Brittany Wimbish is well on her way to becoming the third-generation owner of her family's company.
RC: How long has your company been in business and what is the history behind it?
Brittany Wimbish, 33
Manager of Operations and Administration
Fields Roof Service Inc. — Kent, Wash.
B.W.: My story in the roofing industry starts over 40 years ago with my grandfather taking on a summer job as a roofer and salesman when he wasn’t teaching math at the local high school. Eventually, he made his part-time job a full-time career and business. That then turned into my father unintentionally following his footsteps and now I am in the beginning process to take over the company as the third generation.
RC: What are the big challenges in your particular market and how is the company addressing them?
B.W.: Creating communication opportunities to reach women, and opening up opportunities to them and showing that this industry can be a lucrative and supportive career path. We’re working with National Women in Roofing (NWIR) Seattle Chapter and Rebuilding Together to reach out into the community with a presence and opportunity to speak to my story and those other women in the building industries.
RC: What are the top reasons why your company is successful?
B.W.: We have a culture of family and longevity that has been set by the three generations of owners. From our foremen to our sales team. Several of our employees started out in the field and now are salesmen and run our operations and estimating departments.
RC: What would you say are the most significant achievements or milestones in your career thus far?
B.W.: The most significant achievements I’ve personally made are not measured by metrics but by my experiences with others and growth in soft skills. I believe emotional intelligence has been most helpful in growing managerial skills and opening opportunities for my industry knowledge to expand. The interpersonal relationships that have grown by working with NWIR, and attending our industry events has allowed me to gain perspective of myself and others to maintain a vision of growth for the new generation of employees.
