The first week of March honors Women in Construction. These seven days celebrate the women who have taken the bold leap into the construction industry. Within the walls of Shamrock Roofing in Overland Park, we’re taking time to spotlight a few women who make our company better every shingle day.
The National Association of Women in Construction – founded in 1953 in Fort Worth, TX – started with only 16 women. Over the next several decades, NAWIC grew considerably. It launched its first WIC week in 1998 and has continued the tradition since.
Shamrock Roofing – serving the greater Kansas City area – has strong, smart, and spunky women who work in marketing, billing, and even out in the field. Along with the men, these women strive to fulfill our mission of becoming the number-one company in residential and commercial roofing.
“I’m so grateful for all the women we have running Shamrock. The balance they bring keeps our growing roofing company diversified,” said Garen Armstrong, Executive Director. “My mother is the owner of Shamrock Roofing and Construction, and my biggest goal as the CEO and her son is to make her proud.”
While some female employees have been around for months, others have been a part of the family-owned company for much longer. Amy Price joined the team nearly six years ago. She felt comfortable with construction because of her blue-collar father who always came home sporting dirty fingernails and worn-out jeans.
Amy is the only female on our senior management team. At previous jobs she felt at a disadvantage, but she said working at Shamrock changed everything.
“What I admire most about Garen and what I thank him for all the time is the freedom and flexibility. He trusts me and that means a lot.”
She went on to describe the female employees who joined Shamrock Roofing months or even years after she did.
“The Shamrock women are a force to be reckoned with. I would put these girls up against any office anywhere,” she beamed. “I’ve loved seeing them each come in and champion the work they do. They’re driven, passionate, and always give 150 percent.”
While they may not be out in the field, many Shamrock women work behind the scenes taking care of important tasks, like billing, invoicing, appraisals, following up with insurance companies, fielding customer calls, and assisting the project managers.
Jessica Samuels has been with Shamrock for over two years. She’s worn many different hats since joining the company. The transition was easy because her husband works for a general contractor, so she already had knowledge about the industry.
“When it comes to our girls at Shamrock, we have one of every kind of personality,” she laughed. “Most of us are a little rough around the edges, but we all get along really well.”
When talking about having a male CEO, Jessica explained how Garen has always been behind his female employees 100 percent of the time, even in difficult circumstances.
Out of all the women at Shamrock Roofing, Lauren Falke is the one closest to Garen Armstrong. She has been with the company for three years and now works side-by-side as his executive assistant.
“The tasks he delegates allow me to make his life easier, and he really appreciates everything I do for him.”
She didn’t mean to jump into construction when she was job hunting. All she wanted was a place where she could grow and have a solid work environment. From her initial role as receptionist, Lauren advanced quickly because of her eagerness to learn.
“I believe the women we have bring a different level of organization. We’re spread out within the company in different roles. I love how there is a woman in every department.”
Along with those who interact with the sales team, the Kansas City roofing contractor has its own marketing department. These women promote the roofing company through digital and traditional mediums.
The marketing manager – Brittney Young – has been in the Shamrock family for six months. Construction is second nature to her because both her father and husband own construction companies.
In the Overland Park office, Brittney manages two other women. Her favorite part about working for Shamrock is her team.
“The group of women we have at Shamrock are all supportive of one another. We come together to make sure things get done. Plus, we keep the boys in line.”
Along with everyone else, she also had positive remarks about having a male boss. With how closely she collaborates with Garen on marketing strategy, she shared appreciation for how he empowers his employees.
“He has always been very open about rewarding people for their hard work. I was fortunate to get promoted very early. If he recognizes you’re putting in the work, he will reward you for that. He is one that celebrates women in this industry and how hard we work.”