Posted: November 26, 2010

Carol Curtis is president of Noah Enterprises, a general contractor in Virginia Beach that specializes in commercial, industrial and government work. The company received a $2.1 million contract to create an urban park at the former Granby Tower site in downtown Norfolk until it is developed as an annex to the Walter E. Hoffman U.S. Courthouse.

Location 1112 Jensen Drive, Virginia Beach 23451.

Phone 437-2300

Website www.noahent.com

Founded 2004

Education Associate in applied science in civil engineering technology, Tidewater Community College.

Associations Associated Builders and Contractors, member and on the state board executive committee; Associated General Contractors; National Association of Women and Construction; Society of American Military Engineers; Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce; Hampton Roads Association of Commercial Real Estate; Builders and Contractors Exchange.

Running a company As president, I'm responsible for managing the company. I have two directors who handle the Northern and Southeastern divisions.

Work schedule The best part of being the owner of a company is setting your own hours. There are some mornings where I get in really early and stay really late because of business meetings. The flexibility of my job allows me as a single parent to be there for my son Noah, which is my No. 1 priority.

Typical day When I get to the office, the first order of business is to check with the directors and office manager. I chat with them to make sure everything is OK. Then I check in with the estimating department to see what's on the plate for today. I make phones calls to the field and check with those guys to see if things are good or if they need anything. It's all about making sure everyone has what they need, if they have issues and things are running smoothly. In addition, I participate with several organizations and sit on different committees. So I have to stay on top of those things. I'm also reading and doing a lot of research about the market. Where is it headed and what do people think? I just try to stay ahead of the ballgame.

Best part of the job: Whether it's giving a promotion or watching someone faced with a challenge overcome it, the best part has always been watching others succeed. I know the folks here can do anything. It's great to see somebody accomplish more than they ever think they could. That is the greatest part of my job.

Worst part of the job Is coming in second on a bid. That's the God's-honest-truth. You have all these questions running in your head like, "What could I have done to get the job?" or "Did I bid low enough?" Another difficult part of the job was laying people off. I knew I had to make the decision in the best interest of the company to help us get through this economy. I knew these folks had families. Yet I realized that if we continued the way we were going, there wouldn't be a Noah Enterprises. This year for us has been better and we were able to hire back some staff.

Dealing with a down economy The economy has changed drastically, especially between the commercial market and government. We get the majority of our work from the government. Prior to the economy heading south, we had a nice balance of commercial and government work. We haven't had to change our business style at all. We have stuck to our original principles and that is to do the best job we possibly can. We go out there every day and we work hard for it. It has been tough competing for some of the contracts. Every day we are looking for ways to improve ourselves. We are never willing to settle for good. I credit the team for getting things done. I have an absolute amazing group of people working for Noah Enterprises. Every person from the receptionist to the division managers and director are valuable to the team.

Working as a woman in this field There are days when you face the old school mentality this is a man's world. Some people think you don't have a clue. The guys I work with quickly realize that I do have one and they know I've got their backs. I don't expect more from them than I'm willing to give myself. I do this job because I love it. A couple of weeks we had two young ladies from Tidewater Community College who my company mentored for the day. It was a great opportunity for me to give back. They wanted to know how I got my start in this business, where did my desire to have my own company come from and what did it take to do it. I had them also meet with several people in the office during lunch so they could also ask them questions. We even toured a site. I received a nice e-mail from one of the ladies who said she was very impressed with the team and how everyone worked well together.

Balancing it all As a mother, my focus is always on my son. He knows that mom has to work because it's how I provide for him. I also get tremendous support from my family and friends. They are incredible. Every day is a new experience. Kids grow up and they have new challenges. It's all about taking a deep breath and managing the ups and downs in your child's world.

Oddest work experience I waited tables many years ago. It's definitely hard work. From that moment, I knew that I didn't want to do it forever. That's when I went back to school full-time and worked full-time.

What did you want to be when you grew up? I actually wanted to be an attorney. I really enjoyed fighting for a cause. When I was in high school I was in the Model General Assembly Club. We would take field trips to Richmond and participate in a mock General Assembly. I really enjoyed doing that. That's probably why I'm so politically active now. nib