Jaime Edelmayer has seen her fair share of the construction industry during the past 28 years.
“I started at the bottom, working my way up from traffic control, quality control on a crusher, labor truck driver, operator, foreman, surveyor, supervisor, field engineer, and project manager,” Jaime said. “There’s nothing I’ve enjoyed more than having different opportunities to be able to be in each one of those fields and see how they all work.”
That diversified experience has helped Jaime in her current role as a project manager for Sunroc. She’s been with the company for eight years, including two years before C&A Paving was acquired by Sunroc.
“I prefer to be very hands on, so my current job gives me the opportunity to do that,” Jaime said. “It’s a very versatile role. I still make a lot of trips to see the crews. I need to know how the project is going and to see if things are working out the way we want, or if there are other things we need to do differently going forward.”
Her career in construction began one year into her college career. A part-time position working with her aunt in her construction office opened over the summer, and Jaime jumped at the opportunity.
“They needed somebody to go out on the road and help run a project in Idaho,” Jaime said. “I went with them up there and oversaw traffic control on that project. I’ve been in the industry ever since.”
Having worked for multiple construction companies in her career, Jaime has learned that Sunroc is a company worth sticking around for.
“I love working for Sunroc,” Jaime said. “For as big of a company as it is, they’re still able to relate to you. They make everything very personal, and you feel valued. We have a really great team up here in Boise that I enjoy working with daily. There can be some repetitive processes, as is the case in any job, but it seems like we’re always diving into different projects and different challenges along the way to keep things interesting. Even with all the challenges we’ve seen in the industry itself right now (supply chain issues, etc.), there isn’t another company I’d rather work for.
“I would like to stay with Sunroc for the long haul because I like the way the company runs and how we are growing. The benefits here are amazing as well. Not just the insurance, but there’s also the 401k matching. There are so many opportunities here. You can work towards any position you’d like, and you can achieve it.”
Despite being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field, Jaime has learned that she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to.
“It is a challenge being a woman in construction,” Jaime said. “Having started from the bottom and worked my way up, I’ve learned that if you’re able to do something, you can gain the respect of others and your peers around you. You just have to step up and prove yourself, and I’ve seen that if you can do that, you can go far in this industry.”