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Brick by Brick, Layer by Layer
By Linda Cruse, March 2002

This entrepreneurs construction savvy fosters a healthy environment-both onsite and on her companys bottom line.

For most people, the environment is a cause or a campaign issue. Lynette Beck has made it her career.

While many professional women have been busy climbing corporate ladders or bumping into glass ceilings, Beck has been carving a name for herself in the male-dominated environmental construction industry.

Bucking an established old boy network, Beck is the majority owner of five-year-old Allstate Specialty Construction, Inc., which operates out of Paola, Kan.

Allstate specializes in environmental projects such as lead-based paint and asbestos abatement, structural demolition, commercial and residential air duct cleaning, site restoration, general contracting and roofing.

And Beck doesnt just talk the talk. Shes a hands-on business owner who works right alongside her crew.

A 1999 photo in The Raytown Post shows Beck in action at the YMCA building at 75th Street and Westridge. A total of 6,000 square feet of sprayed ceilings were cleaned and the asbestos material disposed of at an approved landfill as part of the job.

In the 1999 photo, Beck is wearing bulky, environmentally safe coveralls, and a respirator completes the ensemble. This onsite attire is a far cry from the business suits she used to wear as an administrative assistant and insurance agent.

Laying a Foundation
A native of Weston, Mo., Beck is a graduate of West Platte High School and Kansas City Business College. After college, she worked as a secretary, an administrative assistant and an insurance agent in Washington, D.C., Kansas City and California.

In the early 1990s, the California company where she worked went out of business, so Beck returned to the Kansas City area. She managed a dry cleaning plant and six satellite stores before starting Allstate.

"A long-time friend, Walter Burkhart, had a company specializing in asbestos abatement, and he was moving toward retirement," she said. "I worked with him at his business for awhile to make sure it was something I wanted to do."

Burkhart eventually closed his business, and Beck founded Allstate Specialty Construction, Inc. She is the majority owner and Burkhart is a partner.

"It has been extremely beneficial to have Walters expertise," Beck said.

The business is one of a number of environmental construction contractors seeking work in Kansas and Missouri. But competition-and occasional male cynics-has only strengthened Becks resolve to succeed.

Occasionally she will receive a phone call from someone who is surprised to find that a woman operates the business. Sometimes theyll even hang up after discovering a female is in charge. But Beck takes it in stride.

Named the 2001 Kansas Women-Owned Business of the Year in the construction category, Allstates sales have tripled since Beck founded the firm in 1996.

Strength in Certification
In 1998 Becks company became the first non-minority business to attain the Small Business Administrations Section 8(a) program certification in Region VII. The program aids small business owners who are socially and economically disadvantaged.

Beck said it took about six months to obtain SBA certification. She had to pore through her previous work records, finding contacts and references to support that she has been disadvantaged at previous jobs because she was a woman.

"I kept excellent records, which really helped speed up the process," she said. "And its been worth the effort because Ive gained additional contract work."

"By being certified as 8(a), federal agencies can negotiate directly with me rather than having to go out for bids on projects," she continued. "Its also helpful in gaining subcontracts on government jobs."

Projects Allstate has completed under SBA 8(a) contracts include asbestos-containing floor tile and mastic for the U.S. Marine Corps at Richards Gebaur Airport; and asbestos abatement, mechanical reinsulation, lead-based paint removal and roofing at the U.S. Federal Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan.

"Lynette is just getting started in the 8(a) program, but I know shell be very successful at it," said Rhonda Hardin, a business opportunity specialist with the SBA. "She gets out and does the face-to-face marketing that we strongly recommend to small business owners. Shes also created a marketing brochure to leave behind with procurement specialists. Shes very good about following up after initial meetings with phone calls."

Beck said by using Allstate-which has been certified as a Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) and Small Woman-Owned Business-companies can help meet their state, local or federal government-prescribed contracting goals.

Hitting the Bricks
An area where Allstate has excelled is in marketing. Instead of waiting for work, Beck actively seeks out decision-makers and promotes her business. Her take-charge attitude has made a difference in increasing the companys sales and work.

Steve Parker, SBA loan specialist, agrees that marketing ability, along with persistence, is one of Becks greatest strengths.

"Shes hard-working-constantly hitting the bricks and working the phones," he said. "She has a PowerPoint presentation she uses to market herself throughout the country. And shes not afraid to go where other women-owned business owners might be. She will go anywhere to promote her business."

Beck said shes developed a formula for marketing success. "Its important to find out who exactly buys your particular service," she said. "Once Ive gotten a name, I get in touch with them and make a face-to-face appointment. I then let them know about our business and how we can help them."

Persistence pays off, she said. "I keep calling them and let them know were interested," she said. "And once weve landed a job, Ive gained a reputation of completing the work on time with a high level of service and quality."

