According to Patricia “Pat” Laughlin, for a woman to step into a job that is traditionally considered “man’s work,” it can be very intimidating, but Laughlin and Heather McKown have taken that giant step.
Laughlin, president/CEO, and McKown, vice president/CFO, have established Venture Con-tracting, LLC, a pipeline and excavation company.
Venture Contracting is a woman-owned pipeline and excavation company located in Calhoun.
Laughlin said, “The company is certified through the SBA as a Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) Ven-ture, and is also approved to work on projects through the West Virginia Conservation Agency.”
The women chose Calhoun to base their business in, because it is an area with low economic activity that needs economic stimulation.
“The area also offers an experienced and dedi-cated work force,” said Laughlin.
Both have worked in various fields, including managerial, bookkeeping, real estate, and nursing
Both also bring unique qualities to the business. McKown is experienced in bookkeeping for retail businesses and office management in the pipeline industry. Laugh-lin is experienced in business ownership, em-ployee management, and marketing.
According to the company’s news release, Venture has an experi-enced crew to meet all their client’s needs.
Darrell “D.L.” McKown is the company consultant and project manager. He has 24 years of experience in the pipeline industry, with a proven track record in project management and job completion with safety, integrity, and efficiency.
He is a skilled equipment operator and is experienced at reviewing the scope of work and estimating costs to submit accurate bids.
Gregory “Shotgun” Laughlin is the senior advisor. He has 40 years of experience in the oil and gas industry and in excavation. As owner and manager of several suc-cessful businesses in the past, he has excellent client and project management skills.
He is also experienced in overseeing all aspects of project construction and completion, while maintaining the safest possible work environment.
Pat Laughlin said, “Venture will offer diversified services with unequaled quality in pipeline and excavation to West Virginia and surrounding states. Venture Contracting’s main goal is to serve our client’s needs with the highest quality service while maintaining a safe work environment.”
Venture’s services in-clude:
–Right of way construction, clearing, buil-ding, restoration, and site reclamation;
–Other services, such as slip repair, poly pipe up to 16”, long wall, valve replacement, water-line impoundment work, maintenance work, emer-gency call outs, and vari-ous trucking services.
For information, call 655-7575, visit www.venturecontractingllc.com, or write to Venture Contracting, LLC, 4102 Sandridge Road, Norman-town, WV 25267.
