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Craft and community
Laurie Goldsmith and her husband of 28 years operate Laurie's Certified Construction in Colchester, VT. With over four decades of experience, Goldsmith shared that her company offers a broad spectrum of construction services and aims to provide personalized and detail-oriented service.
The entrepreneur elaborated on the types of projects her company takes on. “We build additions, and we remodel kitchens, bathrooms, and basements, and add on apartments and bedrooms and stuff like that. So, we pretty much do everything except pavement. There isn't much we don't do,” she said.
“I met a gentleman back in the early eighties who owned a company called Redi Bilt Construction, and he was probably in his fifties at the time, and he was one of few companies that did siding and roofing and windows. I met him because my ex-husband was looking for work, so he applied for a job with him to do vinyl siding, and that's how I met Red.”
When Goldsmith’s ex took the vinyl-siding job, Goldsmith also started working for the construction business. “I was actually doing the physical vinyl siding, putting windows in, doing roofing,” she said.
Goldsmith’s boss, Red, who was nearing retirement, noticed her talent and work ethic. He suggested that Goldsmith start her own construction business. “I was shy. It was in my early twenties, and I said, ‘no, I really don't want to do that.’ And then a few months later, my ex-husband and I were doing a vinyl siding job in New York, and someone approached me from the neighborhood asking for an estimate. So, I called Red and asked him what to do, and walked me through it over the phone…and I sold the job. I ended up selling two jobs in that neighborhood. So that's how I got started selling and being on the other end of things,” Goldsmith recalled about starting her entrepreneurial journey.
Goldsmith runs Laurie’s Certified Construction today, and her business has expanded to become a full-service construction company. She reflected on how it evolved to include designing projects. “We do everything. I've had to learn all of that on my own over the last 40 years, and I really enjoy the design part of it, and I meet some really wonderful customers who really become our friends.”
Addressing the elephant in the room, Laurie shared more about being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field. “In the beginning, back 40-some-odd years ago, it was really difficult because men especially did not appreciate the fact that I was in that field. I would go to somebody's door to do an estimate and a couple of different times I had men say to me,’ where's your husband?’ They didn't have any confidence in me at all, but I would very politely show them that I knew what I was doing. And honestly, it's gotten so much better. People are more open to having a woman work with them in construction now than they are a man. I have so many people call me and say, I really want to work with a woman. I got a lead this morning where a guy contacted me and said, I really want to work with a woman-owned company. So, it's kind of changed a lot over the last 40 years.”
Laurie’s Certified Construction not only builds structures, but the business also strengthens its community. Goldsmith has also collaborated with Habitat for Humanity and participated in other initiatives. One of them includes building and donating a tiny house to the Josh Pallotta Fund, a nonprofit organization in Vermont dedicated to supporting Veterans and Service Members.
In addition to loving her work, Goldsmith deeply appreciates living in Colchester and being part of the community. “I just love Vermont. I love the country, I love the lake, I love nature and the people. It's just a calm, laid-back, beautiful place to live. Everyone seems to really care about everyone else, and, for the most part, they're kind people. We all love nature and love Vermont. If you don't, you don't live here.”
For more information about Laurie’s Certified Construction, LLC, check out their BBB profile. To learn more about BBB and read more stories like this, visit Behind the Business Stories with BBB in Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT.
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