COLUMBIA, S.C. – Cynthia Wilson, plant manager at the Knight’s Companies Lugoff plant and the organization’s first female plant manager, is challenging gender norms in the concrete industry through her outstanding performance and leadership.
When someone envisions the concrete industry, women aren’t always the first thing imagined. This coincides with research conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in December 2023 which found that only about 10.8 percent of the construction field is comprised of women. This unfortunate stigma is being challenged by employees like Wilson, simply by continuing to grow in her role.
Wilson initially started at Knight’s as a Redi-Mix concrete driver. She drove for six months before being promoted to her current role in June 2021.
One of Wilson’s initial goals was to advance in the company, as her previous employer never gave her the opportunity.
“I felt like I just needed to take that leap and go somewhere else, and I am happy to say I found that opportunity with Knight’s,” she said.
This growth is further strengthened by the Lugoff plant winning the company’s 2026 Plant Safety Award, which is based on documented safety metrics, incident reporting and compliance.
Upon being named the first female plant manager at Knight’s, Wilson was in total disbelief, but this soon turned to excitement. Her family was especially ecstatic for Wilson’s new title and told all their friends and family about it. Humble to the end, Wilson takes the compliments in stride and never forgets where she started.
As a plant manager, Wilson reports to Operations Manager Brent Nelson, who had nothing but glowing reviews for her.
“Cynthia’s always got her hand on the pulse of Lugoff,” Nelson said. “She’s a valuable resource for all our drivers and always puts safety as the most important thing.”
A plant manager serves as the head of production for whichever regional plant they oversee. This involves everything from batching concrete and logistics to truck cleaning and safety checks.
Completing her tasks as a plant manager can sometimes be made more difficult, however, because of the fact that she’s a woman, as her gender may intimidate some male employees.
“I work hard to make sure no one ever feels intimidated by me in this role,” she explained. “I want us to all work together as a team.”
One of the things Wilson expects from her employees is equal work, as she doesn’t ask anything of them that she wouldn’t do herself. This comes from a deep-seated drive Wilson has for her own career, which manifested itself at her previous employer where she felt “stuck.”
After speaking with Talent Acquisition Specialist Keith Anderson at Knight’s and explaining her background and situation, Wilson said Anderson worked diligently to get her in the door and into an interview.
Since that day, she’s worked hard to maintain a safe, efficient plant, and her work speaks for itself, as the Lugoff plant had the best scores for injuries/accidents, hours of service and pre-trip inspections from Nov. 1, 2024 to Oct. 31, 2025.
Having a family-oriented work environment is one of the factors that Wilson credits with her growth and overall happiness at Knight’s. She described Knight’s CEO Pete Knight as a reason for such a welcoming culture.
“Pete’s a genuine person. He’s not like other CEOs. He will talk with you, get to know you and listen to any issues or ideas you have. This is not a company that holds you back. If you put in the work, you’ll excel,” she said.
Wilson enjoys coming to work at Knight’s but said the drivers do look at her differently than other plant managers, primarily because she was previously a driver herself. She said this allows her to understand what they are going through and struggles they may face as drivers.
“It felt good to be named the first female plant manager because I knew I had it in me,” she added. “God really put me where I wanted to go.”
For anyone with a good work ethic seeking a good job with a supportive team, Wilson encourages them all to apply to Knight’s.
The Lugoff plant is located at 266 Evans Road Lugoff, South Carolina. Visit knightscompanies.com to learn more.