President: Karen Say
Specialty: Fuel systems
Year founded: 1997
1999 revenues: $3.5 million
Projected 2000 revenues: $3.5 million
Largest current project: An approximately $550,000 job for the city of Seattle primarily focused on replacing underground fuel tanks with above-ground fuel tanks at fire stations.

When prospective clients show up Saybr Contractors, President Karen Say often must explain she is the company’s primary estimator, not the secretary.

Many callers are shocked and don’t believe her. "It’s very apparent," said Say, 31. "You can tell by the look on their face."

But with almost 12 years of experience in the construction business, Say knows her stuff. She said that clients usually aren’t comfortable working with her "until they understand that I really do understand what they need and want."

She also understands the nature of the business and how it is evolving, and she can swap stories about difficult projects with the most experienced in the business.

Currently, Saybr has a contract with a telecommunications company that needs its underground fuel tanks replaced with above-ground tanks. Saybr also is installing upgraded monitoring systems. The challenge is that the sites often are in extremely remote places in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

"It’s hard to find materials and subcontractors in towns so small that if you blink you’ll miss them," she said.

Activity is slowing down some for companies that specialize in fuel tank replacements. The federal Environmental Protection Agency mandated that fuel tanks be upgraded by December 1998. There was a huge rush in 1998 to get the work finished. "That wave has subsided now," she said.

Sabyr did a lot of the excavation, plumbing, concrete and utility work on these projects so now it can fill in as a subcontractor on other projects with clients it established good relationships with during the rush of 1998.

Despite strong working relationships, Say still encounters people who don’t think a woman is up to doing contracting work. She doesn’t look at this as a hurdle, but rather "as part of the challenge and part of the enjoyment."

Say’s entry into the business was a fluke. She was working in the administrative department of a petroleum construction department. Some of her colleagues were fired and others quit. "They needed some warm bodies," remembers the West Seattle native who holds all the necessary technical licenses and has worked at just about every position other than general laborer.

First she became an estimator. Then she worked as a project manager and went on to be an operations manager and eventually a branch manager.

She does not consider herself a pioneer because, she noted, other women entered the business before her. She thinks that as the economy remains strong others will follow and one day it will be common for women to head up construction companies.

"Women make up a good portion of that. I think it would follow suit they would tackle the business."

She said more women are working as project engineers and project managers in some of the larger construction companies.