By Jessica O. Swink
Editor, Small Business Insight
Photo by Paul Chin, Jr.
Walk into Sylvia Estes’ office and you will know she feels at peace in her working environment. Warm earth tones, beloved pieces of antique furniture, photos of loved ones and a nice, comfortable sofa.
Creating a family atmosphere in the workplace, Estes leads by example, setting the energy and tone for her office. Viewing herself as a servant, her staff sees the vast amount of hours she spends at the office, and her staff will do the same when needed.
“It’s not about the catastrophe, emergency or issue at hand,” Estes says. “It’s how you react to it. You can either make it big or small.”
By exemplifying the traits she finds crucial to being a good leader – humility, respect of self and others, and passion – Estes has led Pipeline & Industrial Group to a successful construction and emergency response business.
Estes also believes that women can bring unique qualities to running a business.
“We are mothers,” Estes explains.
“I will protect my family. We are a team, and we take care of each other. But with that comes an understanding of respecting people because of who they are, not for gender or age.”
Estes uses the size of her contracts to mark her growth. After founding the business in 2000, she remembers her first $1 million contract, then $5 million, then $10 million. Her goal has been to keep that momentum consistent. She was also able to purchase a 400+ acre plat of land in Fincastle, Va., to serve as a disaster relief facility that military bases can use to get back on the grid in case of a large catastrophe. Her company has experience in this already, after getting eight bases up and running after Hurricane Isabel. All in a day’s work for Estes. With a calm, collected approach towards business, the future looks bright for Pipeline.
“I’m in a man’s world,” she says. “But, I do what I’m supposed to do. I don’t feel out of place because this is what I’m supposed to do. Have I ever had an issue being a woman (business owner)? Yes. Have I let it affect me? No.”
- Who were the other 2011 SBI Minerva Award Honorees? Click here to find out!
