Sometimes the best careers are the ones you never planned for.
Just ask Emma Boyd, Technical Services Representative at ACM Chemistries, Inc., who might never have become a key technical expert in the hardscaping and masonry industry if it weren’t for a surprise LinkedIn message.
Searching for Stability
Boyd graduated with a bachelor’s degree in geology and a minor in oceanography, expecting to pursue a traditional geology career.
“I knew I wanted to do something along the lines of geology, but I wanted to find a position that was going to be pretty stable as well,” she said. That desire led her to construction, where she started as a field tech for an engineering company.
After a couple of years and feeling ready to shift away from hourly work, Boyd decided to look elsewhere. She put her name out on LinkedIn and a recruiter reached out. Boyd flew to Atlanta to interview and took a chance on the company she now works for.
“It was the time when LinkedIn was just beginning. A lot of my friends were like, ‘Is this an actual legitimate job or is this some random person trying to fly you to Atlanta?’ It, of course, ended up being very legitimate and I interviewed for a technical services position and ended up getting it,” Boyd said. “I really just ended up here by chance and kind of stuck with it.”
Nine years later, she’s still with ACM Chemistries, Inc. and continuing to grow in her role.
The Reality of Technical Services
ACM Chemistries is a chemical admixture company that serves as a vendor to manufacturers of hardscaping and masonry products—segmental retaining walls, pavers, and more. As a technical services representative overseeing the Southeast United States, Boyd’s role blends account management with deep technical expertise.
She maintains relationships with existing customers, promotes new sales opportunities, assists sales development representatives, and provides crucial technical support when customers run into production challenges.
The work demands both technical knowledge and physical presence, “boots on the ground” as she puts it. This means that Boyd is on the road about 75% of the time, enough to earn top-tier status with airlines, hotels, and rental car companies. But this isn’t leisure travel.
“It seems to be this glamorous position, like I’m an entertainment rep instead of an actual technical service rep,” she said. “I wish people understood that it is a technical role. I wear steel toed boots every day to work. I’m getting dirty quite a bit.”
Boyd balances working with company leaders and the people in the plants who actually make the products. Her geology background and construction industry knowledge prove essential when troubleshooting production issues or addressing problems that arise on job sites.
Leading for the Future
For the past six years, Boyd has been attending industry and Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) events, particularly the Emerging Professionals Group (EPG) meetings, starting out by simply observing and making her presence known.
“The first few years of me coming into these meetings and being a part of it was really just observing,” she said. “I was trying to be more present from a young woman’s perspective and offer my input or experience if necessary.”
But this year she steps into a leadership role, serving as the new chair of EPG. Boyd is focused on being a visible role model for other women in the industry.
“I’m hoping to be a face for more of the women in the industry,” she said. “I’d love for more women to join and continue to step into roles like this.”
It’s also a personal challenge. Boyd said she doesn’t typically speak in front of people and the role will push her outside her comfort zone.
As a leader, she hopes to make a big difference to the future of the industry and is particularly passionate about youth outreach.
She’s assisted with programs like the We Build camp for girls in North Carolina through the Southern Concrete Masonry Association in the past and wants to build on that experience.
“It’d be great to try to get into some more youth opportunities,” she said, aiming to expand EPG’s footprint by partnering with local and regional chapters to reach more young people.
When it comes to the future of hardscaping and masonry, Boyd sees both challenges and opportunities. She’s candid about the role of technology and AI.
“I do see a lot of it as a benefit and definitely a tool to progress things forward,” she said.
Her hope is for balance. She wants to see improvements in efficiency and raw materials processing while preserving what makes the industry special.
“The craft of this trade is an incredibly skilled one and I would hate to see that portion of it ruined,” she said. “…We don’t need to replace everybody with robots and let that craftsmanship portion die. Instead, I’d like to see it be in unison with AI and technology and not just have it overtake everything.”
Advice for Aspiring Industry Professionals
Boyd encourages aspiring industry professionals to be persistent and prove themselves through consistent hard work.
“A lot of people like to see the effort first and not just hear the talk,” Boyd said.
As a woman in a male-dominated field, Boyd has sometimes had to work twice as hard to prove herself.
“Just me being persistent and showing them that I can do what I say that I’m doing or that I have the knowledge that I have. I prove that I am up to the job and actually get down and dirty. I’m not just this girl that walks in and asks for all of these favors.”
“You definitely have to have some tough skin sometimes,” she said.
Boyd’s advice for those considering a career in hardscaping centers on balance, acceptance, and a good attitude.
“One of the things that was hard for me to do at the beginning was to actually accept help,” she said.
She had to overcome the instinct to do everything herself. Learning to ask for assistance when needed was a crucial step in her professional growth.
“Showing up to work with a good attitude can sometimes boost the morale at a site or location overall and bring light to a job that isn’t always easy,” she said. “Sometimes it’s as easy as just saying hello to everybody.”
Looking back, Boyd also wishes she’d focused more on work-life balance from the start.
“Don’t take things so seriously when it comes to the travel, the work, and the job,” she said. “Take the time to do something for yourself.”
And perhaps most importantly, don’t be afraid to take chances.
Boyd’s deep involvement in this industry started with a LinkedIn message she almost didn’t trust. Nine years later, she’s found a long-term career that challenges her, allows her to apply her technical knowledge in meaningful ways, and positions her as a leader helping to shape the next generation of professionals in the industry.
“I kind of just ended up here by chance,” Boyd said. “I didn’t really have any intentions of hardscaping or masonry specifically, but I ended up here and ended up liking it.”
Sometimes, that’s exactly how the best careers begin.
