2018 Women in Construction: Lizett Frias, S&F Concrete Contractors, Inc.

Name: Lizett Frias

Title: Executive Director of Marketing and Business Development

Company Name: S&F Concrete Contractors, Inc.

Years in the A/E/C Industry: 37

What associations or organizations are you affiliated with (volunteer or member)? NAWIC, AGC, MBC Women’s Business Network (Advisory Board); Boys and Girls clubs of Metrowest. Main Street Bank (Board of Directors)

Why the A/E/C Industry? If you are interested in any aspect of the Design, Engineering and Construction field and choose this for your career you will have the opportunity to be part of a dynamic team of Owners, Architects, Engineers, Contractors, all working together and contributing to building some prestigious Structure’s that will remain landmarks for years to come. The bragging rights of when you can state “We Built That.” Leaves you with a great sense of pride and accomplishment. All this together with great pay and room for career growth for doing what you Love makes the A/E/C industry a great career choice.

Advice/Keys to Success: Just as a building is as good as it’s foundation. Your foundation will define you. Know the Business. Be Strong, confident, Persistent. Never give up. Always Stay true to yourself because who you are enhances another measurement of knowledge to the multifaceted, talented and skilled team of people you’ll be working with. Find a Mentor and learn from him/her. Join Networking groups in your industry. Think outside your comfort zone. Show up early (before the Boss) and leave later. This is the difference between a job and a career.

If you had to choose one word to explain why you do what you do, which one most suits you? And why? Love. As a little girl growing up as the daughter of a Concrete Contractor unbeknownst to me had a strong impact on my future career choice. Family after dinner excursions would involve frequent visits to job sites after hours to check on the progress of the cement finishers finishing a slab. I loved to go on these site visits but my Dad would always tell me to stay in the car with my mother for fear of me getting hurt. Needless to say, I didn’t follow directions well and I followed him around. I was always fascinated with the process of forming and pouring and the finished product.  It left me very captivated at how everything went together. Years of watching the progress in the construction industry helped me decide I wanted to be part of the A/E/C industry and part of our family legacy.

Are you aware of the film Hard Hatted woman? If so, what does a film like this mean to you? I was touched and can relate to the woman in “Hard Hatted Woman.”  The stories of the barriers the woman face remain real. Woman of my generation were the very few to begin to break the stereotype of a woman in a man’s world. It wasn’t easy.  We chose a career that was dominated by men and wasn’t well accepted at that time. Woman in the trades are not looking for any special treatment, they just want to do their job without any roadblocks to try to earn a good living. I believe times are changing and awareness is aiding in the process. The Governments requirements of woman in the trades is alleviating some of the obstacles, but the true test of time is the individuals working side by side in the trenches.