Category: 2024

Krysta Widman had a theory – and the human resources manager headed to the production floor to prove it.

“When I first started working here nearly a decade ago, we didn’t have any women in production or really out in the plant,” said Widman, who works at Gage Brothers, a Sioux Falls-based leader in precast concrete construction.

“Women mostly only worked in the office, and I really wanted to see more women working here.”

So after giving birth to her son, she came back from maternity leave and for one day took on a new job at Gage.

“We always said that to do this job you had to lift 50 to 100 pounds, and what we found out is you actually don’t have to be super strong to do this job,” Widman said.

“You’re not lifting 50 to 100 pounds on a regular basis. You’re lifting 20 to 30 pounds. And I said, ‘If I can do this job, anyone can do this job.’ Was I sore? Oh yes. It was not easy, but the supervisors and a bunch of other people were coming up to me and saying, ‘Wow, good job.’”

After a day pulling steel cables – “the most difficult part of the job but very possible” – putting bricks into place using form liners and tying rebar, she and the company realized “it’s really not that physical of a job,” Widman said. “What we saw helped us start getting more women in the door.”

Fast-forward, and Gage now counts more than 10 percent of its production team as female – with about 30 women working on the floor.

“I’ve been to precast plants literally all over the country and some in Europe, and I don’t see women working on the floor,” president Joe Bunkers said. “It’s very predominantly male-oriented, and very intentionally we moved the needle.”

Beginning with construction of the new plant in northeast Sioux Falls several years ago, Gage put in a full-size set of restrooms and locker rooms for women. The equipment, technology and layout were chosen so they could be flexible for men and women “of all shapes and sizes that come to work,” Bunkers said.

“This is not as labor-intensive as it used to be. And today, you don’t notice a difference whether it’s men or women doing the work. And actually – women are some of our best employees. They’re awesome. I don’t mean to stereotype, but they often bring a different level of detail. They do well in quality control. The head of our steel shop is a woman who was promoted from working as a welder in fabrication. So it’s been awesome to see.”

Gage worked with a consultant to evaluate each job and adjust job descriptions to reflect more accurate physical demands.

As it turned out, finding women to apply for the jobs “was actually incredibly easy,” Widman said. “We already had women interested in working here who had gotten turned away because they didn’t have the experience or we’d say they needed to lift up to 100 pounds. So we had a list of people interested, and once we hired one person, it was like a flood of women working here.”

Nearly all female employees were referred by another woman, she said.

“And I wish we had even more, but we are getting more women all the time,” she said. “Those who are here have gained the respect of everyone, and I think it’s been beneficial for the whole team to give them another perspective. It’s helped women move up. It’s helped single mothers make it out of really tough situations, and it’s helped women move into jobs that pay much more than they were making before.”

Gage Brothers also has worked to remove one of the biggest barriers to women and men working: child care.

“We have many situations where both mom and dad might be working for us as well, so we have reimagined our work schedule to support it,” Widman said. “We’re working four 10-hour shifts in more production positions with staggered start times, which allows someone to see the kids off to school and someone else to pick them up at night and have family time. And we have a lot of people who now are working the same shift, where before dad might have been working during the day and mom at night.”

The company also scaled back its use of overtime, which had created challenges with finding child care, and increased its parental leave benefits.

“We’re trying to get more people back into the workforce by making schedules that work for families,” Widman said. “We used to use overtime so much that I wouldn’t have thought we could get away from it like this, but now we’re actually pouring more yards in less time. I think it’s because people are able to have a three-day weekend, and that’s significant.”

She also has helped families find child care options, including many who require Spanish-speaking providers – a gap “that’s very difficult but where there’s also a huge entrepreneurial spirit and a market to be reached and given resources,” she said.

All the efforts have added up to a noticeable, positive shift for the Gage Brothers workforce.

“Once you start to have more women working, you can start to promote them as they demonstrate skills and capabilities, so I’m really excited to see how this is going to grow,” Bunkers said, adding he has two female vice presidents and two male vice presidents on his leadership team.

“It’s truly from the top that we believe in this also,” he said.

The best practices modeled by Gage Brothers “are outstanding,” said Bob Mundt, president and CEO of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. “This is exactly what we need employers to be inspired by and motivated to embrace. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but the approach Gage is taking shows what’s possible when you think differently and are willing to make positive change.”

The relationship Gage Brothers has built with the Sioux Falls Development Foundation and Forward Sioux Falls has been beneficial, Bunkers said.

“We get to be part of a bigger plan because of it,” he said. “We’re learning ideas from others and working with them to reach out to schools and tell the story of what opportunities exist here.”

