From intern to construction manager, this employee loves her job!

By Dani Sheehan. 

Learn how Grace found a job she loves with a company that empowers her every step of the way. 

Working as a woman in construction can be an intimidating career choice when the industry is still mostly saturated with men. But at Weatherproofing Technologies Incorporated (WTI), a subsidiary of Tremco CPG, Grace Kormos says it has been challenging but has taken the job head on. We recently had the opportunity to sit down with her to talk about her career path at WTI and why other women should consider joining the roofing industry. 

At 25 years old, Grace is a construction manager in the roofing division and has been with WTI since she interned in 2018. She went to Kent State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in construction management. Interning throughout all of college, she says, “Then from there, WTI offered me a full-time position as an associate, which is basically what we consider our construction manager training position. So, you get placed with the construction manager that’s been with the company the longest and then it’s kind of based on performance from there as to when you can move up.” After just six months, Grace became a construction manager herself in October 2021 and has overseen their south Atlantic region ever since. 

She’s currently the only female construction manager for WTI and when asked about her experience, she says it’s been awesome. “We have a lot of female upper management which has made my position more empowering...I had a super unique experience because I did start as an intern for the company and then kind of moved my way up to that position, which hasn’t happened a lot. Working with the females that I did in the office [pre-Covid], all the amazing women, it has made me feel more comfortable.” Constuction is still a male-driven industry, but Grace loves working for a company that prides itself on their female employment, and she says that seeing Krista Gnatt as their vice president has given her a lot of confidence in her position. 

They’ve moved fully remote since she started as an intern, but Grace doesn’t feel like it’s changed the team dynamic. “I never feel alone in my position or like I'm on an island because at the end of the day, we all have the same mindset of being as successful as possible for not only our region but the company as a whole.”  

When asked what advice she has for anyone looking to get a job in the industry, or a female starting out in construction, she says, “Confidence is extremely attractive to someone that’s looking to hire because if you’re at least confident in what you bring to the table and you are not afraid to learn and ask questions, I feel like that is one of the best coworkers and employees that you could ever have.” It also helps when you work for a company that truly believes in their employees and wants to see you succeed. She’s excited to see her career grow with WTI. For Grace, it’s simple: “I love where I’m at at Tremco, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”