One of the most special parts of this award is the聽custom grey blazer聽that comes with it鈥攁 symbol of leadership and commitment to NAWIC鈥檚 mission. I鈥檝e already had the chance to put it to good use at a recent聽AGCVT event, where I proudly represented NAWIC and had the honor of engaging with聽Vermont Governor Phil Scott. It was a meaningful moment to showcase our chapter鈥檚 impact and the importance of supporting women in construction at the state level.

The conference itself was nothing short of inspiring. This was my second year attending this conference and both times left with a refreshed passion for our work. Surrounded by passionate, driven women from across the country, I felt the power of our collective commitment to progress. The energy in the room was electric as we shared stories, challenges, and victories. Standing on stage to accept the award was a moment I鈥檒l never forget鈥攏ot just for the personal significance, but for what it represents: the strength and unity of women in construction.

Looking ahead, I鈥檓 equally thrilled to share that I鈥檒l be stepping into the role of聽President of the NAWIC Vermont Chapter聽this fall. I鈥檓 eager to continue advocating for our members, fostering growth, and championing initiatives that open doors for women in our field.

To everyone who has supported me on this journey鈥攖hank you. Your encouragement fuels my passion and strengthens our mission. Here鈥檚 to building a future where every woman in construction feels empowered, supported, and celebrated.

The post Honored and Inspired: Receiving the Charter Champion Award at NAWIC National appeared first on PC Construction.

Monday that dream came true with the opening of the Vermont Construction Academy.

Over the past year, I have had the pleasure of working alongside so many incredible people, all who came together with a common vision. Now, as we begin enrollment for VCA鈥檚 Carpentry Boot Camp and Commercial Carpentry Apprenticeship, I am so excited to see those efforts come to fruition. Finally, we have a resource to provide post-high school hands-on training and certification to those interested in the trades. At the same time, this effort will help combat one of the biggest issues in this industry 鈥?the skilled labor shortage.

To my partners in crime, Ryan Ahern at ReArch Construction and Matt Musgrave at ABC NH/VT, thank you for bringing your insight and enthusiasm to this project every day. While the foundational work is now complete, I am proud to continue to lend my expertise on the VCA Board.

To all the young people out there who haven鈥檛 considered construction or don鈥檛 know how to get started, VCA might be the right fit for you! I am so excited to see what the future holds.

Photos: Top – Ryan Ahern and Martin Pigeon speak at the opening of the Vermont Construction Academy; Bottom – Governor Phil Scott addresses the crowd.

The post PC Construction Collaborates on New Vermont Construction Academy appeared first on PC Construction.

This spring, the PC Team hit the road for a packed season of career fairs, traveling to career-specific construction events across eight states. From the Northeast to the Southeast, we met hundreds of talented students from 16 colleges and universities eager to launch their construction careers.

It was inspiring to hear about the many academic pursuits, experiences and overall passion for the industry. These conversations reinforced just how bright the future of construction is. In turn, we shared insights into life at PC Construction, our projects, and the unique employee ownership culture cultivated here.

This season also marked our first time attending career fairs at Auburn University and the University of Florida. It was exciting to meet students from these top-tier construction programs and discuss how their skills align with real-world construction projects. We look forward to strengthening our relationships with these schools and welcoming more interns and graduates from their programs in the future.

As we wrap up the spring career fair season, we are energized by the connections made and look forward to welcoming 12 new office engineers and 17 interns later this spring and summer. These events are so important to building relationships, sharing knowledge, and fostering the next generation of construction professionals.

If you connected with us at one of these events and are interested in learning more about opportunities at PC, we encourage you to apply for our internships and entry-level office engineer positions at pcconstruction.com.

We are already looking forward to the fall career fair season!

The post Spring Career Fair Recap: Connecting with the Next Generation of Builders appeared first on PC Construction.

One of the highlights of the evening was the installation ceremony, where the new officers were officially sworn in. The ceremony was a moment of pride and excitement, as the chapter looks forward to another year of growth and success under the leadership of the new board of directors.

As we move into the new year, the NAWIC Vermont Chapter is excited to continue its mission of empowering women in the construction industry and making a positive impact in our community. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended and contributed to the success of this event. Here’s to a bright and prosperous year ahead!

Congratulations to the 2024-2025 Board of Directors!

Nicole Benton (ReArch), President
Lindsey Farrar (GoKeyless), Vice President
Anne Minor (PC Construction), Treasurer
Stefanie Eichler (HUB International), Recording Secretary
Stacey Bevins (ReArch), Corresponding Secretary
Lori Aldrich (CSE), Parliamentarian
Karen Deutscher(PC Construction), Director
Emily Devers (Mike鈥檚 Electric), Director
Olivia Costin (PC Construction), Director
Emily Balzano (HP Cummings), Director

The post Celebrating NAWIC VT鈥檚 First Annual Installation Holiday Party appeared first on PC Construction.

We brought the group into the office trailer and conducted a Lean crash course to illustrate how the field team schedules upcoming work, inspections, and subcontractor collaboration using Nialli software and interactive smart boards. This provided a practical, hands-on application illustrating workflow navigation and effective field project management.

The students who attended the tour had great questions and positive feedback from the project visit, highlighting the importance of practical learning outside of the classroom and networking for their future construction career.

The post Western Carolina University Students Tour Site, Learn Lean Techniques appeared first on PC Construction.

Fueled by innovative discussions and out-of-the-box thinking, this conference was packed with short 鈥淭imber Talks鈥? where we heard a variety of perspectives on the importance of sustainability, climate change action, passive house, and the supply chain of mass timber. The discussions also focused on sparking a mass timber economy here in Maine.

