Partnerships & Trailblazers
LPC Scaffold Services, Inc. leads the way for women in construction
Few accounts of company origins inspire as much hope as the storybook beginning of LPC Scaffold Services, Inc. Several years ago, Cynthia Santa, a minority single mom was in the right place at the right time. A fateful encounter at a networking event with LP Construction, Inc. owner, Larry Pennington, began as a casual introduction through friends and soon developed into a new career, a working partnership and the path toward a thriving business venture.
“I absolutely pursued Cynthia,” Larry says. “She had such a charismatic personality, and I had a vacated sales position, so I asked her if she would be interested in a job.”
“My background has always been in medical services,” says Cynthia, President and co-owner of LPC Scaffold Services. “I’m a people person and Larry saw that. He really liked my personality and invited me for an interview. I had no experience in construction and I had just had a baby, but I liked what he had to offer: It was laid back with no pressure and I could work from home and get a nanny when I needed to. I researched the products he was using, like Master Wall, Dryvit and StoPanel, and saw the workmanship of the employees and knew that this is a group I would like to work alongside, and he loved how I took charge.”
Just like that, Cynthia embraced a new field, one that was historically bereft of women, and to her delight, the more she researched the history of construction and looked deeply at its processes and services, the more she understood and believed in the business. She pursued her position with passion, finding new ways of reaching and supporting clients. After two months, Cynthia had reached a couple of million dollars in sales. And, what started out as a sales position quickly grew into a leadership role in the company. Within six months, Cynthia was Vice President of LP Construction, Inc., a career leap that’s a long shot at many firms but speaks to the company’s ability to recognize and reward real talent.
“I hired her initially to work sales, and within six months, I made her a Vice President of the company,” Larry says. “Then we started kicking around the idea of pursuing another business together, and she asked if she could invest in it and take the lead.”
The result: LPC Scaffold Services, Inc. was born.
Answering a Need
From the get-go, Cynthia showed that true ownership and accountability start with a mindset to fully understand the process, and to research and find ways to drive results and build client trust. That intention fit with Larry’s expertise, and this powerhouse duo got to work. LPC Scaffold Services grew from LP Construction quite organically, with services that answered a need.
“When LPC Scaffold Services originated, Cynthia and I saw the need for a quality scaffolding company that could provide more specialized services to the contractors, developers and owners throughout the Florida market,” Larry says. “Before opening the new business, we saw the shift in commercial construction that demanded more safety in the area of exterior access, especially scaffolding systems.”
Larry and Cynthia discussed in detail what they wanted to achieve with the new company. They were looking for all-around access and safety and to be a single-source exterior provider for clients. Safety and quality were their No. 1 priorities.
“Conventional frames have flaws as they get old and worn, and the functionality of safety rails breaks down on a routine basis. System scaffolding is designed with greater capacity safety measures and is an all-around system that provides the capability to conform to any structure,” Larry says. “After doing our research, we were given an opportunity to partner our brand with a world leader in scaffolding systems–Layher, a company based in Germany,” Larry says.
“Larry and I started researching,” Cynthia adds, “and we ended up in Germany.”
Partnering with a World Leader
It was in Germany that Larry and Cynthia visited the Wilhelm Layher GmbH & Co. KG plant and discovered the quality of Layher scaffolding. Layher has been in scaffolding systems for more than 75 years. Just as impressive was the organization of the company and the people within the organization who work each day to realize the company’s success through belief and hard work. Company culture at Layher was so impressive that Larry and Cynthia modeled LPC Scaffold Services after its approach.
“The German culture is spectacular,” Cynthia says. “I was impressed with how organized they were and how they treated their employees. I had never seen a company run like this. We were in a factory with hundreds of workers, and everyone looked happy and they welcomed you and smiled. It was such a different atmosphere that I had seen in the workplace. And, I realized that the way they run their company is exactly who I am as a person: I am a giver. I value and encourage everyone’s opinion, and I’m a family-driven person. They really listened to what you had to say, and that’s exactly how I wanted my employees to feel.”
“They were genuinely interested in helping us be successful,” Larry says of the leadership at Layher. “The one thing I took away was that it’s not about what the product can do, it’s the people behind the organization that brings the true success to the company. Layher emphasizes working with your people to educate and understand them, to give them a sense of ownership and accountability. It was an eye-opening experience.
“We have such a close relationship with our local Layher representative that we consider each other family,” Larry continues. “That’s how close-knit we have become with our manufacturer.”
Larry and Cynthia have instilled the same trust in their employees. And with Layher products, they are able to do more to ensure their clients receive all access through the Allround® Scaffolding system, which is lighter and stronger, and ensures adaptability to any building or structure, with the assurance of safety.
“The ‘all-access’ concept was a philosophy we learned from Layher, and we decided to bring the same type of service and ingenuity to our market here in Florida,” Larry says. “The No. 1 cause of accidental deaths in the construction industry is in scaffolding accidents. Over the past few years we have had the opportunity to change the hearts and minds of contractors who have banned the use of scaffolding systems on their projects through the structures we have designed and built for their projects.”
“I’m very proud of being a woman minority owner. You can be a single mom and still create something beautiful for you, your family and your business.” Cynthia Santa, President and Co-Owner, LPC Scaffold Services, Inc.
Cynthia Takes the Lead
From the beginning, the company started modestly, adding clients and building business job by job. Cynthia and Larry worked as a unit and pitched in wherever needed. Cynthia put in processes to ensure due diligence on every job and bid, providing AutoCAD drawings and renderings to communicate the vision of each project and offering standard rental, erection and dismantle services that are safe and provide a full-access solution for their clients.
“Our closing ratio is superb,” Cynthia says. “We go the extra mile to make sure we know what a client’s budget is from the beginning. We are so committed to the needs of our clients, and we make sure we always take that into account in our designs. I am very blessed with how understanding my crews have been dealing with the many logistical issues on the job sites. There are always complications in sequencing workflow for our clients, but I think it’s the way we deal with them that matters and they know I’m fighting for them. This is why I have approached the general contractors about taking the all-access approach when starting projects. It saves on production time, equipment rentals and helps with advancing schedules.”
Although she’s President and co-owner, Cynthia still sells all of the jobs for the company. She attends all of the tradeshows and handles marketing and project management for all scaffolding projects.
“For all intents and purposes, Cynthia runs everything and does everything with the scaffolding division. It’s 100 percent her baby,” Larry says. “She’s built it from the ground up and put together team members who have done an outstanding job, including Jorge Hernandez in accounting, Jorge Hernandez Jr., our scaffold design engineer, and Manny Ruiz, our senior superintendent.”
“The most outstanding quality I admire about our company is the idea that we are a family,” Manny says. “Not only has it created a bond between all levels of staff, but it also makes us run efficiently. LPC is a place where hard work and dedication pay off.”
A Trailblazer and a New Frontier
Cynthia’s ambition, hard work and talent, day in and day out, have fueled her trajectory. She may be crushing expectations in a largely male-dominated career, but she’s also opening the door of opportunity for other women to realize their potential in construction. She believes that women are a perfect fit for the construction business because they are planners, organized and strategic.
“It’s important for me to tell women that this may be known as a man’s world, but that is just a stereotype that we have to overcome,” Cynthia says. “Construction is blossoming, and there’s no limit to your success as a woman business owner. You can run a successful construction company and you can still have a family life. It’s all about balance. I’m very proud of being a woman minority owner. You can be a single mom and still create something beautiful for you, your family and your business. I am living proof. If you’re passionate and you believe in what you are doing, it can be an amazing opportunity.”