Women in the Fencing Industry

Pursuing Endless Possibilities

SHELBY KELLAND

Product Quality Manager, LiftMaster

She fell hard and she fell fast – hook, line and sinker. Since the day almost nine years ago, at the impressionable age of 20, she started work at LiftMaster, Shelby Kelland has never stopped feeling the love for her job, which has now become her career.

Kelland quickly moved from technical support to training, a role that suits her personality perfectly. She is currently the product quality manager in the field operations department for gate operators. “This just means I help investigate potential product quality issues across the product line throughout North America. My department owns the voice of customer with our company, tying the connection between the customer to marketing, engineering, new product development, sales, tech support and more, and also pushing for changes with the product when applicable.”

Kelland says she knew coming into the industry the possibilities would be endless if she worked hard, observed, and networked. “That’s exactly what I did and it hasn’t steered me wrong, and I’d recommend this to anyone entering this industry, more so for a female – dive into the subject matter, speak to it intelligently and carry yourself well. Everything else will fall into place. In the words of Stephen King, ‘Everything’s Eventual.”

As the result of following her own guidelines, along with the best advice she every received, which is, “Make sure you know your sh*t, kid,” Kelland is now a product expert, an electrical expert, an industry safety expert, and an industry trainer. She also has three industry certifications.

Along the way, she has found that being a young female in a maledominated industry gives you a tough time with first impressions. “If I had a penny for every time I ‘reminded someone of their granddaughter.’ However, I’ve found that if you carry yourself well and can speak intelligently about the subject matter, you’ll succeed. At times I’ve had to ask for 10 minutes, ‘Give me 10 minutes and I won’t disappoint.’ I haven’t disappointed yet.”

Kelland also advises women in the industry to get out there and interact with all of the different aspects and positions within the industry. “This helps me with my day job, but it mostly provides a network, perspective and comradery you can’t get elsewhere. And that is priceless.” Kelland is proud to be an industry trainer for two different associations, the American Fence Association (AFA) and the North American Fence Contractors Association (NAFCA), of which she is also an executive board member.

“I’m excited to see what unknowns the future holds for me, my company and the industry,” says Kelland. “I am blessed to have built my career with an incredible organization I have full trust in. I know only great things are to come.”

Kelland says the accomplishment she is most proud of has nothing to do with her career, it’s her two amazing daughters, ages 4 and 6. “They keep me on my toes. I’m also a hobby baker who makes custom sugar cookies. We live in Tucson, Arizona, and are avid hikers who love everything nature has to offer, such as camping, fishing and exploring. My two worlds – work and home – keep me busy, but I enjoy the challenge and for what it’s worth, I think I balance it with grace.”

Confidence Without Arrogance is Key

KERRY MCGUIGAN

Vice president of finance, Zekelman Industries

For Kerry McGuigan, vice president of finance with Zekelman Industries, being part of an industry that provides tangible goods is in her heritage.

Her grandfather was the key engineer in developing a continuous casting process for non-ferrous metals in the 50s and 60s, her father built continuous casting furnaces and then started his own original equipment manufacturing business, building his own machines and casting metal. Members of her family have worked for the business at various points. “My father worked for my grandfather’s business so manufacturing and the metals industry is in my blood,” McGuigan explains.

Her current position involves overseeing the accounting and forecasting function of the businesses, which include Wheatland Tube, Western Tube, Picoma Industries, and Sharon Tube brands of products. Their products include fence tubing and framework products, mechanical tubing, standard pipe, sprinkler pipe, electrical conduit, electrical fittings, cold drawn over mandrel products all sold to multiple industries across North America. McGuigan is responsible for the normal accounting and budgeting processes along with margin and cost analysis, as well as input, analysis, and guidance on strategic project initiatives and growth opportunities.

McGuigan has been with Zekelman and Wheatland Tube since 1998, starting as a college intern and progressing her way through various finance and business roles. She was named vice president in 2018.

“I enjoy being a partner with the commercial and operations teams. At Zekelman, we are a big group of teammates all striving towards the same goals, which are to provide our customers with outstanding service and a superior quality product,” she explains. “I’m able to not only interact with our internal teammates, but also with our customers, suppliers, and equipment manufacturers. This broad-spectrum interaction has provided me with a wealth of knowledge about our products, how they are made, and how they are used, allowing me to offer insightful information to our sales teams or plant management when evaluating a new opportunity.”

At numerous times, she is the only woman in a meeting or on a site visit, but she’s not found that to be a hinderance. “I feel that in any job in any industry, confidence without arrogance is key. If you are confident in what you know and more importantly, what you do not know, this will come across and your opinions will be valued,” McGuigan explains. “At no point should anyone feel intimidated to ask a question or offer an educated opinion. I have had the pleasure of working with and for tremendous people over the years, and all have been willing to listen to others and not discount or discredit someone’s comments based on what’s on the surface.”

Barry Zekelman, owner and CEO, is passionate about what the company does and that passion is contagious throughout the work force, she explains. “Having a positive attitude and striving to be better because you care will make for a great workplace.”

When Wheatland acquired Western Tube in 2017, McGuigan gained more exposure to the fence industry. She has met with some of the fence customers and spent time touring their businesses to understand what they are looking for in a partnership. “Every time I have the opportunity to visit our customers, I jump at it, because I learn something from everyone I meet and it certainly helps me understand their needs and how we can strive to exceed them.”

