How do you tackle being a woman in residential construction?

While the residential construction industry continues to be dominated by men, there has been a strong shift within the past ten years where we are seeing women rise and dominate the trades. There are struggles along the way, but women are stepping up and proving their spots within the construction industry.

We were able to connect with some of the women of Norelco Cabinets on how they tackle being a woman in residential construction. Listening to the perspectives of the many different roles at this manufacturing plant, we were able to get an honest understanding of the struggles, along with the positive feedback that has gained the trust and respect of these women at Norelco.

To give a quick background, Norelco Cabinets is celebrating 50 years of being a locally owned and operated custom cabinet manufacturing plant in Kelowna, BC. From a small family business to an international exporter with a 60,000 sq. ft facility and 150 team members, Norelco aggressively purses being Canadian Made with the highest quality of products from North America and Europe, including domestic plywood made in Canada.

With being a local cabinet manufacturer, Norelco was able to share the statistic of what the percentage of women is at Norelco to give a perspective, as many are unaware that the women in residential construction do have a strong presence within a local manufacturer.

Overall: 61% male and 39% women

Shop: 69% male and 31% women

Jennifer Mellon, a Senior Designer at Norelco, who has been with the company since 2004 was able to share that, "for a long time, I would be the only woman except for the homeowner on a job site. There are a lot of trades that assume that you're the homeowner when you come there, because why else would there be a woman there?"

With the construction industry known as the ‘boys club’, it is very common too for the ladies to receive these judgmental questions on job sites: ‘How old are you?’, ‘How long have you been with Norelco?’, ‘You sure look different than from when we saw you in the showroom.’

The overall advice from Team Norelco – ‘Prove yourself and to not take things personally.'

‘You have to stand your ground, but it is getting easier and easier all the time’ says Norelco Designer Corinna Haimerl who began with Norelco in 2020. ‘There are more and more females showing up on job sites and the shift that, females don’t belong on the construction site is actually starting to go away.’

With the industry booming in the Okanagan, which is extremely fast-paced and high pressure, "as long as you can manage yourself, you’re willing to work hard and be challenged, as long as you can handle that – go for it! It’s the safest job you can have right now," says Corrina.

While having a career within residential construction provides job security, there are still many elements to consider, especially when trying to manage being a new parent and finding that healthy work-life balance.

Jen adds, "being a mom, I have been granted a lot of flexibility to work when I needed to work and not work when I needed to work. Freedom and Independence."

When Jen first started in sales at Norelco and having just had her first child. "I was stressing about what it was going to look like going to a schedule that was not flexible. It’s reassuring knowing that there are opportunities for women in the industry where you’re able to manage a sustainable work-life balance."

At Norelco, it’s been noted within the office that it is a relief knowing how family-friendly the work environment is. "There isn’t a week that goes by where you don’t see a dog or someone’s kid at the office. It always feels like the Norelco family is continually expanding with all of our families being welcomed at the office."

Looking at the manufacturing side, a large percentage of the Norelco supervisors on the shop floor are females. "We are training to one day have people replace us because we’re not going to work forever. Mine’s a woman." – Andrea Hamilton – Norelco’s Finishing Supervisor, who has been with the company since 2007.

‘Our people are our strength’ is a core value at Norelco, and it is very apparent. "There's so much potential for growth. You've got opportunities to go into any department and learn anything. You know, if you’re going to school they'll do apprenticeships, and stuff like that. And that's open to everybody. Not just the guys." – Andrea

It’s rewarding hearing from the woman of Norelco that there hasn’t been a divide or struggle with being a woman within the company. "They put confidence in me as a female," states Tracy Woodward who’s the Lead Receiver. "They brought me up to lead."

It has become apparent that the support they give to one another, whether you are male or female has created a strong bond within the company. "We are like family," expresses Debbie Iven’s, who has been with Norelco since 1994, and has recently been promoted from Assembly Supervisor to Quality Specialist. "I think Deb can work in any department. I do. She knows a lot, a lot of everything" says Andrea.

"I feel like I’m dedicated to this place, that I would probably never leave because they treated me well and I do my best every day. They’ve kind of just helped me along without maybe me even realizing that they’re pushing me in that direction." – Andrea

The construction industry is booming, and the opportunity for women is huge. We are seeing these strong, independent women own who they are with their ability to conquer these typical male-dominated roles and are proving that women in this industry are here to stay.

Now for some encouraging final comments to those women considering a career in the trades:

"Go for it. Definitely step up and show them that we can do just as good. Prove that you can do it." - Tracy

"If you put your best self forward, that's what you know, there's nothing's going to stop you from doing what you like." - Debbie

"Best foot forward and you do your best and you can go anywhere." - Andrea