Hardin notes that Becks approach produces a positive image as well as work for her firm. "The procurement officers are extremely impressed with her," she said. "They may not have any work for her at that time, but they remember her when work comes up later."

In its first four years of business, Allstate completed more than 130 projects, with 95 percent of the work coming from repeat customers, Beck said.

"We are very adept at adjusting our work schedule to accommodate critical operating mission requirements," she said. "If that means working on weekends to accommodate a certain job, or working seven days a week, we do it."
Sam Mryyan, environmental compliance manager for the Kansas Army National Guard, praised Becks reliability and insistence on quality. The Guard has used Allstates services on several environmentally related jobs throughout the state.

"Were very happy with the company," he said. "Theyre very easy to work with and always do an outstanding job. If we have a problem, we just call them up and they come. Its been a good working relationship for the past five years."

Opportunities to Connect
Beck believes strongly in networking. She attends the monthly breakfast sponsored by the General Services Administration (GSA) and is a member of both the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and American Business Womens Association (ABWA) as well as a number of other organizations.

"Networking works," she said. "Through contacts I made at a small business procurement conference in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Army Corps of Engineers, I was invited to make a presentation of our companys capabilities to Region VI EPA and Corps of Engineers contracting officers in Fort Worth, Texas, in December."

Allstate is licensed as an environmental contractor in Kansas and Missouri, but expanding to other states is a future goal, Beck says. In addition, the company may expand into other environmental areas, including air quality and mold removal.

"The door is starting to open in the area of indoor air quality. Its becoming more recognized as an environmental issue."

Certain types of mold are considered toxic, and buildings in some states have been closed due to mold build-up, she said. "There are a number of areas that wed like to investigate, and since were certified in air duct cleaning, indoor air quality and mold remediation projects would be natural next steps."

Linda Cruse is a freelance writer in Lenexa.

Success Summary
Entrepreneur: F. Lynette Beck
Company Name: Allstate Specialty Construction, Inc.
32700 West 255th Street
Paola, Kansas 66071
(913) 294-4716
allstatespecialty.com
Type of Business: Environmental/general contracting
Year Founded: 1996
Number of Employees: 5 to 20
Keys to Success: "Making sound business decisions and providing quality services at reasonable prices, resulting in many repeat customers."-Lynette Beck

Published in the Small Business Monthly, March 2002

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Brick by Brick, Layer by Layer
By Linda Cruse, March 2002

This entrepreneurs construction savvy fosters a healthy environment-both onsite and on her companys bottom line.

For most people, the environment is a cause or a campaign issue. Lynette Beck has made it her career.

While many professional women have been busy climbing corporate ladders or bumping into glass ceilings, Beck has been carving a name for herself in the male-dominated environmental construction industry.

Bucking an established old boy network, Beck is the majority owner of five-year-old Allstate Specialty Construction, Inc., which operates out of Paola, Kan.

Allstate specializes in environmental projects such as lead-based paint and asbestos abatement, structural demolition, commercial and residential air duct cleaning, site restoration, general contracting and roofing.

And Beck doesnt just talk the talk. Shes a hands-on business owner who works right alongside her crew.

A 1999 photo in The Raytown Post shows Beck in action at the YMCA building at 75th Street and Westridge. A total of 6,000 square feet of sprayed ceilings were cleaned and the asbestos material disposed of at an approved landfill as part of the job.

In the 1999 photo, Beck is wearing bulky, environmentally safe coveralls, and a respirator completes the ensemble. This onsite attire is a far cry from the business suits she used to wear as an administrative assistant and insurance agent.

Laying a Foundation
A native of Weston, Mo., Beck is a graduate of West Platte High School and Kansas City Business College. After college, she worked as a secretary, an administrative assistant and an insurance agent in Washington, D.C., Kansas City and California.

In the early 1990s, the California company where she worked went out of business, so Beck returned to the Kansas City area. She managed a dry cleaning plant and six satellite stores before starting Allstate.

"A long-time friend, Walter Burkhart, had a company specializing in asbestos abatement, and he was moving toward retirement," she said. "I worked with him at his business for awhile to make sure it was something I wanted to do."

Burkhart eventually closed his business, and Beck founded Allstate Specialty Construction, Inc. She is the majority owner and Burkhart is a partner.

"It has been extremely beneficial to have Walters expertise," Beck said.

The business is one of a number of environmental construction contractors seeking work in Kansas and Missouri. But competition-and occasional male cynics-has only strengthened Becks resolve to succeed.

Occasionally she will receive a phone call from someone who is surprised to find that a woman operates the business. Sometimes theyll even hang up after discovering a female is in charge. But Beck takes it in stride.

