Women of asphalt
A Woman of Asphalt: Meet APAC’s Jody Lawrence Sometimes the asphalt life moves you from one opportunity to another whether you knew you were ready to take on the challenge or not. Quality Control (QC) Technician Jody Lawrence began her asphalt career January 2000 in the scale house at the rock quarry. She considers that first post: “a good entry level position so I could learn about the business and ease into other tasks.” Those other tasks have included operating equipment in the quarry and now performing a full range of asphalt tests as a QC technician for APAC, a division of CRH-Americas. Here she shares a number of the triumphs she’s experienced as a woman of asphalt.
S
AsphaltPro: Could you share with the readers your career trajectory and what challenges you’ve overcome along the way? Jody Lawrence: After high school I went to Mizzou for engineering. College wasn’t a good fit for me. I think the biggest roadblock was that I likely couldn’t have broken into the highway construction business if my dad had not helped me get the job. It is easier now for women to break into the industry but it can still be difficult. The other roadblock is that I’m limited for promotion opportunities due to my lack of a college degree. At this point most of my education has come from hands-on trial and error. For someone on a similar career path something as simple as an associate’s degree in construction management, civil engineering technology or similar would be a big stepping stone. A bachelor’s in civil engineering would open up even more opportunities. I’m currently supplementing my hands-on education with online courses
32 // march/april 2021
Jody Lawrence is a quality control technician for APAC, a division of CRH-Americas. in accounting, economics and organizational management to help with my business acumen.
AsphaltPro: Could you share with the readers what your job as a QC tech for APAC requires? Jody Lawrence: My current role is twofold. During paving season, I work as a field technician. I do the required testing depending on customer specs and ensure we are sending a quality product to the project. This ranges from something as simple as AC content and gradation to full volumetric testing and making changes as needed for a quality product. I work closely with plant personnel and paving crews to make sure everything is working. In our offseason I design asphalt mixes for upcoming jobs, assist estimators in getting our pricing correct, lab equipment maintenance, paperwork updates and any other tasks that pop up.
When I moved from the scale house to the aggregate QC, it gave me the basic foundation for asphalt testing since aggregate is the biggest part of asphalt. I also spent time as a laborer and equipment operator in the quarry. That helped me understand the challenges of production, what factors impact aggregate gradation and quality, and that it’s not always a simple fix in the real world. When I came back to QC my production experience helped me communicate more effectively between quality and production personnel. I became a QC technician when Missouri was in the early stages of adopting Superpave asphalt specs. I was recommended for the job because my short stint as an engineering student was going to help during the transition from the old system to Superpave.
AsphaltPro: What do you think is the most important skill you’ve brought to your position as a QC tech in the asphalt industry? (And how would you encourage other women entering the industry to hone a similar skill?) Jody Lawrence: When I started I really had no idea what I was doing. It was my tenacity and willingness to learn that helped me get through the first several years. Two important skills I’ve developed have been changing my communication style from a passive voice and being willing to put myself out there for roles I don’t necessarily feel ready for. Women have a tendency to not jump at opportunities because we don’t feel ready. I would encourage women entering the industry to take those opportunities. You will never know what you are ready for until you challenge yourself and start to see just what you are capable of doing.