Her motivation comes from the passion and enjoyment she gets not only in working for a great company, but in an industry that provides tangible goods. Her family background was a great foundation for her position today.

“The advice I would offer anyone starting their career would be to listen and learn as much as you can, even if it’s not an area directly related to your work tasks,” McGuigan says. “The more knowledge you have, the better you will be at anything you put your mind to. Although my job title and background are in finance, I truly feel that I am a partner to the entire business and that breadth of exposure across our company continues to add value every day.”

Show up and Get the Job Done

DEB ROCHE

Owner, D Roche Fencing

Deb Roche was working at a local newspaper as a receptionist and proofreader before she and her husband, Don, started D. Roche Fencing in 1980. “We both wanted to be self-employed and work outside. Fencing was a good fit, and the start-up costs were minimal at the time.”

Deb has been involved in all aspects of the business from the beginning. She and Don share owner/operator responsibilities equally. They started out doing agriculture fencing and over the years have also diversified into commercial and residential.

The company faced some challenging early years. “I’m really proud we made it through the first 10 years. Those were tough times to be in the ag fence market, with interest at 18% and farmland values and commodities crashing. But we made it though and learned some valuable lessons.”

When it comes to balancing work and family life, Deb says it all blends together for them, and that has never been a problem. “We’ve always made sure to set aside time for family events, church and other social activities, and as we get older, that is becoming a bigger priority.”

As a business owner partner in the fence industry with her husband, Deb says she has not ever really experienced gender discrimination. “Don and I just showed up to install a fence and no questions were ever asked. Being a woman never became an issue.”

She feels the qualities that have helped her be successful hold true across gender lines. “Be honest, work hard, be respectful and do quality work.” In addition, Deb shares the best advice we ever received “Bob Gotee, a past president of the American Fence Association, was speaking at an event we attended, and he said, ‘I never made any money until I got out of debt,’ and that really stuck with us as we worked to grow our business.”

Deb feels very positive about the future of D Roche Fencing and the industry overall. “Don and I are both grateful to keep doing what we love – going out and getting the job done. We hope to continue to do so for many more years. I’m also excited to see so many young fence owners in our Northeast Kansas area. We know running and growing a fence business takes a lot of work and it’s great they are willing to make the sacrifice.”

Every Experience Prepares You for What’s Next

DEB HILMERSON

CEO, Hilmerson Safety

Anyone who knew Deb Hilmerson as she was growing up in Little Falls, Minnesota, would likely not be surprised by her career path. Her father owned a salvage yard where she learned how to get her hands dirty at an early age. “I loved being with my dad and at an early age, I was removing car parts, crushing cars, driving front-end loaders and more.”

As captain of the University of Minnesota women’s basketball team, Hilmerson cultivated strong leadership and team-building skills that gave her the fortitude to challenge construction norms later in life.

Her career began as a union construction worker and later included roles as a safety director and consultant working at large companies across the country. Very few safety consultants have field experience in the trenches, but Hilmerson did. “As a safety inspector questioning practices and equipment that had not prevented accidents, I grew weary of repeatedly hearing, ‘This is how we do it.’ I decided that was not good enough and I knew I could do better; our industry could do better.”

In 2001, she took her experience and knowledge base, combined with a drive to do things differently, and started Hilmerson Safety. Since that time, she has developed six patented construction safety products used on some of the largest construction sites in the U.S. Hilmerson’s reusable products impact the environment and workers’ lives in positive ways while controlling labor and construction costs.

Hilmerson says working in construction was challenging at first because there were very few women. “I had to prove myself and let them know I didn’t want to wear the pink hard hat and hold the stop sign. I wanted to be physically involved and do exactly what the guys did, without special treatment. Once I proved I could hold my own, most of the guys onsite became my friends and brothers. My gender has never stopped me from

moving forward in my career.” Even today, Hilmerson says there are still a relatively small number of women working in trades, particularly in senior leadership positions. “I am seeing more construction companies employing women, and I love it, but we’re still not even close to being where we should be. There’s great opportunity in the trades and a wide variety of positions available. Don’t let fear or anything else hold you back. Educate yourself and find a mentor. Many of the women who have been in the field are more than happy to help someone younger navigate and find their way in this industry. LinkedIn and other social media platforms are great places to start. And of course, my advice to anyone starting a career would be work harder, work smarter, show up early, prove yourself, be willing to listen and to learn, ask questions and participate.”

Hilmerson has much to be proud of; her company has been fortunate to participate in multiple iconic projects. “There are times you forgot how far you’ve come and I think it’s important to stop and recognize that. As a student athlete at the University of Minnesota back in the 1980s, I vividly recall cutting through the Engineering School to get to basketball practice. I’d see all those really smart people, and think I wasn’t smart enough to be in those classrooms. Today, I own a company that designs, engineers and sells construction safety products. When I returned to campus not long ago, it felt surreal to see products I created, with my name and logo on them, in use on two big projects, including an extensive renovation at the College of Science and Engineering. Talk about a full-circle moment!”

She adds, “I believe everything we experience prepares us for what’s next. You build a life just as you might construct a building. So, pay attention to whatever is going on in your life right now. It’s happening for a reason.”