“Follow your passion. I believe women have to work twice as hard as men to build credibility and trust. Grow thick skin and a good sense of humor (it pays dividends in your personal life too). The great news is that what starts as an obstacle (being a woman) ends up being a marketing advantage if you stick with it. I don’t look like the normal construction “guy”, so I stand out at industry networking/marketing events and am easily remembered. There are numerous challenges to being in a non-traditional role, but when you overcome the obstacles…the victories are twice as sweet!” Karen Say
Karen Say is the president and owner of Saybr Contractors, Inc., which she founded in 1997 as an environmental construction company specializing in commercial and industrial fueling systems.
Karen’s background in the industry began at age 19 when she was hired as a receptionist at Omega Environmental. Over the course of the next nine years, she moved into several administrative positions, transitioned to Estimating/Project Management, followed by the Operations Manager role and, finally, to the Branch Manager for Omega’s Seattle Office.
When Omega closed its doors 14 years ago, Karen utilized the experience that she had gathered there to begin Saybr Contractors, along with three of her former coworkers. Since its inception, Saybr has diversified its business and grown from a small, four-person company to a $25-million, 40-employee general construction contracting firm. Saybr’s relationship driven customer service model has cultivated a client base that includes federal, state, county and municipal agencies as well as many Fortune 500 private sector businesses.
Saybr Contractors has received numerous awards regionally and nationally, including several Associated Builders and Contractor’s Excellence in Construction Awards. Additionally, Karen Say has personally received the Regional Small Business Person of the Year, Washington State Small Business Person of the Year and the National 8(a) Graduate of the Year Awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration in addition to numerous other regional commendations.
