Women in Construction Week was started in 1998 by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). This year’s theme is “Keys to the Future,” celebrating the strength and knowledge of women in the industry and the vital role they play in shaping the future of construction. One of the women living out that theme at HBW is September Chase, Senior Project Manager. Her journey from art lover to construction whiz is inspiring other women to enter the construction industry.
Art-inspired her construction career
September tells the story of how she came to work in construction by describing her early interest in art. Having exhausted all of the art classes in her high school, she became interested in using technology art, such as SketchUp and AutoCAD. After earning a degree in interior design, she moved to the DMV area and accepted a job with a commercial construction flooring company.
“I immediately fell in love with seeing a client’s vision come to life, starting with a set of plans and continuing through to the actual completion of a project. I was only involved with a small part of that – the flooring – but I was hooked,” September explains.
Her passion grew over the years as she worked for a general contractor, helping manage all aspects of a project while learning about the trades and getting to know subcontractors. When she met with HBW president John Leach and his team, her interview turned into hours of conversations that impressed September.
“I had heard other people say that HBW was a good company, and I found it felt like a supportive family from the very first day. I love how collaborative it is here.” says September.
September has been with HBW for five years, building a client base with lots of repeat business while moving from project manager to senior project manager. Her work involves scoping out new projects with estimators and determining the right team of subcontractors for the job, then staying with each project through all phases of construction. She typically manages four to six projects at a time.
As a member of the Commercial Real Estate Women Network (CREW), September will share her career story with high school and college students later this month, hoping to spark an interest in the construction industry, which she sees as having massive opportunity, and stressing how vital diversity is to growth.
“The industry has evolved a lot over the years, so I want young women to know that although we are still a very small part of the industry, we bring a different perspective and unique point of view that is essential to the future of construction.” says September.
Women at HBW
Women make up about 26 percent of the HBW staff, yet it can be difficult to gather all women together at once. Since 2018, the company’s Women in Construction (WIC) group has been meeting regularly to promote positive change for women and serve as a community of support.
During Women in Construction Week, March 3-9, the group has planned tours of job sites managed by women project managers. The tours are an opportunity for other women in the company to learn more about the building process, particularly those who don’t work in roles directly related to construction or who might not have a chance to be out on job sites.
The group also holds educational, social, and networking events throughout the year so HBW women can support each other. This past year, group members tie-dyed WIC t-shirts, celebrated Friendsgiving, enjoyed paint nights, and shared how they handle stress while potting plants in a session called “Grow through what you go through.” The group meets regularly for lunch and has a half-day conference planned for June focused on three topics: Elevate Your Voice, Elevate Your Resilience, and Elevate Your Career.
Among the esteemed members of our WIC group are also Alex Dramby and Melissa Jones whose contributions and insights enrich our collective journey. “These get-togethers give the women at HBW a chance to share ideas, ask for advice, and discuss topics within the industry while also having fun,” says Megan Alfonso, Digital Marketing Manager at HBW Construction. “Our hope for this group is to continue to promote professional and personal growth while empowering women to have confidence in the workplace.”
HBW’s social channels will feature women from across the company during Women in Construction Week to highlight diverse construction careers for women available and HBW’s unique environment for career growth. Like September Chase, many of the women at HBW didn’t plan to work in the construction industry but have found it a welcome place with opportunities for learning and career growth.
“I’ve been lucky to work alongside a great project executive, our VP, Andre Chin Wing. I want to eventually follow in his footsteps, staying with HBW and becoming a project executive one day in the future. There’s a lot I’ve learned about running projects as a woman that I could teach others, and HBW is the perfect place to do it.” says September.
“Every outreach experience is enjoyable because it feels good to help others. I’m proud to work for HBW, and I think every company should give something back to the local community,” says Phil Scott, HBW CEO.
HBW is known for commercial projects and specialized spaces throughout the Washington metropolitan area. However, construction isn’t the only focus for HBW. Since 2014, HBW has developed several Giving Back Initiatives to assist neighbors in need.
Giving Back with A Local Focus
Choosing different projects each month, HBW staffers volunteer their time during lunch or after hours or contribute needed supplies. The ask and the tasks may vary, but the impact is always local.
“Initially, we wanted to meet the needs closest to our office in Rockville. That was easy because was nearby, Nourish Now, a local food bank, was one street over, and the was literally right down the street. Over the years, we’ve expanded to other organizations that our staff knew we were looking for help or with a constant need for support, like the Children’s Inn in Bethesda,” explains outreach committee leader and Digital Marketing Manager Megan Alfonso.
HBW has supported Stepping Stones Shelter in many ways, including landscaping, holiday drives, and gathering items from their “urgent needs” list. A recent project gave the office staff a chance to flex their field skills for an exterior facelift. Partnering with Dakota Ryan Painting, a subcontractor, staff handled power washing, sanding, priming and painting the deck of the shelter’s main building.
The work took several weeks and had to be scheduled around the weather, but many found the project rewarding because they could see progress being made.
“My favorite community outreach experience so far has been helping paint the porch at Stepping Stones Shelter! Even though I was worried about painting outside the lines, it was still a very therapeutic event,” says Maura Shannon, Marketing Associate and volunteer.
