2020 Women in Construction: Katherine Marr, Communications Coordinator at The Marr Companies

What was your greatest professional achievement or most notable project in the last 12 months? My greatest professional achievement has been co-writing The Marr Companies Anniversary Book, published in celebration of our company’s 120 years in business. It was a major project that involved a couple of years’ worth of archival research and interviews with my colleague Kathy Fyfe, Director of Marketing. I learned (through pictures!) about the fascinating story behind our company’s evolution in the construction industry and was able to develop a more thorough understanding of and appreciation for the craft of writing, layout and publishing. The book has become a customer favorite, as it both provides a history of Boston development through Marr projects while also serving to showcase Marr’s products and services, thus serving as a highly valuable marketing piece that effectively communicates our legacy and range of capabilities.

When I’m not working I am…Outside taking photographs around New England, especially Boston. I am an avid street and landscape photographer, which has also served me well in my marketing role at Marr where I am often visiting jobsites and documenting the work of our crews. Pictures are one of the most valuable tools at our industry’s disposal with a potential to deliver a more powerful message than can be conveyed through words alone.

What are you doing differently in 2020 that has had a positive impact on your career? Given the mild winter we have had, I’ve been able to visit our project sites on a regular basis, capturing the progression of the work we are putting in place around Greater Boston. Recording our capabilities through photography, especially the creative solutions our teams have developed to solve construction challenges, is important to our customers, our managers and our field crews. The images tell the story of Marr and I particularly enjoy providing a vehicle for recognizing our field operations through social media and our company newsletter – keeping employees informed at all levels of the company is good for employee morale and team building, something I value. 

What trends are you seeing in your field this year? In more recent years, I’ve seen a trend toward more social media activity and engagement with customers across Instagram and LinkedIn especially. This has inspired our marketing efforts greatly, where creating quality and diverse content with compelling stories and vivid photos are high priorities. Our customers are consuming what we post socially, and this gives us an opportunity not only to educate them on our offerings but also have productive conversations that solidify and/or promote future business partnerships. 

Who or what inspired you to join the construction industry? I was inspired to join the construction industry by my family, first and foremost. Marr has been in business for over 120 years through the leadership and commitment of six generations of family members. I enjoy playing a unique role here as Communications Coordinator because I am able to touch every division of the business and make an impact – whether it is preparing marketing materials for one of our four companies or organizing a charity bike ride for all employees, I don’t feel constricted. Construction itself touches many aspects of daily life, from residential to commercial to community, which provides a breadth of opportunities to engage and I love that about this industry. Marr is fortunate to contribute to many of the most quintessentially Boston civic events throughout the year, like the Boston Marathon and Sail Boston. Whether its sprucing up Fenway for opening day or providing access to enable an artist to leave her unique mark on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, there is a lot to capture each year that reflects our corporate values, commitment and capabilities.