Emmanuelle Cérat thrives on challenges. Highly organized and efficient, the construction entrepreneur wants to use what she has learned over the past 25 years to bring a wind of change. March 8 will serve as a pretext to encourage women to dare to take their place in the industry, as she herself did, despite the pitfalls.
Posted at 12:00 p.m.
The obstacles she had to overcome were many, says the one who, armed only with a diploma of professional studies in accounting, managed to climb the ladder of a company in the field of construction. At 27, she was the mother of four children, whom she raised alone.
“Already being a woman, you have to do more,” she says. Not having a university degree, with the balance between work and family, that was something. This led me to develop extraordinary skills. I learned to manage different crisis situations, quickly, because you could see my efficiency and my productivity. I was challenged. It made me stand out. »
She had always wanted to have her own business. She darkened on the eve of her 40th birthday, targeting a disorganized sector. “I realized that the trade that was a bit of a haywire was that of demolition and asbestos removal, because it’s one of the only ones for which you don’t need to go to school. I started National Demolition with a partner. Of course, the first two years were difficult. Giving in has bothered people, again. But whereas in the beginning, customers bought a price, we built a reputation. We’re not just jobbers. We come with quality, efficiency, we are structured in terms of paperwork and we follow Quebec standards. »
This sense of organization, Emmanuelle Cérat wants to transpose it to the scale of the construction industry, made up of 82% of small companies, which each work on their own and too often lack resources. In order to support them and accompany them in their search for solutions, it will inaugurate Together for construction, in the spring. In the meantime, she wants to take advantage of International Women’s Day to launch a video on YouTube on March 8, which will highlight women who have carved out an enviable place for themselves in the construction industry. She hopes to inspire others.
“One of the main solutions to the labor shortage is to integrate women and let them take their place, believes the one who, at 47, already has two grandchildren. This requires restoring the image of the construction industry, because it is an area that is rough, and that scares a lot of people. »
I want to honor the women who dare to take their place and the men who know how to recognize their potential.
Emmanuelle Cérat, from National Demolition
Thrive in the construction industry
Nadya Michel agreed without hesitation to be part of the video, hoping to make a difference in the lives of other women. “I’m approaching 50, so for sure I want to help the youngest to flourish,” she says. I want to have an impact on women who are asking questions and who might want to change jobs. I myself work in a masculine industry, that of explosives. I like to encourage women to follow their hearts, exploit their qualities and achieve their ambitions, regardless of the type of environment. »
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Nadya Michel is president of Gestion Monox, which specializes in the prevention of carbon monoxide poisoning following blasting. It is in front of a construction site, in Saint-Léonard, where blasting is taking place.
President of Gestion Monox, a company specializing in the prevention of carbon monoxide poisoning following blasting, she is one of the ambassadors of the non-profit organization Les Elles de la construction, dedicated to promoting the rights and women’s interests in the construction industry. She met Emmanuelle Cérat as part of networking activities organized to promote exchanges between women who occupy different positions in the industry, whether at the head of companies, in construction sites or in administrative offices.
“It is sure that we have hooked atoms, underlines Nadya Michel. Emmanuelle is a unifier, she gives the desire to move forward. I think that with Ensemble pour la construction, she can really have an impact on several types of entrepreneurs to improve the performance of their business and increase their level of happiness. »
A growing place
John Marcovecchio, President and CEO of Magil Construction, remembers how the presence of women was disturbing some thirty years ago because it forced men to control their emotions and use less coarse language, both on construction sites and during contract negotiations. That has changed a lot, notes the engineer, who graduated from Concordia University in 1986 and who will also testify in the video. The Power of Building Equityas does Alexandra Murdoch, executive vice-president of Magil Construction.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MAGIL CONSTRUCTION
John Marcovecchio, President and CEO of Magil Construction, remembers how disturbing the presence of women was thirty years ago. This has changed a lot, especially in terms of site management and supervision, he notes.
Women in construction today come with a certain confidence and determination. They are made strong and I think that allows them to succeed, to stand out.
John Marcovecchio, President and CEO of Magil Construction
“They have more respect thanks to the women who paved the way for them,” he adds. As they gain experience, they begin to love what they do and wouldn’t change. »
The labor shortage would be worse without the contribution of women, he believes. “There are a lot more women in engineering programs and that’s good news. At Magil, we have succeeded in including more women in the supervision and management of construction sites. In one of our biggest projects, Square Phillips, a condo tower in downtown Montreal, a woman is the superintendent. In the management of each of our sites, we have at least one woman. There may be two, three, four. That’s huge compared to 30 years ago. »