FRIENDSWOOD, Texas (KTRK) — Raquel Boujourne frequently turns up to begin of the construction project in heels along with a pink dress shirt. But don’t be misled, the Chief executive officer from the largest Hispanic female-owned construction company within the Greater Houston area is not afraid to obtain her hands dirty and get a shovel or operate machinery. It’s how she began her company at fifteen years old, now wishing to alter the face area of construction.
“Before I even understood how you can read a blueprint, I began in the area and I have finished concrete, I have contributed to asphalt, and I have done destruction. That’s absolutely nothing to hesitate of. After I venture out, our guys will really have more nervous, since i can recognize when something’s right or otherwise, and on-site visit how you can correct it.”
Latina CEO hopes journey certainly did not come easy. The eighth-generation Texan shared that her family began from humble beginnings. Their mother labored to aid two kids by herself for that first nine many years of Boujourne’s existence, frequently taking all of them with her on gigs like a marketing coordinator for any radio station.
“I am really grateful for your, because we’ve got to determine various areas of the town. And in addition it trained us a lot about being tough and lady power,” Boujourne stated.
She initially went after a job in music, competing on “Star Search”, touring having a professional team, and performing inside a band. This is where she met her husband, Felipe. Both made the decision they wanted some thing stable, so Boujourne headed to school and earned a company degree in the College of Houston.
Together with her husband’s experience of concrete and woodworking, they made the decision to spread out up their very own construction business together, initially named A Standing Construction. It eventually increased right into a family theme. Her mother, Elaine Gracia, has become the business’s v . p ., and her sister, Marisa Rodriguez, is the chief financial officer.
“From the first day, it had been just myself and my hubby. We have gone from a couple as much as, at some point, greater than 120 people dealing with us previously,” she stated.
One shining moment Boujourne states she’ll always remember was throughout the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. The Bauer School of economic hired these to make repairs within the building where she attended lectures attending college. With simply 72 hours to accomplish focus on the foremost and second floors, they pulled together a group of 100 people, working night and day and resting on-site to complete the job.
“I was at, like the foot of the totem pole. However they needed to give us a call, since there am much damage completed to multiple schools on campus they needed all of the hands they might get,” Boujourne stated. “I was just tossed this big chance, so we were effective in internet marketing, that was really awesome.”
That accomplishment eventually brought to her company becoming the very first available to become awarded an open sector project over how big $50 million in the College of Houston. After merging using the largest independently-owned contractor in Mexico in May, they renamed the organization Indi Construction Partners.
Latina CEO hopes several weeks ago, the town of Houston issued a announcement to designate June 14 as Indi Construction Partners Day and November. 19 as Raquel Boujourne Day, that also falls on Worldwide Entrepreneurship Day. As she reflects during Hispanic Heritage Month, Boujourne hopes that leading a business inside a male-dominated industry can change the perceptions about Hispanic women in construction.
“I usually understood we would be something, I simply was clueless that how large it would be for construction. I am really searching toward being part of projects where the west is really reflected in individuals developments. Because, Personally i think like we do not have an adequate amount of that recognition and visibility,” she stated. “We have confidence in supporting other Hispanic-owned companies.”
Boujourne’s got her sights high. Clients meet to ultimately end up being the largest Hispanic female contractor company in the united states.
“Whenever you search ‘Latina contractors,’ there is no images which come on Google Images. Hopefully, eventually, you will see our pictures on the website,” she stated.