Posts Tagged ‘women in construction’

General Counsel Recognized as a Top Woman in Construction

Monday, March 9th, 2026

Erin Neils was named a winner of the 2026 Top Women in Construction awards, presented by Finance & Commerce. Neils serves as General Counsel at Egan and was recognized in the Professional Services category for her leadership and industry involvement.

Neils joined Egan Company in 2015 and leads the organization’s legal function, supporting operations across contracts, corporate governance, employment, and risk management. In her role, she works closely with leadership and project teams to navigate the increasingly complex legal and regulatory landscape of the construction industry while helping ensure projects move forward successfully. In addition to her legal leadership, Neils has played a key role in supporting Egan’s equal opportunity and belonging initiatives as well as workforce development. She serves as a speaker and advocate with Lake Street Works, introducing high school students to construction career opportunities. Actively involved in industry organizations, including the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota, the Joint National Electrical Contractors Association, and the NECA–IBEW JATC Workforce Development Subcommittee, her commitment to the broader construction community continues to make a meaningful impact across the industry.

The Finance & Commerce Top Women in Construction awards recognize women who are making significant contributions to Minnesota’s construction industry through leadership, innovation, and service. The annual program highlights professionals across multiple categories and celebrates the growing impact women have throughout the field. For more information and to see all winners, visit Finance & Commerce.

Congratulations to Erin and all of the other women recognized in this year’s program.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Awards | Comments Closed

Celebrating Women in Construction Week 2024

Friday, March 15th, 2024

National Women in Construction Week 2024 took place March 3-9. During this week, many organizations held events to share appreciation, celebrate diversity, and facilitate connections in the A/E/C industry. Egan Company employees participated in a number of local events throughout the week, where they grew professionally and took time to appreciate how past generations of women in the industry have opened doors for the current and future workforce. 

Personal Safety On and Off the Jobsite

What better way to kick off WIC Week than with a self-defense class? A few Egan leaders learned the art of self-defense at the McGough-hosted safety class where participants learned about personal safety both on and off the jobsite.

Egan Company Employee Recognition

Celebrating the women who make up Egan was top of mind during WIC Week, as we held a lunch and also made personal calls to recognize the efforts and contributions they make every day. Egan also announced the commitment to its new women’s Employee Resource Group (ERG) dedicated to supporting and advocating for women at Egan Company and in the industry.

Exploring Pathways to Construction Apprenticeships

The future is bright for women looking to break into a career in the trades! Promoting growth in the industry and opening up pathways for people of all backgrounds to find a career in construction starts with us, those who are here now. Hosted by Women in NECA and Future Leaders, attendees learned about the future of apprenticeships in the industry. 

Three-Phase Jobsite Tour and Rosies and Robbies of the Rail Events

Mid-week, Egan employees attended multiple events throughout the Twin Cities. Downtown Minneapolis, Egan met up with the project management team at Kraus-Anderson to take a tour of a three-phase construction project, including the demolition and rebuild of Minneapolis Fire Department No. 1, a low-rise apartment building, and a high-rise apartment building of which Egan’s InterClad team worked.

Then, a few Egan team members attended a collaborative round table event in Hopkins, hosted by Lunda/CS McCrossan. The theme of the discussion was “what works, what doesn’t, what hasn’t been tried yet”. It was a thought-provoking discussion that had the team thinking more about the future of the industry at Egan!

Coffee & Conversation

Wrapping up the week with networking and breakfast at an event hosted by JE Dunn! Egan had the opportunity to connect with some of the great minds in the industry at a delightful networking event, which offered plenty of insights and ideas for us to bring back to our teams. 

Creating Opportunities for the Future

Women in Construction Week is designed to celebrate the past while finding ways to improve the future for people of all backgrounds within the construction industry. Women make up approximately 10% of the construction workforce, and by creating more opportunities and opening doors, we can see that number increase and find ways to support women looking to blaze a career for themselves and others. 

