This year marks the 118th year of International Women’s Day, celebrated each year on March 8. Additionally, the week of March 8 is “National Women’s History Week” and is the same week the National Association of Women in Construction holds “Women in Construction Week,” which has occurred since 1998.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women make up 11.5% of the construction workforce in the United States as of 2023, up from 11.1% the previous year. In the BLS industry category of merchant wholesalers, lumber and other construction materials that roofing distribution falls under, 25.6% are women as of 2024, up from 22.3% in 2023, according to current population surveys.

In the same surveys, 23.4% of the sector’s employees are Hispanic or Latino, a solid increase from 20.7% in 2023 and representative of the growing impact Latinos – and Latinas – have on the industry.

It’s progress in the right direction, and we at RSP are proud to highlight the professionals making a difference with our “Distributor Profile” series. Below are some of the women we’ve featured in our series who can better speak about working in the industry.

Terri Taylor, National Residential Division Manager, MacArthur Co.

Terri Taylor said her 25-plus years of experience working in the industry has been positive, and her male colleagues have shown her respect — a respect, she says, that needs to be earned.

“You have to know your shit; you can’t BS these guys,” she says, laughing. “This is a real business; this is their livelihood, so if you don’t know what you’re doing, they’re going to figure it out quickly, and then you’re not going to last very long.”

To that end, she says women in the distribution industry are among the best sources of information and insight.

“The women in the industry are very knowledgeable — some of the most knowledgeable people I’ve ever met — so I think that goes a long way when you look at the small sliver of women in the industry,” she said.

Ashley Finneran, Transportation University Instructor, SRS Distribution

Ashley Finneran proved her mettle by not only being the first woman to graduate from SRS Distribution’s crane and Commercial Driver’s License programs but also becoming the first female instructor for its Transportation University.

“I was ready and on it and excited; I knew there was already an aspect of ‘I’d have to prove myself a little bit,’” she said. “I didn’t realize no females had gone through it at all, but I knew I’d be the only female in that class, so I was determined to show up and represent in a way that I could be proud of.”

Her advice for other women is to be confident and not be afraid to ask questions.

“I think, for women, if you really want to do something like be a truck driver, be a roofer … just having the confidence goes a long way, showing you know what you know earns you a lot more respect, and you get welcomed very quickly," she said.

Elizabeth Kent-Watson, Vice President, Roofing Tools & Equipment

As vice president of her family’s company, Roofing Tools & Equipment in North Carolina, Elizabeth Kent-Watson said networking has been integral in her growth and success as a woman in the industry, such as joining the NEMEON cooperative.

“It’s nice to have somebody that understands how our business works; they have similar models to us, similar size and scope,” she said. “There aren’t a lot of people like us that are in my area that I can talk to, even within our local organization, so having people from all over and learning how they do things has influenced some of the things we do, and hopefully we’ve done the same for them.”

Birte von Schwarzenfeld, Senior Vice President of Commercial Solutions, Beacon

Coming from the field of physics and consulting, Birte von Schwarzenfeld brings a unique perspective to Beacon while proving the industry accepts individuals from a variety of career backgrounds.

She says while certain segments of construction and roofing may always have more men than women, there are plenty of opportunities in the industry for women.

“Drivers can be female, a lot of our people behind the counter when you walk into our branch are female, and we now have more branch managers who are female,” she said. “And then, of course, all of the corporate jobs … you can get a lot of really great women to work in marketing and finance and accounting, IT, all those things.”

Miriam Mata-Vinalet, Director of Operations and Training, Gulfeagle Supply

Miriam Mata-Vinalet represents what women in the industry can accomplish as well as the Latino community. As she observed, in the past decade, women in roofing are “now taking hold of the respect that they always should have had” in the industry. For Gulfeagle, Mata-Vinalet’s bilingual abilities, combined with her experience, have been indispensable.

“Having a bilingual person in this position has only helped many branches because they’re able to pass a phone to me or pass the number to a customer that might have a situation that they need help with, and they're able to speak in a comfortable language that they they're familiar with,” she said.

Sol Cerrada, President, SYL Roofing Supply

Sol Cerrada represents the changing dynamic of the industry. A youth in the business at 32 years old, she is the leader of her company as well as being Latina.

"In the roofing industry nowadays it is very normal to see a woman leading a company. I haven't experienced any situation where I have been treated any differently because I am a woman," she said. "I think is important to know the product and the industry you involve yourself in to gain respect from your peers."

Although she didn’t have a roofing background, she jumped into the business with her husband and hasn’t looked back, now looking to open their third location in the Florida market.

"A lot of the market in west and central Florida is handled by Latinos; we find that there’s still a language barrier out there, even in the supply industry, so making the client comfortable in their own language is extremely important to us," she said.

Have a roofing distribution professional who deserves to be spotlighted in our Distributor Profile series? Contact Editor Chris Gray at grayc@bnpmedia.com.