Opening Doors for Diversity in Construction
When Fatima Ware finished her apprenticeship in sheet metal construction in 2016, she decided it was time for a change. Not for her, but for the construction business.
Fatima Ware
When Fatima Ware finished her apprenticeship in sheet metal construction in 2016, she decided it was time for a change. Not for her, but for the construction business.
“I was the only person in the room who looked like me,” recalls Ware, who says she was the sole Black woman out of a thousand members in her union. “I realized that the sheet metal industry needed diversity.”
Ware started her own company, Cleveland-based WTD Mechanical LLC, where she serves as president, soon after finishing her apprenticeship. She describes it as an effort to “change the narrative” in the sheet metal business. WTD Mechanical specializes in ductwork installation.
Ware retained her journeyman card and still does construction work herself on occasion. For the most part, though, she manages her company and its four-person crew. WTD Mechanical is currently serving as a subcontractor on the massive MetroHealth Transformation development project in Cleveland.
Ware admits she faced a steep learning curve in starting her own business. “I bumped my head so many times because I just didn’t know things like what paperwork needed to be filled out,” she recalls. She credits industry mentors like T.H. Martin Inc. President Tom Martin and her involvement with SMACNA with helping her navigate the terrain of the sector.
Ware says she hopes the work she is doing now will encourage other black women to take leadership roles in the sheet metal industry.
“Going from just wearing your tools and installing ductwork to being an owner is a huge challenge,” she says. “I think the impact of my work will be to open avenues for other people so that I won’t be the only person in the room who looks like me.”
Published: February 28, 2021
IN THIS ISSUE
ARCHITECTURAL: Taking Skills to New Heights
Accurate Specialty Metal Fabricators (ASMF) of Queens, N.Y., took their work to another level recently with a project atop the Citigroup headquarters building in New York City.
Budget Reconciliation, COVID Relief, Pension Reform Among Items Before Congress
The Senate is concentrating on Biden Administration Cabinet appointments, and the Senate and House both remain focused on producing a COVID-19 relief package that meet budget and reconciliation rules to avoid a Senate filibuster.
Building What’s Next: Preparing for the Next Decade of Construction
For long-term success, it is important that construction workers, associations, and tech companies work together to build awareness around the opportunity that data and inclusion hold.
Clean Rooms Critical to Pandemic Response
Clean room projects offer SMACNA contractors the opportunity to showcase their expertise
HVAC: A Perfect Trifecta for SMACNA Members
SMACNA members won all the sheet metal work available for the Southwestern Community College’s new Performing Arts and Cultural Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
INDUSTRIAL: ‘On-Time’ Is Critical for Global Aerospace Client
Time waits for no one, especially when you’ve been selected to build the newest manufacturing plant for the world’s largest aerospace corporation, The Boeing Company.
Maximizing Cash Flow, With or Without a Second PPP Loan
The stricter eligibility requirements for second draw Paycheck Protection Program (PPP2) loans excluded many construction companies from the new round of COVID-19 relief.
Opening Doors for Diversity in Construction
When Fatima Ware finished her apprenticeship in sheet metal construction in 2016, she decided it was time for a change. Not for her, but for the construction business.
RESIDENTIAL: Experts - 2021 Will Build on Last Year’s Booming Residential Market
While not likely to be a record, the HVAC and sheet metal industry should see steady demand for residential services, experts say.
SMACNA Contractors Join Together to Transform Cleveland Hospital
MetroHealth has been a bedrock of the Cleveland community for nearly 200 years. SMACNA sheet metal contractors are playing an instrumental role in making the MetroHealth Transformation a success.
SMACNA Contractor’s Work Helps Power Silicon Valley Manufacturers
If you have any computer equipment in your shop, home or office — and nowadays, who doesn’t — odds are good that it was made by a company with its roots, or at least a major presence, in Silicon Valley.
The Hard Work: Developing People
Building a great culture is, in part, the result of making hard decisions about finding, keeping, and developing great people. But too often we let the urgency of our need lower our standards.
Why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Matter
We as businesspeople should care greatly about DE&I, not only because it is moral and ethical to treat people fairly and equitably, but also because it makes good business sense to create a strong DE&I culture.