president; Patricia Zugibe, CEO; and Jack Holt, chairman
Pearl River, NY The New York Real Estate Journal (NYREJ) sat down with Patricia Zugibe for a question and answer session. Zugibe, CEO of Holt Construction, is this month’s Executive of the Month.
NYREJ: What inspired you to want to work in the construction industry?
Zugibe: I grew up in a construction family, since I was a child, construction has been in my blood. Earlier in my career while I was a practicing lawyer, I worked with various building departments and planning and zoning boards. In no time I could see the constant swell of excitement, new challenges and new opportunities that are present in the construction industry each day. My interest in the construction industry continued to grow and I joined Holt Construction as counsel in 2012. Since then, regardless of the title I held, I was a problem solver and the reward was a beautifully constructed project. Can you think of a better reward than that?
NYREJ: What is your vision for the future of Holt Construction? Where do you see the firm in five, or ten years?
Zugibe: Holt is embarking on a period of growth. Not just in the sense of expanding our relationships with our partners and successfully completing more work, but also in the sense of internal growth. Our goal continues to be to provide our clients with the best possible experience while working with Holt. We are on the path to creating a more operationally efficient and leaner organization. We will continue to make workplace safety our number one priority as we continue to modify our approach and refine our practices to achieve incident free projects across our portfolio. We are looking to a more sustainable future infused with forward thinking technology, and we are doubling down on our corporate social responsibility to ensure supplier and workforce diversity within our organization and on our projects. I know we will be a stronger organization five years from now.
executive of the New York City Airports Business Unit.
NYREJ: What, in your mind, are some of the most important challenges facing the real estate and construction sectors at the moment?
Zugibe: No one can deny the impacts the industry is still feeling as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its fallout. We are adjusting to the effects of a shortage of skilled workers, and delays due to supply chain issues, both resulting in inflation. We have many more challenges to overcome, but we have come so far already. We see the light at the end of the tunnel and are optimistic about our prospects.
NYREJ: Are there any projects that you are particularly excited about right now?
Zugibe: We have several exciting projects ramping up across the country including Resorts World in Newburgh, NY. We are anticipating forthcoming opportunities throughout the state associated with the infrastructure bill. We have long-time relationships with our partners such as The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and will continue to provide opportunities for MWLBEs to prequalify for and better understand certifications and technical requirements associated with working on projects within the aviation sector. Right now, we are working through supporting our MWLBE trade partners to gain opportunities on the Terminal A project at Newark Airport through our Opportunity Friday virtual program. We are ready for the projects ahead!
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