Named the 2001 Kansas Women-Owned Business of the Year in the construction category, Allstates sales have tripled since Beck founded the firm in 1996.

Strength in Certification
In 1998 Becks company became the first non-minority business to attain the Small Business Administrations Section 8(a) program certification in Region VII. The program aids small business owners who are socially and economically disadvantaged.

Beck said it took about six months to obtain SBA certification. She had to pore through her previous work records, finding contacts and references to support that she has been disadvantaged at previous jobs because she was a woman.

"I kept excellent records, which really helped speed up the process," she said. "And its been worth the effort because Ive gained additional contract work."

"By being certified as 8(a), federal agencies can negotiate directly with me rather than having to go out for bids on projects," she continued. "Its also helpful in gaining subcontracts on government jobs."

Projects Allstate has completed under SBA 8(a) contracts include asbestos-containing floor tile and mastic for the U.S. Marine Corps at Richards Gebaur Airport; and asbestos abatement, mechanical reinsulation, lead-based paint removal and roofing at the U.S. Federal Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan.

"Lynette is just getting started in the 8(a) program, but I know shell be very successful at it," said Rhonda Hardin, a business opportunity specialist with the SBA. "She gets out and does the face-to-face marketing that we strongly recommend to small business owners. Shes also created a marketing brochure to leave behind with procurement specialists. Shes very good about following up after initial meetings with phone calls."

Beck said by using Allstate-which has been certified as a Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) and Small Woman-Owned Business-companies can help meet their state, local or federal government-prescribed contracting goals.

Hitting the Bricks
An area where Allstate has excelled is in marketing. Instead of waiting for work, Beck actively seeks out decision-makers and promotes her business. Her take-charge attitude has made a difference in increasing the companys sales and work.

Steve Parker, SBA loan specialist, agrees that marketing ability, along with persistence, is one of Becks greatest strengths.

"Shes hard-working-constantly hitting the bricks and working the phones," he said. "She has a PowerPoint presentation she uses to market herself throughout the country. And shes not afraid to go where other women-owned business owners might be. She will go anywhere to promote her business."

Beck said shes developed a formula for marketing success. "Its important to find out who exactly buys your particular service," she said. "Once Ive gotten a name, I get in touch with them and make a face-to-face appointment. I then let them know about our business and how we can help them."

Persistence pays off, she said. "I keep calling them and let them know were interested," she said. "And once weve landed a job, Ive gained a reputation of completing the work on time with a high level of service and quality."

Hardin notes that Becks approach produces a positive image as well as work for her firm. "The procurement officers are extremely impressed with her," she said. "They may not have any work for her at that time, but they remember her when work comes up later."

In its first four years of business, Allstate completed more than 130 projects, with 95 percent of the work coming from repeat customers, Beck said.

"We are very adept at adjusting our work schedule to accommodate critical operating mission requirements," she said. "If that means working on weekends to accommodate a certain job, or working seven days a week, we do it."
Sam Mryyan, environmental compliance manager for the Kansas Army National Guard, praised Becks reliability and insistence on quality. The Guard has used Allstates services on several environmentally related jobs throughout the state.

"Were very happy with the company," he said. "Theyre very easy to work with and always do an outstanding job. If we have a problem, we just call them up and they come. Its been a good working relationship for the past five years."

Opportunities to Connect
Beck believes strongly in networking. She attends the monthly breakfast sponsored by the General Services Administration (GSA) and is a member of both the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and American Business Womens Association (ABWA) as well as a number of other organizations.

"Networking works," she said. "Through contacts I made at a small business procurement conference in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Army Corps of Engineers, I was invited to make a presentation of our companys capabilities to Region VI EPA and Corps of Engineers contracting officers in Fort Worth, Texas, in December."

Allstate is licensed as an environmental contractor in Kansas and Missouri, but expanding to other states is a future goal, Beck says. In addition, the company may expand into other environmental areas, including air quality and mold removal.

"The door is starting to open in the area of indoor air quality. Its becoming more recognized as an environmental issue."

Certain types of mold are considered toxic, and buildings in some states have been closed due to mold build-up, she said. "There are a number of areas that wed like to investigate, and since were certified in air duct cleaning, indoor air quality and mold remediation projects would be natural next steps."

Linda Cruse is a freelance writer in Lenexa.

Success Summary
Entrepreneur: F. Lynette Beck
Company Name: Allstate Specialty Construction, Inc.
32700 West 255th Street
Paola, Kansas 66071
(913) 294-4716
allstatespecialty.com
Type of Business: Environmental/general contracting
Year Founded: 1996
Number of Employees: 5 to 20
Keys to Success: "Making sound business decisions and providing quality services at reasonable prices, resulting in many repeat customers."-Lynette Beck

Published in the Small Business Monthly, March 2002