BRYAN, Texas — You've heard the phrase, 'it's a man's world,' but for one woman-owned business, it's a different story.
Multiple decades ago, Bryan woman Rayne Knight started full on roofing which then morphed into what many in the Brazos Valley are familiar with: Aggieland Roofing, home of the Roofer girl.
"28 years ago I saw polyurethane foam and coatings and I kept trying to talk my dad into starting a roofing company as an extra division to his construction company," said Knight.
Her dad was retiring at the time, and gave her the challenge to achieve it herself if she wanted to spearhead a roofing company. However, as a woman, it's not an easy industry to break into, as career database shows that men make up 95% percent of the roofing industry, while women make 4.6%.
"If you really feel that passionate about it, you start a roofing company, so I started it two years later and started it 26 years ago," said Knight. "Almost all emails still come as Mr. Knight, or they'll call here and ask for Mr. Knight after 25 years."
That includes contractors who are and aren't familiar with the company. However, she sees the industry through a different lens as a woman.
"It was a never 'if you can', if you wanna try it was always 'go do it'," said Knight. "I always agree it's not a gender thing, it's a knowledge thing. I think people disrespect men just as much as women if they don't know what they're doing out there."
She also believes women have their own nice in roofing, and bring vital skills to the industry, stating "women are good in this industry because it takes a little more detail."
On top of the major accomplishment of Aggieland Roofing being the official roofer for Texas A&M University athletics, she's also humbled about the mark she's left on the Bryan-College Station area.