Amy Folleth, owner of Best Barricading Inc, was drawn to the construction industry because of her husband, who worked for a family business since he was 15 years old. In April 2010, she and her husband opened Best Barricading together. Due to a work-related accident, her husband passed in June 2017.
“When my husband was killed, I had to take over some of his responsibilities. I had to teach myself how to read plans, bid projects, and gain an understanding of multiple traffic setups, MDOT compliance, and procedures. This tragic event in my life was the hardest hurdle I have ever had to overcome. Long days and nights were spent at the office reviewing old files and bid documents to familiarize myself with MDOT Traffic Typicals and applying them in the field. It was very important to keep my husband’s legacy alive. My driving force was to make him proud of our efforts after his absence,” Amy explained.
Now, Amy’s day consists of bidding on new projects, signing contracts, bookkeeping, employee relations, managing, directing, and keeping the company running smoothly behind the scenes. Best Barricading recently completed the Bagley Pedestrian Bridge in Detroit, where they provided traffic control to allow the engineer to sound the bridge deck and check the tension cables suspending the bridge.
When she began her position at Best Barricading, Amy had the goal of operating a company that offers competitive, knowledgeable, and integrity-driven traffic control solutions. While the hiring process continues to be a challenge, Amy subscribes to the ‘find a mentor, be a mentor’ philosophy, and encourages her team to go above and beyond their job duties.
When asked what her advice would be to other women who would like to go into the same career field she has chosen, Amy said, “Do it! I didn’t really choose this career, but I am very glad it chose me. It’s exciting and challenging and I would encourage women to take the leap in the construction field.”
Amy believes that by providing tools and work experience, other members of the construction community can encourage women to participate in the construction industry.
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