Matthews wants MattLane to remain close enough to the work that its leaders know the projects, understand the operations and know the people carrying them out. “We’re not too far away from what we actually do.” The Work Beneath Everyday Life That philosophy matters because much of civil construction disappears into everyday life once it is finished. A curb becomes just a curb. A road becomes the route home. A sidewalk becomes somewhere a child rides a bicycle. Matthews reminds her crews to see beyond the concrete. “This is going to be a road one day. This is going to be someone’s neighbourhood. Someone is going to drive bikes on this sidewalk path.”
“What we’re doing is important work.”
Civil construction, she says, can feel thankless because people rarely stop to admire the finished product. But invisibility does not make the work less essential. “We don’t have room for error.” The impact becomes particularly tangible close to home. Matthews was born and raised in Lexington, South Carolina. Her office sits roughly 20 minutes from her childhood home. “I love being able to take my kids to school every day and pass multiple projects that my company has had a hand in, whether it’s a neighbourhood or a new school.” Her children can point through the car window and tell their friends, “My mom and dad did that school,” or remember that their grandfather helped build something their community still uses.
MUDDY BOOTS, DEEP ROOTS
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