2021 Women in Construction: Kate Martin, Assistant Estimator, BW Kennedy & Co.

What was your greatest professional achievement or most notable project in the last 12 months? The fit-outs BW Kennedy & Co. completed at 75 Hayden Ave. in Lexington MA. The base building construction was completed before I started working at BW Kennedy, but I had the opportunity to be a part of the Valo Health, Frequency Therapeutics, and Dicerna Pharmaceuticals fit-outs. It has been a great experience to see them all come together!

How have you adapted and changed in the last 12 months? Having starting my new role with BW Kennedy during COVID, not only did I adjust to a new job and new responsibilities, I also adjusted to working during a pandemic. Challenges have included a lack of site walkthroughs due to COVID guidelines, as well as meetings no longer being held in person. Thankfully, virtual meetings have assisted in ensuring that the entire project team can get together to discuss all matters of the job. One thing I did not have to adjust to was working from home. BW Kennedy’s office provides enough space to allow us to meet social distancing protocols.
What steps have you taken to ensure the continued success of your firm? BW Kennedy’s success begins in the early planning stages, and every document we send out to clients is directly linked to our brand. That being said, the options we provide for cost, schedule, and logistics ensure that all items have been fully explored and that we are providing the most benefit to our clients. Success is not only the job you get awarded, but the relationships you can build with long term clients.

Why should women consider a career in construction? A career in construction is not just beneficial for the woman who has joined, but also for the team she becomes a part of. It has been said that women think with a different process than men, which allows us to provide new and innovative ideas to help the team achieve solutions that benefit the company, the client, and the project. Being a woman in construction also teaches you practical skills such as time and people management, communication, critical thinking, and working in team settings. These skills can be useful not just in the work place, but also outside of work.

Starting out in the construction business, who or what empowered you? My parents. My mom was a construction project manager when I was younger, so she was my role model. She and my dad have always pushed me to do better than what I think is my best, and that support has helped me get to where I am today.