Tags:,
Posted in Company News, Events | Comments Closed

Project Manager Named Top Women in Construction Finalist

Friday, May 13th, 2022

Shannon Kangas was recently named a finalist of the Finance & Commerce 2022 Top Women in Construction awards. Kangas is a Project Manager working within Egan Company’s Industrial Controls team and was nominated for the “Outstanding Project Management/Estimating” category, based on her high performance and going above and beyond for the industry and community. 

Kangas began her career in the AEC industry as a part of Local Union 292 in 2000. During this time, her interest piqued and she knew she wanted to stay in the industry, attending Minnesota State University – Mankato where she studied Electronic Engineering Technology. She has served in various roles in the industry including Electronic/HVAC Technician and Application/Controls Engineer before landing in the role she holds today, as a Project Manager for Egan’s electrical control panel manufacturing business unit. She continues to exceed the standards in this role by managing customer accounts and major vendors as well as up to seven panel shop technicians that produced 3,134 electrical control panels last year alone. Not only a star in her field, Shannon is an assistant coach for the Andover High School Girls Hockey team, who recently competed in its fifth consecutive state tournament. 

This is the third annual Top Women in Construction awards that Finance & Commerce has presented, recognizing the impact women make daily on the construction industry across the state of Minnesota. The Top Woman in Construction was awarded on May 12. Congratulations to Shannon and all of the other local women who were nominated! 

For more information and to see all winners, visit Finance & Commerce.

Tags:,
Posted in Company News, Employee Spotlight | Comments Closed

Honoring Women in Construction Week

Friday, March 11th, 2022

Over the past week, we were able to celebrate and recognize the many women who make up the construction industry! This year’s theme was “Envision Equity,” inspiring us to share appreciation, celebrate diversity, and form connections with others in the industry.

Women in Construction Industry Showcase at Brookview Golf Course

As a corporate sponsor for the 2022 Women in Construction Week, Egan was able to share our appreciation for the women who make up the industry. Throughout the week, National Association of Women in Construction Minneapolis/St. Paul (NAWIC-MN) facilitated a series of events. Alongside many other women in the industry, Egan representatives were able to attend several events including a panel on ‘The Power of Social Media,’ an Industry Showcase, a virtual event on ‘Recognizing Women of Color in Construction & the Built Environment,’ and more!

Thanks to all who participated in honoring the women who make up our workforce and for paving the way for generations of women to come! A few employees shared their perspective and experience about working in the industry:

  • Industrial Controls Project Manager, Shannon Kangas: “The challenge and the variety are my favorite part of working in the construction industry – no two days are the same.”
  • Electrician, Nicole O’Connor: “As a female in the trades, I enjoy working together with everyone in the field where we can all be ourselves. I feel encouraged to work toward my strengths and try to be a positive influence to those around me.”
  • InterClad Estimator/Sales, Jill Lancaster: “Each project is unique and while two projects may appear similar from the outside looking in, there are always special circumstances – from the building type, system type, contractor/customer requests, personalities of those involved, etc, so every day has new opportunities and challenges.”

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Company News | Comments Closed

Breaking the Glass Ceiling

Monday, October 17th, 2016

A recent article in Glass Magazine, highlighted the lack of women in construction and how some companies in the glass industry have made efforts to solve a worker shortage by recruiting more women to join the industry.

Tim Woolworth, Egan Company Senior Vice President, was interviewed for the story, providing insight into how Egan’s InterClad team deals with potential worker shortages.

[Hiring women] would help offset the labor shortage and we have experienced this on recent projects,” says Woolworth. “Some of these recent past projects have field labor utilization goals requiring a certain percentage of the field crew be … female. These goals have raised awareness for the unions and ourselves that have helped put a focus on new female recruits.

Read the full article here. 

DebLindquistIn addition, one of Egan’s Senior Project Managers from our InterClad team, Deb Linquist, was featured in Glass Magazine’s article about women in construction. Way to go, Deb!

Tags:, , , , ,
Posted in Company News | Comments Closed