Women in Construction: Denise Cooper on Female Leadership within the Field

Denise Cooper, Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Cooper Engineering, joined us on this week’s episode of the Rebuild So Cal Podcast to discuss her decades-long career in the construction industry. Denise has spent the last nearly 30 years building Cooper Engineering, once headquartered in her family living room, growing to become an industry leader in barrier wall construction.

Originally a heavy equipment company, Cooper Engineering has developed an expertise in enacting concrete barriers and concrete paving – an extremely specialized practice. The company boasts an annual revenue of $15-20 million dollars and supports 50-75 full-time employees. Though these metrics are considered “small” within the industry, Denise has made it a point to develop a community within her business, operating as a supportive partner for both her employees and their contracted business associates. Fostering a culture of encouragement and retaining strong relationships has allowed many women to thrive within the ranks of Cooper Engineering while also leading the company to success.

Denise’s leadership within Cooper Engineering is a testament to the strength of women in the field. Despite battling stereotypes throughout the course of her career, Denise has built an incredibly successful business – one that not only changes her community for the better but makes it a point to holistically support every employee of Cooper Engineering. One thing is for certain: with more leaders like Denise, the construction industry is bound to increase cross-sector diversity.

To listen to this week’s episode, tune in >>HERE<<.