Patricia M. Giambrone is best described as driven, especially when it comes to her career. "No matter where I worked or who I worked for, I always tried to be the best employee," she says.
Her tenacity led her to start her own company after serving 15 years as a controller for her husband's masonry construction company.
"I said, 'Why do I have to work for someone else?'" Giambrone recalls. "He said, 'Get all your certification and let's go.' I was tired of working for everyone else and wanted to work for myself."
So, Giambrone earned her certifications in construction and in 1990 founded Giambrone Construction, a general contracting company in Hudson and the sister company to her husband's business. As president, Giambrone has experienced exponential success. "I have no regrets on starting it," she says. "It can be [stressful], but it can be fun too. There are a lot of rewards."
While the company started with just two employees — Giambrone and her husband, David — they hired two people after the first year and have added two to three people each year. Now at nearly 20 employees, Giambrone Construction is equipped for just about any job.
Its success shows: Yearly revenues stand near the $2 million mark. But that's not to say Giambrone doesn't run into problems. "The biggest challenge is being a woman in the man's world," she says. "They don't take you seriously, they don't think you can do the work. But we have a good team."
Besides being a certified Female Business Enterprise in a male-dominated industry, Giambrone says it's her work ethic and company culture that sets her business apart. "Customers always remember us for the last thing we do, not the first thing," she says. "We have to make sure we leave a good impression."
In turn, Giambrone is always quick to make sure her subcontractors are also successful — whether it's helping out with fieldwork or making sure they are paid on time. "I know what it's like to get started," she says. "We pay our bills quickly and we give them quality work."
Giambrone credits her staff for the company's success. "It's teamwork," she says. "It's everyone working together, working for the same goal." She also credits the synergy she and her husband have in both business and life. "We've always worked hand in hand," she says. "We're friends and we're partners."
Moving ahead, Giambrone would like to grow stronger as a female business enterprise and continue to set an example for her five children — four of whom are girls. "I hope they follow in my footsteps some day," she says.
As Giambrone reflects on her career, she knows she has followed the right path. "I never have a problem getting out of bed to greet the morning and [be] ready to go," she says. "I have a lot of people who depend on me, and their families depend on me. You have to love what you do."