Meet Shari Roll-Currie, Estimator in our Madison office. Shari plays a critical role in setting projects up for success by preparing accurate and competitive bids for prospective projects. She is responsible for detailed quantity takeoffs, cost analysis, and bid preparation, working closely with our Preconstruction team to support informed decision-making and project planning.
Q: What first sparked your interest in working in construction?
A: I took pride in being part of a team that helped save lives and get people the treatment they needed sooner. Pride in what I do is what drove me to the military posts I held. Working with my hands and tools was the fuel.
I drove an 876 Utility Truck and climbed telephone poles with gaffs strapped to my ankles to install a communication line along a desert road leading to Fort Irwin, CA. The stretch of road was dark and desolate at night, especially when people living on the fort were driving back from a night out in Barstow, CA. Accidents would happen and might not be discovered until daylight, when someone happened to come along, often too late.
Q: What’s a moment in your career, or something in your day-to-day that makes you feel proud to work in the industry?
A: When I was in the field, it was being able to say, “I did that!” It took me a few years after becoming an estimator to find something that filled that void. There is a lot that goes into putting an estimate together from start to finish, and it can be stressful. It’s a lot of responsibility to make sure everything is included to cover the project’s material and labor costs, equipment, general expenses, subcontractors, and quotes, while also making sure the final price is comfortable and everyone involved understands what Westphal would be up against if we win the project.
In all of that, I found what filled the void and what gets me up every morning wanting to come to work as an estimator.
I’ve always been a team player and find fulfillment in being part of a team that works together for the good of the company, not just as individuals. At times I serve as a leader and at other times as a worker bee. No matter the role, it’s the feeling of belonging to something bigger and winning for something bigger than just yourself. Pride in what I do.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is considering a career in construction?
A: Be willing and ready to learn something new every day, and don’t settle for anything less than that. The skills will come. Just don’t take your opportunity for granted. Construction can be exciting and rewarding, but it can also be cold and dirty.
As an estimator, it can be stressful, with long days and weeks. But in the end, you need to understand that it’s not just about you. It’s about your team, the people around you, the company you work for, and the clients. It’s about everyone who will see, use, and be a part of what you did and what you accomplished. TAKE PRIDE IN WHAT YOU DO!!!
Q: What do you enjoy most about the people or culture at Westphal & Company/Globalcom Technologies?
A: I have been with the Westphal team since I started as a second-year apprentice in March of 1992. I can still look back at all the projects I was a part of and how I was “raised” in the family culture that Westphal is known for. Westphal & Company/Globalcom Technologies has changed in size, but not in its family and team culture or core values.
Westphal & Company/Globalcom Technologies, as a TEAM, was and is always there when I needed them to get through tough times, not just at work, but in my personal life as well.
