(WXYZ) — Two women who started their careers with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) are now helping the company through their small business.
MDOT has a small business enterprise program that is designed to collaborate with small, minority-owned businesses to help with massive projects.
"We started the business with a goal of doing work, since we love the work, and having a flexible environment for working parents,” co-owner of Access Engineering Annette Stroman said.
She owns the business with Elizabeth Harding. They both do special consulting work for MDOT.
“We developed maintaining traffic plans for freeway closure of I-94,” Stroman said.
They are also helping with the design of some of the green signs you may be seeing around the area.
According to Stroman, she and Harding were only two of a few women in the engineering industry. They are hoping to see that change in the years to come.
"Follow your passion and don’t be afraid of hard work. It is not easy. Stick with it. You’ll get through it. You’ll be fine,” Harding advises other women interested in engineering.
She says over the years she has seen more women in engineering and working on the roads so she's confident in the future.
