Sarens Women
PLUS OP-ED: GIRLS ON FIRE
Being a woman in the crane industry has had its challenges, but things have come a long way, baby.
“You’ve come a long way, baby.”
If you are under 50 years old, you probably don’t remember that jingle, which was an iconic ad campaign for Virginia Slims cigarettes in the late 1960s. The company created a cigarette that was designed for women, a bold concept at the time. Cigarette ads were banned from American television in 1972, and no one today promotes smoking. But the slogan “You’ve come a long way, baby” has stuck around in the American vernacular.
Women in the crane business who have no knowledge of the ad at all told me that they had some cognizance of the slogan. Women have come a long way in the crane sector.
When I was asked to write an article about my experience as a woman in the crane industry, Alicia Keys' 2012 song, “Girl on Fire,” came to mind. The lyrics are:
She got both feet on the ground and she's burning it down.
She got her head in the clouds and she's not backing down.
This girl is on fire.
I have met and observed so many women in our industry who epitomize the lyrics of this lovely feminist anthem. Women are “on fire” in every realm of the crane business.
As I approach my 20th anniversary in this industry, I can tell you it’s a great place for women. And not just for accountants and marketing managers. Women are rolling up their sleeves and operating cranes, bidding and engineering jobs, purchasing cranes, running crane businesses and more. They are filling all roles traditionally held by men.
But women still face challenges in this business.
I took on the role as editor of ACT at the same time my youngest daughter started college. I didn’t have to deal with juggling kids and a job, like so many of the women in the crane industry today.
KHL Group, the parent company of ACT, also fully supports women in the crane and greater construction industry. At any given time, more than half of KHL Group’s seven magazines are edited by women. Women are leaders in sales and marketing, design and production, and accounting. KHL Group’s management team has never doubted my ability to take a construction elevator up 23 stories to see a tower crane build a high-rise in Brooklyn or travel to a crane factory in Germany or Japan to report on a new crane launch.
Did I ever feel a little self-conscious about being the only woman on a jobsite or in a meeting? Yes, but never uncomfortably so.
Did I ever feel like I made a fool of myself not knowing something about how a crane works? Definitely yes. But in time I learned about the various manufacturers and the nuances of various classes of cranes. And when I don’t know something or understand it, I ask questions.
Did I ever put on a safety vest that fit? No, they are always huge and swallow me. But I understand that PPE and related gear are increasingly being designed to fit women.
How did I get into the crane industry? Well, it’s pretty simple: by way of my late husband, Jay Shiffler. He started his career selling cranes and excavators, and I met him shortly after he joined Link-Belt. Through the years he worked for Kobelco, Manitowoc, and Tadano. As a writer and editor, I sometimes helped out with articles and newsletters for those companies, and I met a lot of his colleagues at SC&RA meetings and ConExpo. When KHL started ACT in 2005, he encouraged me to write for the magazine. The next thing you know I was recruited to be the editor.
Through the years I’ve toiled in this industry with many really smart and influential women, including SC&RA Executive Vice President Beth O’Quinn (a powerhouse in this industry); NCCCO’s Tara Whittington (she comes off as low-key but she’s quite the force); Might Mo Media Partners’ Tracy Bennett (who can hold her own in any situation and truly knows this business); and my highly-revered KHL colleague, Bev O’Dell (she probably has more lasting relationships in this industry than any woman in the business), to name a few.
Many of the top public relations and marketing executives for the large crane, rigging, and transport system OEMs are women who I admire and respect. And today, there’s a whole host of younger women who are making waves in the industry. These women are impressive on every level, and I wanted to include their voices in this article.
Connelly Crane Rental’s Sarah Emig started out in the field as a crane operator before making her way through the ranks as a manager in the office. While Emig thinks she’s gotten a fair shake in the crane business and that she has had similar opportunities as males, she has had the feeling of being looked at differently when presented with new opportunities.
“I felt judged and watched by everyone on site to see if I was capable of doing the job,” she said. “I felt the pressure to prove to others and myself that I was capable of doing the job–and what a great feeling it is when you prove yourself through your knowledge and work ethic.”
Some of the challenges she encountered were pretty simple, such as having a clean bathroom, she said jokingly, but not joking. Things have greatly improved for women in the field, and most job sites now have women-specific conveniences.
Emig said women often have to prove that they are capable of getting the job done.
“You need to work harder and smarter than the others–and for longer–for others to understand that ‘okay, yeah, she's good, she can handle this,’” Emig said.
She remembers her first pregnancy, when she was getting sick multiple times a day.
“I would have to walk away from my machine and find a place where I could be sick away from the guys so that I didn't give the perception of being weak,” she said.
More females are now in the industry than when she started, Emig said, and that’s a good thing.
While the crane industry is said to be “graying,” that’s not the case with women in this business. The female segment of the crane industry is actually getting younger, and women get up every day to tackle a new challenge in our field. They are truly on fire in the most positive sense.
Lampson International’s Kate Lampson grew up in the business with her dad, William Lampson, as her mentor. She said she would venture to say that most women in the construction industry have felt like they were being slighted.
“As women, I think one of the biggest misconceptions we face is the idea that we are less knowledgeable about the construction industry than men, and therefore bring less to the table,” she said. “Having said that, as a woman, I feel that we have overcome this misconception through our hard work, tenacity, and sheer drive and ambition. By refusing to take no for an answer, educating ourselves about our industry, and continuing to strive for what is important to us and our careers, regardless of what anyone thinks, we have broken down and will continue to break down barriers in the construction industry.”
Lampson said that one of the biggest challenges women face in this industry is that they wear many hats, including that of wife, mother, caretaker (and in some cases, sole provider), and leader, to name a few.
