Amid the ongoing labor shortage affecting all construction companies, HOLT Group, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is recharging the industry’s workforce with female talent.
“We’re seeing an exciting and promising shift in our industry, as Generation Z is beginning to view the skilled trades as the viable career option it is,” said Bert Fulgium, Senior Vice President, HOLT Group. “They’re driven by a desire for hands-on work, stability, and upward mobility. Internship programs like those we offer through high schools and technical colleges are increasing access and awareness to many young adults, including women.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2023 women made up only 10.8 percent of the construction industry. But two women — Trinity Dial, Shop Service Technician at HOLT CAT in Waco, Texas, and Valerie Niver, Branch Manager at Texas First Rentals in Belton, Texas — are helping change the narrative of women in the heavy machinery and skilled trades industries.
Dial first fell in love with machinery at San Antonio’s James Madison High School through agricultural mechanics competitions, diagnosing problems with tractors the judges had bugged.
“My first year doing that, I was on a team with two boys,” she said. “I was the only female that made it to the floor with my team to compete in the final stage of the competition.”
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Her team placed eighth in the state. More importantly, “I just fell in love with what I was doing,” she said.
One of Dial’s teachers recommended her for a paid internship at HOLT CAT San Antonio that started the summer after her sophomore year in 2020. She continued working there through a co-op program throughout the rest of high school.
“I also continued taking any mechanics classes I could at my high school — welding, fabrication, woodwork, and machinery,” Dial said. “I did notice that I was one of a few females that actually took an interest in this. It was really cool to see that I was one of the few to be able to pick it up, understand what’s going on, and actually enjoy it.”
In May 2022 she graduated from high school, then moved to Waco the next August to study heavy diesel machinery at Texas State Technical College. She transferred to HOLT CAT Waco as a college intern. When she graduated in December 2023 with her associate’s degree, she was hired as a full-time employee.
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“I just turned 21 and I’m able to support myself and have a little bit of extra money to put in my savings to further my future,” Dial said. “I’m debt-free. Going to a trade school instead of a university, I was able to pay off my expenses in a short amount of time.”
Niver is the sole female Branch Manager at any Texas First Rentals across the state. At the Belton location, she manages a team of 13 men ranging in age from their early 20s to early 60s. Under her leadership, the stores she has managed have broken records for equipment on rent and doubled in size.
Niver and her husband first moved to the Austin area a few years ago when he received a promotion to Field Service Supervisor with HOLT CAT.
As she looked for a new position, “Matt talked very highly of his company,” Niver said. “He’s been with them over 11 years now, and he suggested I apply for a position with Texas First Rentals.”
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With her background in sales, Niver was hired as a Service Writer at the Pflugerville, Texas, location.
When Seth Barclay became Branch Manager at that location (he now serves as Region Vice President of Operations for Texas First Rentals), “He put me under his wing and showed me the ins and outs of the rental industry and some of the things that worked for him and the things that didn’t,” Niver said. “From there, he helped me get promoted to Operations Manager.”
In May 2023, just four years after joining the company, she was promoted to Branch Manager at the Belton location.
“I do feel that was very quick — but for good reason,” Niver said. “Our industry is extremely fast-paced, and things change on a daily basis. I never have the same day twice. Pflugerville, at the time I was there, was the busiest branch we had in the company, so I saw a lot of different things. Being in that really fast-paced environment helped open my eyes to a lot of the different situations I now find myself in.”
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In their work dealing mostly with men, both women have overcome occasional challenges.
“I’m currently the only woman working at any of the shops here in Waco,” Dial said. “The guys were a little wary at first, just because none of them had ever worked with a female in this kind of role. They just had to test the waters a little to see what I was capable of, but then they definitely welcomed me in. They were all very, very nice showing me the ropes of how to do things and broadening my understanding.”
In fact, support from her co-workers helped make Dial’s transition easier. “Moving from San Antonio to Waco and being by myself was kind of scary, but they’re like family now,” she said.
Niver occasionally experiences pushback from customers calling her branch.
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“They’re used to speaking to a man, so I get asked more questions than someone else might,” she said. “There can also be some doubt from time to time about the information I relay.”
How does she deal with those reactions?
“I just try to be as polite and professional as possible, and sometimes steer it toward something that indicates I do know what I’m speaking about — for example, if they request a lift, I’ll ask them if they’re needing to lift materials or people, how much weight they’re lifting, how high they need to go. And just some of the questions I ask show that I know what I’m talking about.”
Dial and Niver would like to see more women in construction careers.
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“This industry could use more women,” Niver said. “Women can do anything they put their minds to. Just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean you shouldn’t or couldn’t be around heavy equipment if you have the desire to learn about it.”
What would they say to other women considering a skilled trades career?
“It’s a scary world and it can look like a scary industry to get started in from the outside, but don’t let that fear overtake you,” Dial said. “Just conquer it and keep going.”
Niver added, “Keep an open mind, ask a lot of questions, and really the sky is the limit. It’s as high as you want to go and as hard as you want to work, and that’s good for me.”
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Dial agreed, saying, “You can advance as far as you want to take it.”
For HOLT Group, “As we continue to build and foster inclusive environments and invest in mentorship and training, we believe that women will play an even more prominent role in shaping the future of our industry and the skilled trades,” Fulgium said.
