OLATHE, Kan. — Everyday, Sara Hutchcraft and Kelsey Harlow are working hard in the construction industry.
Hutchcraft has been in the construction industry for 10 years, while Harlow entered the industry six years ago after graduating from K-State with an engineering degree.
“With my engineering degree, I didn’t think construction would be a fit," Harlow said. "But kind of the mindset that they teach you translates very well to construction manufacturing."
Drawing up ideas and laying out a plan, Hutchcraft and Harlow are always looking at the bigger picture.
“We bring a different perspective to projects," Hutchcraft said. "We’re that fresh new eyes in looking at something.”
The pair work at Excellerate, an electrical construction manufacturer.
Both Hutchcraft and Harlow say they're working to bring more than just power to a building.
As a Pre Production Manager, Hutchcraft is involved in the beginning stages of projects.
“We build smaller modules, or smaller pieces of an entire building,” Hutchcraft said.
As a Site Integration Project Manager, Harlow then makes sure all the loose wires are in place.
“These units are made in-house, and there is a team that installs and integrates them to the site and to the rest of the building,” Harlow said.
As women in the construction industry, they understand the tools they are working with.
“You get kind of used to being the five percent minority in that group,” Harlow said.
Harlow and Hutchcraft want other women to know they too can have a hand in building something great.
“It shows little girls that yeah you can go and you can go do this — it's that visibility piece,” Hutchcraft said.
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