Lorri Grayson breaks barriers in construction world

Lorri Grayson has found herself in many situations where she needed to push outside her comfort zone to break through real gender barriers. In the seventh grade, Lorri didn’t want to take home economics; she wanted to take mechanical drawing. Her principal told her that wasn’t possible because only boys could take that class, but thanks to her mom and Lorri’s perseverance, she became the first girl to take mechanical drawing in the Brandywine School District.

“That was truly a life-changing experience for me, as it enabled me to discover my true gifts and abilities,” Lorri said.

Ten years later, Lorri was one of only four women to graduate from the civil engineering program at Virginia Tech.

Upon graduation from college, she accepted an internship with DuPont’s General Services and was the only woman in the department, along with 80 men. Soon, Lorri found herself looking to take that next career step and joined the Commonwealth Group as a project manager. While developing her creativity and design skills there, she yearned to work for herself and decided to start her own interior renovation company, with three other women. For a variety of reasons, Lorri and her partners couldn’t agree on important issues. About that same time, her husband Dave had become dissatisfied with his job, and the two of them decided to start their own construction company, GGA Construction. 

Twenty years later, Lorri acknowledges she is glad they took the risk, with GGA Construction looking at annual projects totaling more than $100 million. Their move to a Milton office a few years ago was another risk, but one they thought was necessary to help their business grow in Sussex County. While Lorri admits to a lack of focus on relationships in her earlier jobs, she now believes that her focus on relationships, particularly with employees and customers, has been key to GGA growing and building an excellent reputation in a very competitive industry. 

Lorri loves to talk about the culture at GGA and believes its emphasis on the well-being of employees is a foundational driver for success. “Every person deserves to work for a company that strives to ensure a safe environment, where the employees feel confident knowing they will be able to go home to their families at night,” she said. And going hand-in-hand with safety is quality, which is evident in the many certifications the business and its employees have been encouraged to attain.

As Lorri began to feel more comfortable with the direction of the business, she set her sights on trying to help make a difference in the larger construction industry. In 2007, she joined the Association of Builders and Contractors. While she initially focused on the training and educational programs that were available for employees, she also recognized the opportunity to connect with many subcontractors. Lorri soon became very involved with the organization and was elected the first woman chairperson in the 38-year history of ABC’s Delaware board of directors. 

With the next generation of leaders coming up in the industry, Lorri finds herself asking the question, “How can I help my industry provide more leadership options for those who work in the construction business, especially women, as I plan to transition out?” That has led her to get involved outside Delaware, where she serves as the Mid-Atlantic regional vice chair for ABC and is hoping to eventually become the national chairperson for ABC.

When asked to describe her most rewarding moment, she said there are many, but all are tied to the important relationships she has built with people inside and outside her company. “There is so much satisfaction that comes with ultimately delivering a quality project to the owner, knowing that success has come from working with a team of people, both within and outside your company. And we have been fortunate to be able to do that many, many times over.” Most recently, GGA Construction completed a comprehensive renovation of the Lewes Yacht Club, for which Lorri credits her staff and the many subcontractors who came together to finalize the project. Lorri says she cannot imagine another job where she could have achieved that same level of satisfaction.

As Lorri looks to the future, she cannot help but acknowledge the past and see the successes in her life. Between her and her husband, they have built three houses, one business and blended a family with six children and nine grandchildren. Her hope for the future is two-pronged; one, to leave a legacy of doing good in the community, and two, positioning the business to support the next generation of her family as well as the leaders and employees who have worked so hard to make GGA the success it has become.