HBW has a growing network of customers across Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia as the region adds more multi-family housing, walkable community hubs, and office and retail space. Volunteering allows team members to get to know people in the community who may never need construction services but are actively building up these same areas in other ways.
“Volunteering your time for Community Programs is not just about giving back, it’s also about learning and evolving. The busier and more involved we get with our work, the more important it becomes to seek opportunities that keep our staff focused on our values and expand our relationships” adds John Leach, HBW Construction’s President.
The company has seen a ripple effect of positivity and company pride resulting from its team community service projects.
Marketing Associate Maura Shannon agrees, “It’s always such a rewarding feeling being able to help someone else out and make a positive impact on the community, so it means a lot to me that HBW takes the time to set up events and drives so that we have the opportunity to help out.”
Angel Colon, Assistant VP of Estimating adds, “It’s very important to me. When a company has the commitment to give back, it means that not everything is about work or making money. It is fulfilling when you have the opportunity to make the lives of the people of your community a little bit better.”
He continues, “There are so many projects that stand out, but if I had to choose one, I would say the NIH Children’s Inn dinner was my favorite. The Children’s Inn provides residential services to children with rare diseases and their families free of charge, while they are participating in studies/treatments at the NIH. Once a year, we provided dinner to the residents, so they don’t have to worry about preparing a meal after a long day at the hospital. Even though we haven’t done it since the pandemic, I still remember the gratitude and appreciation of the residents.”
Recently, HBW has taken on seasonal clean-ups for Montgomery County Parks, collected food and school supplies, and raised funds for diabetes research with the JDFR Real Estate Games, an Olympic-style competition.
With an eye on new connections, HBW is actively seeking new and expanded nonprofit collaborations for 2024. Mixing business and community service, they hope their efforts can continue to impact the communities where they work and live.
Thanks to a quick pivot early in the pandemic and smart practices that help negate supply chain woes, the outlook for our business looks promising. In fact, we are projecting growth for 2023 that would restore us to near pre-pandemic numbers. Our progress, and our path forward, are the result of some key strategic moves within HBW.
Building on a strong foundation
Three ideas describe how HBW Construction has been successful and how we intend to tackle the future. They are: integrity, understanding and exceeding expectations, and relationships.
You could say we have a secret recipe – focusing on core values has allowed us to be flexible and open to new opportunities. We have developed a strong connection with our customers, our trades, and our community. This has set us up for even greater success over the next two to three years. HBW Construction is on an upward climb.
Leadership in construction
HBW has a reputation for understanding the importance of leadership in construction. Our goal is to have the right people in the right places to serve our customers, from the field to the front office.
We’ve made some exciting leadership changes recently. Phil Scott is now the CEO, with John Leach moving into the role of President. Andre Chin Wing and Melissa Jones have both been promoted to Vice President. Jim Hirrlinger retired, having left significant contributions to the foundation of HBW.
Diversifying Work and Skill Sets
When others were downsizing during the pandemic, we looked for growing market sectors to diversify and expand our client base. Our sectors now include corporate interiors, healthcare and life sciences, education and daycare, retail, restaurants, warehouse, government, multi-family, and senior living. By adding sectors, we’ve created opportunities for HBW employees to work on new projects, develop new skills, and gain niche market knowledge.
Keeping an eye on trends
HBW identifies commercial construction trends by listening to our customers, watching business growth numbers, and following thought leadership. This helps us understand where our customers are headed and meet their needs. For example, we recognized the uptick in veterinary offices, grooming, and pet care builds to handle all the pets people got during the pandemic, and the steady increase in senior living and accessibility remodels as baby boomers age.
The pandemic brought changes that are still rippling through commercial construction. Office use has changed, maybe permanently. We’ve adjusted by helping customers reduce their footprint and add more efficient, more productivity-focused spaces, areas for collaboration, and rooms with multimedia and connectivity solutions.
Working with, not against, the supply chain
We used to be able to get many of the products needed for projects off the shelf, but supply chain issues mean we’re now having to wait weeks and sometimes months. That’s where we leverage the creativeness of our team. With alternate sourcing and different ways of tracking products, know when materials will actually arrive. Our industry has become desensitized to protracted schedules and customer disappointment. If we can improve the process even a little, through diligence and creativity, we are exceeding expectations and elevating the customer experience.
Deepening Client Relationships
Our expanded sector experience has given us the opportunity to do additional work for existing clients. Repeat clients are a good indication that we’re doing things right. We’ve recently finished several franchise locations for dog daycare and multiple restaurants for an expanding local brand.
Relationships are important to us. We get to know our customers, understand their needs, and foster a sense of teamwork as we bring their builds to the finish line. Because we live in the communities where we work, HBW employees often have the opportunity to patronize the businesses of our clients. It’s very cool to walk into a shop, restaurant or a dental office and know you had a hand in building it.
Building Careers From Within
HBW is committed to our people. We avoided layoffs during the pandemic, taking some pretty extraordinary steps to keep our team intact. That move turned out to be important as new projects started up because we were fully staffed and ready to go.
We’re also pretty deliberate about creating opportunities and growth paths and developing skill sets. In fact, many of our promotions and hires come from within our network as we recognize those who embrace learning, handle greater responsibility, or go the extra mile for customers.
To learn more about our sectors and recent projects, visit our Market Sectors page on our website. For those interested in joining HBW Construction, visit Careers.