive. Philadelphia has one of the largest poverty rates in the country, and jobs like this would provide a substantial boost to the local community.
Meanwhile, clients will have much more control over their projects. For example, we’re using building information modeling (BIM) to perfectly outfit ceilings. Using technology to design buildings enables us to be much more precise. The result is less waste and fewer mistakes, saving time and money for the client.
There used to be a lot of conflict in the construction industry, 许多公司也不愿意雇佣女性. The shift began when the current generation of leaders took over.
How are companies like Bittenbender Construction and KGO pushing the industry forward?
In the past, the teams working on construction projects looked like a triangle. 有业主、建筑师和承包商. This approach didn’t allow for true teamwork because there was always an imbalance of power.
新的方法是 合作, which means supporting everybody with the understanding that if the architect, 老板, 和承包商都做得很好, 你会得到一个更好的365买球网. 在前进的道路上，可能仍会遇到挑战, but working with companies like KGO allows for stronger collaboration.
How does it make you feel to see the industry growing more diverse?
The General Building Contractors Association (GBCA) of Philadelphia was founded in 1724. In 2016, I became the first woman to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors. 这个组织代表了整个行业. To see it embracing women and people of color in leadership shows that the industry is evolving.
我的商业伙伴, 安吉拉Vacante, and I have always said to each other that we wanted the industry to look different when we retire. In the past, most business 老板s expected to pass the reigns over to their sons. After watching me at the GBCA board table and seeing the success of my business over the last 20 years, my competitors say they see us as a model for women in construction. They’re looking at their daughters a lot differently these days.