Maine is the most forested state in the U.S. with 89% forested lands. Over time, the pulp and paper industry has declined, leaving a loss of identity and community in many of our rural areas. Utilizing Maine鈥檚 natural resources to stimulate the economy and provide a healthier environment while doing so, is a unique opportunity.

It was exceptionally rewarding to attend part of the conference at USM鈥檚 McGoldrick Center, a mass timber project completed by PC Construction in 2023. PC strives to promote sustainable building practices on all our projects and are excited to see a future that incorporates more mass timber in building design.

The post Mass Timber Maine appeared first on PC Construction.

This event provided opportunities for over 1,000 students to observe and operate equipment, all under the watchful eyes of competent trained individuals with a focus on safety. The goal of this event is to promote excitement in the construction industry as an attractive option for future career paths.

As a new NAWIC member to Maine Chapter 276, it was great to see so many engaged and interested students discussing the future of construction at this signature event. Continued exposure to different trades helps build the next generation of construction workers in Maine and beyond.

The post Maine Construction Career Day 2024 appeared first on PC Construction.

The team鈥檚 presence 鈥?as the first all-female team in the event鈥檚 history 鈥?served as a powerful reminder that diversity brings strength, and that the future of construction is bright, inclusive, and full of opportunities for everyone.

The post Breaking Barriers on the Green: PC Construction’s All-Women Team Shines at AGC Vermont Golf Tournament appeared first on PC Construction.

Continued engagement within the construction industry is valuable to the growth of PC and the entire construction community, and this event did not disappoint. Facilitated networking allowed our group to hear different perspectives on topics such as opportunities for continued education, impacts of mentorship and current/upcoming trends in the construction industry.

On the heels of Governor Janet Mills recent executive order regarding Women in Construction, this event promoted stimulating conversation and presentations from engineers, coaching leaders and business owners, all with an overarching theme in mind 鈥?to attract and retain women in construction. The State of Maine is experiencing an increased demand for construction work in order to rebuild and expand public and commercial infrastructure and there is no doubt a workforce shortage. This executive order aims to improve access to rewarding careers for historically underrepresented groups, achieve a more robust labor force participation and eliminate the gender wage gap for Maine women working in the construction industry.

It was great to see so many talented women discussing the future of construction. We are already looking forward to the next Bernstein Shur Women in Construction event and everything to come in the year ahead!

The post PC Joins Bernstein Shur Women in Construction Event appeared first on PC Construction.

A vast variety of topics were discussed, such as the future of generative AI, male allyship, diversity initiatives, boosting credentials and breaking barriers. In particular, one topic that stood out was a moderated panel discussion on the concept of mentorship versus sponsorship and the ties between male allyship. We are finding that women have mentors but are lacking sponsors. While mentorship provides advice and preparation, sponsorship provides much needed exposure and opportunity for women to advance. Having a male ally step up and sponsor women is crucial to the advancement of women in the construction industry. In a survey of 770 women in the construction industry conducted by Ambition Theory and ECCER, it was found that 88% of women want to be in a leadership role, yet 72% of women had never had a woman supervisor. Seeing women in leadership roles creates a sense of belonging and helps build a confident mindset.

In another panel, three senior male leaders discussed their experiences acting as catalysts to advance women in construction. This discussion involved pay equity analysis within their companies, general awareness of needs of women on a construction site, and deliberately building policies to attract and retain a diverse workforce. There were certainly some key takeaways on how allyship makes workplaces more satisfying and companies more successful.

Over the next few months, the lessons learned and knowledge gained at this conference will be shared at PC Construction to further our work to strengthen successes for women in construction and continue to build a diverse and authentic workforce.

Source:
Building Better: A Women in Construction Study
Ambition Theory / ECCER 2023

The post Groundbreaking Women in Construction 2024 appeared first on PC Construction.

Safety is the foundation of everything we do at PC and the most important part of our PEOPLE FIRST core value. We are also an employee-owned company, which further empowers every member of our team to be safety ambassadors on our jobsites. This starts with a significant leadership presence in the field, reinforcing safety processes and driving team-based operational safety planning. By utilizing behavioral-based safety practices, we all demonstrate genuine care for every employee owner and trade partner worker and are invested in their safety and well-being. And it requires every employee to be active in his or her role by looking out for each other, speaking up, and voicing ideas and concerns.

Active involvement, proactive safety planning and proper training bring greater individual ownership of daily safety activities and outcomes. At PC, this practice has evolved safety from a mandate to a culture. Being a member of the PC team or working on one of our sites means you accept responsibility for yourself and for everyone working around you. It is a team effort, and a team success. This week is a celebration of the people of our industry and their commitment to each other.

Stay tuned on our LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter channels to learn how we are making the most of this week to educate, share, collaborate and celebrate!

The post Celebrating Construction Safety Week 2024 appeared first on PC Construction.

According to CDC data, the construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates in the United States. As leaders in the industry, it is important that we show our commitment to mental health awareness and support our employees, subcontractors and business partners who may be struggling.

This year鈥檚 Hike for Hope brought together over 400 participants and raised over $100,000 to support AFSP鈥檚 critical mission. It was truly incredible seeing so many people come together to spread hope and fight the stigma often associated with mental health issues. My family has suffered multiple losses from suicide so while I hiked for our industry and to support our community, I also hiked for my family.

Thank you to my PC teammates for joining in and to PC for sponsoring this important event.

The post New York Team Hikes for Hope appeared first on PC Construction.