Member Article

Trio of North East female entrepreneurs lead the way for women in construction

A trio of female entrepreneurs who have worked for some of the North East’s biggest names in construction have branched out to launch their own companies.

As new industry research projects the proportion of women working in construction will rise to 26% by 2020, Beth Brierley-Jones, Maria Ferguson and Siobhan McMahon have launched businesses in recruitment, planning and architecture.

The three ladies, who met as members of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) where Siobhan has the role of national Chair, have a combined 44 years of experience working within the industry.

During this time, they have collaborated with a variety of businesses. Siobhan has worked with national and international public and private sector organisations and contractors, Maria has experience with local authorities and within commercial, energy and waste sectors and Beth has established construction and property recruitment businesses within the North East for blue chip and SME companies.

Beth, Director of Brierley J Recruitment Ltd and Chair of Women in Property North East, said: “There is a gap in the market for delivering partnership recruitment for built environment professionals, so I decided to set up my own business to provide what I believe is a more adding value service. Brierley J takes the time to get to know all levels of a business, working with decision makers to understand resource needs and issues within their organisations. We then work together to resolve them, ultimately helping their businesses grow.”

Maria, Director at Maria Ferguson Planning Ltd, commented: “I always aim to provide honest advice about the merits of a client’s case, and the best means of achieving success. This is something that I think is very important in the current climate, as it means providing a bespoke service for different businesses dependent on their needs. All three of us do that by providing solutions within our designated fields that are advantageous to our clients.”

Siobhan, Director at Emerald Architects, added: “With over 20 years’ experience working in the construction industry, I knew the time was right to start up my own architectural practice. I have always built strong relationships with my clients, consultants and contractors to deliver quality projects that are unique to their individual needs. I bring a different dimension to male dominated construction teams that enable us to find a more diverse solution by offering a different perspective.

“The three of us starting up our businesses within months of each other illustrates the support and confidence women have in the construction industry and it clearly demonstrates how far the sector has moved forward in attracting women. There is a still a lot to do to encourage young women into construction, but hopefully stories like ours will help inspire them.”

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