Team Spotlight: Getting to Know OTL’s Project Purchaser Jessica Roe

During 2020, in our newsletter and throughout our social media platforms, we began spotlighting team members who are key to the success of our company.

While OTL is known throughout the USA and internationally for designing and building magnificent water features, rockwork and themed environments, our company’s true foundation is our people. OTL simply would not be the same without our incredibly talented, dedicated, and caring team.

This month’s Team Spotlight is devoted to our Project Purchaser, Jessica Roe. Jessica is responsible for managing assigned purchases on our projects, a role that creates value by providing appropriate input into the development and implementation of sourcing strategies. She joined our company in May 2021 and has hit the ground running. With her sharp business mind, Jessica has quickly become an integral member of OTL’s team.

Among other things, Jessica told us what it’s like to be a woman in the construction industry, how she would advise other women who want to work in this field, and her aspirations for the future:

On being a woman in construction: “I have always worked in male-dominated industries and have never really thought of my experience as defined by my gender. I’ve always loved these industries because they’re never boring. There is ALWAYS something new to learn, and I have yet to have a male coworker make me feel ‘less than’ for not knowing something. Men tend to be very open to helping me understand how things work, and I really admire that. Another perk to working with a bunch of guys is that you learn to have a thick skin, and I’m not mad at that at all!”

Advice to other women considering working in construction: “Be confident and ASK QUESTIONS. When you are dealing with any type of mechanical material, the more you understand, the better you will be at your job. Don’t be afraid to say that you don’t know something. Never walk into a job like this thinking that you are disadvantaged because you are a woman – you will have an uphill battle every day if you think like that. Know that if someone tells you that you did something wrong (and you will), it’s not the end of the world. Figure out WHY you did it incorrectly, then do your best to learn from it. Lastly, in these industries, always look for a better, more efficient solution. Construction is just beginning to embrace technology, and there’s always room to improve processes to get things done faster.”

Fun fact about Jessica: “I have three kids, and we all love to dance and sing. Music is at the heart of our house, and I can honestly say that the only time there isn’t music playing somewhere is when no one is home. We have glowstick parties, disco lights, confetti bombs, and dance parties = life. We dance in public, too. We don’t care if people can see or hear; it’s who we are and what makes us smile.”

Aspirations for the future: “While I haven’t been with OTL long, so far I feel like I have been able to show that I am a hard worker and that I can be counted on, which is extremely important to me. I am always striving to do better. As for what the future may look like, I hope that I can streamline some processes and help get material to the team on time rather than last minute. I see that with work, we will get there. I’m also excited to see some of our projects in person!”

Stay tuned for Team Spotlights featuring more of OTL’s outstanding team members.