Suzanne Lommers (29), welder atLommers Welding

The construction and infrastructure industry is a man's world. But if you look carefully, you will come across women. On this page we offer them a stage. To read what motivates them, how they do their work and especially what it is like to work as a woman in a predominantly male world. In this edition we give the floor to Suzanne Lommers, who has been working as a welder at Lommers Welding for 7 years now.

She is only 29 years young and has more than 7 years of experience with virtually all welding work on prestigious infrastructure projects. Suzanne Lommers learned the tricks of the trade from her father Henk and is now 'one of the guys'. Yet her father was not immediately charmed by the idea of her daughter joining the company. "True, from a young age I went with my father on 'chores,' but he had imagined a different future for me, outside the construction pit," she says. "After my hairdressing training and a brief adventure in the hospitality industry, it still began to itch. My heart is in engineering. After a good talk with my parents, my father agreed, but with the understanding that I would take a welding course." The rest is history.

From welding according to NEN-EN 1090 execution class 1, 2, 3 and 4 with possible CE and/or ROK, performing welding, cutting and (dis-)assembly to building and rental of floating pontoons and work rafts. Lommers Welding Service is at home in all markets and extensively certified, including VCA, ISO 9001, 3834 and 17660-1 and step 2 on the Safety Culture Ladder. Suzanne is also certified for virtually all of those aspects, in all steel grades and all positions. "After my training, I first spent some time in the workshop, but soon I was allowed to go outside. The A9 Gaasperdamer Tunnel was one of the first projects I contributed to. Here I also learned a lot, from cutting and welding to discovering the day's routine."

Suzanne travels all over the country. "I've been everywhere from Zeeland on the Maasvlakte to the new underground bicycle parking lot on Leidseplein, and have had the opportunity to see and make beautiful things. And the nice thing is, on many projects I also hang out with my dad. He couldn't have foreseen that years ago. The bond with my family is very close anyway. I am grateful that I can work with my father, mother and brother. And of course also with all the other fine colleagues with whom we make beautiful projects together." Despite the long days and sometimes hard work, Suzanne feels at home in the family business and the many men. "When you do what you enjoy, it doesn't feel like work. Certainly a few years ago, as a woman, I was really an exception in construction. As a welder, by the way, I still am. But I don't experience that as unpleasant. On the contrary. At work I am 'one of the guys'."

It's nice to be outdoors and you're also kind of your own boss, is how Suzanne experiences her work. "You are expected to make something independently. You're not constantly being watched. Of course we work with heavy steel, but handy auxiliary and lifting equipment make the work less strenuous these days." So Suzanne will remain active in the construction pits for some time to come.