By Valerie Krieger
Scratch the “old boy’s club” surface of the robust construction industry, and you’ll find a new generation of business owners who are neither old nor boys, but in fact, vibrant, successful women.
Although Veronica Munoz, the Founder and CEO of Mezquite Group, started her company after a successful career in journalism, she decided to focus on the sector that she knew best: commercial flooring. After working alongside her father in his flooring and carpet recycling business, Munoz opened Mezquite Installations (now known as Mezquite) in 2012. Expansion has been as broad as it has been fast: the firm now also offers facilities management and remediation services for hotels and health care facilities, owns several fabrication facilities, and has secured exclusive distribution rights for flooring and wall coverings worldwide. Munoz has been able to thrive in a traditionally male-dominated industry “because expertise in the business and passion for the business are what set you apart.” That said, clients are often surprised at how young she is when they first meet. “Because I have such deep expertise, people expect me to be much older, but when you think about it, I’ve been involved in construction since I was a young teen, so at this point, I’m a veteran!”
Her advice to women interested in a field where they’re underrepresented? “Don’t go in with the premise that you’ll be disrespected because you’re a woman, but don’t assume you will be respected just because you own a company. Earn your respect by mastering your craft. Take classes, learn all the OSHA and local laws and codes, get every certificate and qualification you can, and never, ever think you know it all.” Munoz readily admits that there have been times she has been doubted because of her gender, but “once we get to talking about the technicalities of a project, my bona fides ring true, and I smash any preconceived notions people might have had.” https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronica-munoz-mezquite/
Valerie Jimenez could have steered her digital marketing company toward some of the “sexy” sectors like fashion, beauty, or travel, but instead she made a strategic decision to bring marketing services to construction firms that are the backbone of Dallas’ economy. Founded in 2010, Bold Entity helps established construction companies reduce their reliance on referrals by building clear positioning and practical marketing systems that support sales and recruiting. Today, they partner with owners (many of whom are female) who want to win more of the right work, help deals move forward, and hire faster. “Leaders in construction are doers,” Jimenez says with a smile. “They value results, relationships, and reputation, and that aligns perfectly with how we approach marketing.” Her approach starts by clarifying what sets a company apart, then builds the positioning and marketing tools to strengthen margins and drive measurable growth. And it works: Bold Entity clients have grown by an average of 35% year-over-year, and they hire 2-3x times faster, at 82% lower cost than traditional recruiting methods. “I take great pride in having brought digital strategy into construction before most believed it would work. For example, our first client recently sold their company and retired comfortably, and credits the marketing foundation we built together as one of the key reasons,” Valerie asserts. “But what I’m most proud of is building a business that supports my two children and now includes my husband. We’re not just building our clients’ companies, we’re building our family’s legacy, too.” https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeriejimenez/
If you looked up “niche-within-a-niche” in the dictionary, Construction Cost Management (CCM) would be shown as an example. Led by Katy Abraham, CCM provides independent cost estimating services for federally funded construction projects – in layman’s terms, CCM supports the engineers and architects building the largest, most strategic infrastructure projects in our nation. In the fourteen years since Abraham took the reins from her father, the firm has grown by over 600%; this is due in large part to Abraham’s success at recruiting (and retaining) top engineers, and an innovative strategy of consistently “narrowcasting” their values and capabilities to the small but extremely influential audience that can bring them business. In an industry dominated by men, Abraham has a second hurdle to cross: “I am nearly always the only woman at the table and always the only one not trained in engineering, so at the beginning, I had a double-dose of imposter syndrome. But as CEO, my role isn’t to work in the business, it’s to work on the business, and while my team might have initially doubted the value of strategic planning and tactical pivots, our extraordinary growth has made them believers.” The broader public also agrees: In both 2020 and 2021, Construction Cost Management was named to Fort Worth Inc Magazine’s “Fastest-Growing Companies” list, CCM was ranked on Inc Magazine’s 5000 Fastest-growing U.S. Companies” list, and in 2024, Abraham herself received Fort Worth Inc Magazine’s Entrepreneur of Excellence” award. Abraham, who enjoys mentoring other women in the construction industry, recalls, “I had a boss who once said, ‘I hired you because I knew you were going to be good at this, so when it’s time to make a decision, use your knowledge and your intuition, and then move on. Don’t hem-and-haw or you’ll just be running in place.’ This is great advice for anyone, but is especially valuable for women who want a career in the construction industry.” https://www.linkedin.com/in/katy-kothmann-abraham-8745152/
About the author:
Valerie Krieger is a writer, teacher, and researcher who likes to shine light on people who challenge norms and defy odds. Having lived on three continents and taught writing, literature, and history to students from around the world, she continues to delight in finding the ways that our similarities unite us.