Back at the plant, Widman sees signs of the changes that have occurred constantly.

One supervisor’s response in particular comes to mind.

“He can be kind of a gruff guy and one I thought maybe would have been against having more women in the workforce, and now he has two female leaders on his team and is developing them,” she said. “The other day, he came in my office and said: ‘You know how women work here? It’s a good idea.’ And now, we have women who are supervisors and moving into leadership positions. It’s been incredible.”

To learn more about opportunities at Gage Brothers, click here.

Forward Sioux Falls is a joint venture between the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation and is widely respected as the premier economic driver for the Sioux Falls region. To learn more and connect, click here.

Behind the record building years of Sioux Falls is a family business helping support the needs of the booming construction industry.

Egger Steel Co. began with just three employees almost 80 years ago as a fabricator of structural steel for local construction projects.

During the expansion of the interstate highway system in the 1950s, the company added fabrication of steel bridge girders. From its headquarters at 909 S. Seventh Ave., Egger Steel consistently has positioned itself and its services to meet the changing needs of businesses.

“Being in the construction industry, we directly benefit from the growth of existing Sioux Falls businesses and the attraction of new businesses to the area,” president Burke Blackman said. “Egger Steel has supplied materials to countless construction projects in Sioux Falls.”

Recent work has included the parking ramp and skywalk at the Sioux Falls Regional Airport, The Steel District downtown development and the new Sanford Orthopedic Hospital.

“The construction industry thrives in Sioux Falls because of companies like Egger Steel who continue to invest in their product and their people,” said Bob Mundt, president and CEO of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. “We’re excited to see them continue to grow and evolve along with our community.”

Here’s a closer look at the business, courtesy of Blackman.

Business name: Egger Steel Co.

Year founded: Egger Steel was founded in Sioux Falls in 1946 by Albert Egger and George Scudder.

Total employees in the Sioux Falls area: During the first two generations of family ownership, the company grew its workforce to more than 150 employees and grew its market to cover South Dakota and the surrounding states. The third generation of ownership brought investments in technology and automation. The current workforce of 45 employees utilizes 3D modeling and computerized (CNC) equipment to produce the same volume of production with greater accuracy and efficiency.

CEO/lead executive in Sioux Falls: Burke Blackman, president.

How would you describe your organization to someone not familiar with it?

Using design drawings created by the construction project’s architect and engineer as a starting point, we create a 3D model of the structural steel frame that shows the finished dimensions, connection details and the interfaces of the structural steel with other materials. We then purchase the required raw materials from steel mills and other suppliers.

We provide our shop employees with the raw materials, shop drawings and electronic files that allow them to fabricate assemblies of beams and columns with their connection materials attached. Our goal is to complete as much of the fabrication as possible in our shop where it is more cost-effective than performing the same operations in the field. When the assemblies are complete, we ship them to the project job site along with erection drawings to show how the assemblies fit together.

What are the top three reasons you continue to locate in the Sioux Falls area?

First, the Sioux Falls workforce is exceptional. We have built our company through the efforts of dedicated employees with a strong work ethic and a commitment to quality. Second, Sioux Falls is a growing community with a steady demand for new construction. Third, Sioux Falls is close enough for us to compete for business in major markets without incurring the higher costs of locating in those markets.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing your business, and what are you most proud of?

We have a generation of long-term employees that is reaching retirement age, and we risk losing the knowledge and expertise they have accumulated over many years working in our industry. To overcome this challenge, we have focused on mentorship and cross-training so that our team members are challenged and learning new skills. Not only does it help the business, but it also makes it a more enjoyable place to work.

How would you describe the culture of your business in three words?

Quality: If the pieces don’t fit together on the job site, then we have failed in our responsibility to the customer.

Trust: We aren’t micromanagers. We provide the resources necessary for everyone to perform their best and trust in their work ethics to deliver.

Transparency: We keep everyone informed about how the company is doing, and we share the profits when we are successful.

Why does your business choose to invest in Forward Sioux Falls?

Economic development benefits the entire community. It brings new products and services to the region, as well as new career opportunities. We appreciate that Forward Sioux Falls isn’t focused only on encouraging business growth but is equally focused on workforce development. Our company’s success is tied to the health of our community, and supporting Forward Sioux Falls is one way that we can give back.

What are your expectations for your business in the year ahead?

During 2023, everyone in our company worked long hours to keep up with the post-COVID rebound in construction activity. We expect 2024 to be a more normal year and will take advantage of the slower pace to make improvements such as implementing new production control software.

Forward Sioux Falls is a joint venture between the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation and is widely respected as the premier economic driver for the Sioux Falls region. To learn more and connect, click here.