Marianne Bishoff: Hanging Tough
“Always have your voice.”
Coffee runner. Note taker. These were just some of the stereotypes Marianne Bishoff battled as she built her career in construction equipment. Entering the industry in the 1990s, she started her work life in the banking world until a client, Alban Tractor, hired her to fill a position in customer service. An opportunity came up in sales and Marianne dove into the role, learning about the construction industry and equipment sales and service.
But it was a challenge to navigate. "Being a female in a sales role was very tough," she recalls. "This was in the 1990s. All the reps on my team were men. They looked at me as the notetaker and the coffee runner. It was a challenge both internally and externally. The customer base back then was mostly male. It was hard to build relationships—I didn't play golf," she joked.
Still, she hung tough in her sales role until moving into a HR position in 2005 where she was finally able to flourish. "I felt I wasn't being seen so I moved into a new role. I couldn't contribute where I wasn't valued." Alban was acquired in 2020 by Carter Machinery. Marianne has spent the last 20 years in HR with Alban and Carter and feels she has found her niche. "I enjoy helping employees, keeping employees safe, and attending career fairs to promote the opportunities for females at Carter Machinery." She now oversees HR for Carter's Maryland, Delaware, and Northern Virginia locations.
When asked if there was ever a moment when she thought I can't do this, Marriane had quite the answer; "Yes and no. I realized I couldn't contribute where I wasn't valued. So I knew I had to move on. I was being treated as a female and not so much as colleague. Being tough to me means not backing down. Have your opinion. Have conviction. Being in HR, I tend to be very diplomatic. I think it's a part of being able to compromise. Not allow the other person to force their opinion. Don't be confrontational but meet in the middle."
Marianne credits a woman at Alban as especially influential in her career. "At the time I changed jobs, we had a woman VP of HR. She was a female who pulled other females up. She offered me my position to start in HR. She was the only female VP at the time; she could command a room."
NAWIC also played a significant role in the positive change in her career. "Carter is 100% in support of NAWIC. We participate in several chapters. The company is 100% supportive. NAWIC helped me to find similar people who had similar experience.
In her decades of work in the construction industry, Marrianne sees the future of the industry evolving and becoming more accepting of women in a wide range of roles. "I see it already changing. Early in my career, I felt it would never happen… but now it's much better. But we need to have male allies to help us open the doors. On the trade side we must figure out proper PPE for tradeswomen and job site accommodations."
What words of advice does she have for other women building a career in construction? "It's an amazing field to be in," Marrianne assures, "Always have your voice. Your decisions and ideas should be heard. I still laugh at the depth of knowledge I've learned about construction equipment. Use NAWIC as a support system, never back down. There's a misperception that women are not strong enough—physically and mentally—that's just not true. Hang in there, and you'll make it."
