Wilson Lumber Company will host a luncheon on March 7 for women in the construction industry, as part of their celebration of the 26th Anniversary of Women in Construction Week (WIC Week).

This year, Women in Construction Week will be observed from March 3-9.

“The designated week, established in 1998 by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), is a chance to raise awareness of opportunities in the construction industry, address challenges some women face, and create change in those areas,” explained Sallie Keene Denton, Business Development Representative for Wilson Lumber.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women made up roughly 10% of the U.S. construction workforce in 2020.

This number has consistently grown in recent years, reports The Washington Post, and now nearly 14% of construction workers are women.

Today, women working in construction fill a variety of roles across the historically male-dominated field. They may work in sales, management, and administration positions. Increasingly, women are providing labor at construction work sites.

“At Wilson Lumber Company, the female workforce is well above the national average, representing a whopping 27% female workforce,” said a press release from the company. “Wilson Lumber Company has a very diverse female workforce, [which includes] forklift drivers at the Huntsville location, truss builders at the Madison and Westmoreland, TN locations, and door and trim builders at the Tanner, AL location.”

Alicia Huey, president and founder of AGH Homes, Inc., will be the keynote speaker for Wilson Lumber’s WIC Week luncheon.

Huey, who is based in Birmingham, is a custom home builder and developer. She has more than 30 years of experience working in the industry and is the 2023 Chairman of the Board for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

For her talk, Huey will focus on her story of becoming a homebuilder in Alabama and a national advocate for the construction industry.

The luncheon, which will be held at the Wilson Lumber Family Barn on Meridian Street, is open to women who work in any capacity in the construction industry.

Attendees are invited to check in at 10:45 on the morning of March 7. Lunch and Ms. Huey’s remarks will begin at 11:30 a.m.

Attendance at the event is complimentary for eligible women.

Please email Sallie Keene Denton, Business Development Representative for Wilson Lumber, at skeene@wilsonlumber.net to register for the event.