My journey began in the early 80’s when I met my husband and we married.  My husband and I have a background in the steel industry, him working for a steel company before we married and I worked in my mom and dad’s steel fabricating company.  He started out painting communication towers and performed maintenance on communication towers.  I became his partner and over the years I helped take this company from just doing tower maintenance and antenna installations to a turnkey tower erection company for the broadcast and cellular industry.  Over the years, the company has grown and prospered in the telecommunications construction industry.

In September 2000, I incorporated a new company called Aerial Structures, Inc., which started out mainly brokering towers with concealment designs to the cell carriers.  Business was good but the problem of being a middleman is just that.  When things go wrong, you are stuck in the middle.  So after a lot of research, engineering, development, testing and design, I made a conscious effort to produce our concealment products in house. 

Our artificial pine branches have been wind tunnel tested to withstand 150 mph wind speed and our palm fronds to 140 mph.  That is a big plus because a lot of our concealment trees are installed in California, where they experience high Santa Anna winds.

As for my company, I know what I want to accomplish, “My goal is to have a concealment tower in every state in America and then I’m going to go and conquer Europe.” 

I have encountered roadblocks along the way as a woman-owned company before obtaining certification.  However, after becoming certified by the WBEA, I have been able to obtain contracts with major communication carriers. 

Running two businesses has been challenging but very rewarding.  I hope soon that I can become more involved with the WBEA and attend conferences.  The information that the WBEA offers in their conferences, luncheons and meetings will be very useful to my businesses.

I would say to any woman who anticipates starting her own business, “It is a challenge with lots of bumps in the road and sacrifices, but it is something you can obtain with lots of hard work and commitment.”