Restoration has always been a male-dominated industry. Paul Davis feels it is so important to support women and let them know they are needed and wanted in the construction/restoration industry. At Paul Davis Restoration of Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul, we strive for a 40% female workforce, on par with the overall male-female employee ratio in our market.

At our franchise, we continually push the envelope on gender equality and have started Women in Restoration group that consists of all female team members at our locations. We meet every month to problem solve, collaborate, and build relationships with one another. We support the females of the company and lift each other up.

One of the group’s main goals is problem solving ways to recruit and retain women in the industry. We want to empower women and provide them with great opportunities!

How long has PDR of Greater MSP been in business? How many employees are there?

Paul Davis Restoration of Greater MSP has been around for 10 years. We currently have 75 full time employees ranging from mitigation technicians, carpenters, estimators, and team leads.

Why do you feel it is so important to encourage women to join the trades?

The restoration industry has been male-dominated for many years. We want to provide equal opportunity for women to have the same roles and responsibilities, and become leaders of
the industry!

What are some things you’ve seen women bring to restoration that have helped, specifically, your company grow and thrive?

Women have a different perspective and expect timeliness. Women are solid leaders who can empower the team and bring a new level of collaboration and accountability to working as a team.

What are some techniques you use to attract women to your company? And once they are there, why do they stay?

We attract women to our company by providing a Women in Restoration group, a team specifically to benefit them and their ideas/work. We provide female uniforms so they can feel comfortable when working. But most importantly, women stay because they feel empowered by the owner, Caleb Brunz. Caleb wants to promote women within the workplace and for them to exceed in the industry. Women stay because the overall leadership and they feel supported by the team.