“We are expected to do all of this while juggling a full-time career and doing it all with style, grace, and without complaint,” she said. “While some people may view this as a burden, I choose to see it as an advantage. By wearing so many hats, we as women are given a unique perspective as well as an ability to see the world through empathetic eyes and thoughtfully assess each situation while making sound decisions that are to the benefit of our families, our companies, and our industry.”
She also thinks things are improving for women.
“I feel that we have made great strides over the years in the construction industry. However, we still have a ways to go,” she said. “In my opinion, many of our male counterparts have become more supportive of the various roles that we play and even recognize our accomplishments and celebrate them. Having said that, there will always be a certain group of men that sees us as nothing more than secretaries who are meant to be seen and not heard. I am hopeful that with the current open-minded generation and future generations of men coming up through the ranks, that stigma will change and we will see more women serving in critical roles both in the corporate setting and in the field.”
The crane industry is promoting women through various industry foundations like the SC&RA and NCCCO, as well as the trades and organizations such as the Association of General Contractors, Lampson said.
“There are more opportunities for women in the field as iron workers, operators, mechanics, and even forepersons,” she said. “With the active recruitment of women at all levels, I am optimistic that we will see more women in current and future generations establishing a career in the construction industry.”
American Cranes & Transport Deputy Editor Hannah Sundermeyer, who was born in the early 1990s, is approaching her ninth year in the crane industry. She loves this business and her job. Researching and reporting on cranes and the jobs they perform has become second nature to Sundermeyer. She has curated ACT’s Instagram account into one of the crane world’s top social media accounts, and she has been a major player in the digitization of ACT and its daily Crane & Transport Briefing.
“There have been moments where I’ve felt like I had to work twice as hard to be taken seriously,” Sundermeyer said. “Whether conducting interviews and asking questions or checking out equipment on job sites, there’s sometimes an unspoken expectation to prove myself in ways my male counterparts might not face. That said, I am so grateful to have had the incredible mentors that I do–both men and women–who’ve supported me. I really value the relationships I’ve built, and it reminds me why I love being involved in this industry.”
One of the biggest challenges Sundermeyer said she has faced is breaking through stereotypes.
“There’s still this outdated perception that the crane and rigging industry is a ‘man’s world,’ and that can make it harder to gain credibility and feel respected initially,” she said. “It can be isolating at times, especially when you don’t see many people who look like you in the room. But on the flip side, it’s been really motivating to prove that I deserve to be there just as much as everyone else.”
Even after almost nine years in the industry, Sundermeyer said she is seeing progress.
“There’s more dialogue about inclusion and equity now than when I first started, and I see more women entering the field and holding a variety of executive positions, which is really encouraging,” she said. “I really think that recruitment efforts need to start with education and exposure. Many women don’t even consider the crane industry because they’re never exposed to it as a viable career option. Partnering with schools, trade programs, and other organizations that focus on women in STEM or skilled trades can make a big difference. It’s also about visibility—showcasing women who are thriving in this industry and making it clear that there’s a place for everyone here.”
In certain settings, JK Crane’s Jennifer Gabel admitted that she has felt like she wasn’t getting a fair shake.
“However, I'm a ‘nepo baby,’ so that comes with advantages that other women may not have,” she said. “The industry is definitely a challenge at times to overcome assumptions people might have about me based on gender, but being underestimated has its opportunities, too.”
Gabel said there’s been a noticeable increase in women in the industry over the past few years.
“Similar to technology adoption, there's a lag in our industry behind where other industries are, but slow progress is still progress,” she said. “Recruiting women impacts both industry diversity as well as workforce development. When companies create a welcoming environment for women, they can also help bridge the skilled labor gap.”
Select Crane Sales’ Shelly Gayring said she has had instances over the years where she was ignored in group conversations, had her crane knowledge dismissed, and was even passed up for a promotion. She’s also been asked to handle menial tasks and been addressed as "hey girl" in that tone.
“In each of those instances it did feel like they underestimated my abilities as a woman in the crane industry,” she said. “If anything, it motivated me to accomplish more and become a respected voice in the industry. In my current position at Select Crane Sales I'm thankful to have an owner who hired me for my industry skills and respects my input and decision-making without question.”
Unfortunately, and perhaps fortunately, women stand out in this industry.
“We stand out, simple as that,” Gayring said. “Our actions, good and bad. Our crane knowledge or lack thereof, and how we interact with our colleagues. We stand out because we are a minority within the industry and how we handle that can be challenging.”
But she said a quiet revolution has been happening since the 1970s and continues as more women enter the workforce. Things are improving for women in the crane industry.
“As someone who has been in the crane industry for over 11 years, I see the glass as half full, but a new female entering the industry might see it as half empty,” she said. “I sit on the Board of the Specialized Carrier & Rigging Foundation and one of the hot topics for the Foundation is workforce development. Last year we launched the Workforce Ambassador program to help bring awareness to opportunities within the industry. It's inevitable that more women need to be recruited to fill the gap. It's a culture change for companies but many are aware of the need and are moving toward that goal.”
She said mentorship programs are worth exploring for recruitment and retention.
“I've seen where companies pair new woman hires with experienced women in the industry, but I feel more can be accomplished by pairing female hires with experienced male counterparts in the industry and when possible, pairing male hires with experienced female employees,” she said. “By doing this you are shifting the culture and creating earned respect regardless of sex.”
All in all, I believe the crane business is an excellent place for women to thrive.
D.Ann Shiffler took on the role of editor of American Cranes & Transport Magazine in 2005. She served as editor of Houston Magazine, Dallas Magazine, and as a reporter for the Abilene Reporter-News. With a journalism degree from East Texas A&M University, she also served as Director of Publications and Communications for the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce. She has been published in magazines, newspapers, and journals around the globe