CEO and Founder Nancy Juneau Discusses the Importance of Investing in People and Giving Back
In August 2024, we celebrated the grand opening of our latest graduate housing community, The Ridge at Emory University. For this 535-bed project, ACC selected Atlanta-based Juneau Construction Company as our construction partner. Juneau is one of the premier builders of multifamily and higher education facilities in the Southeast U.S., having delivered housing for more than 30,000 college students.
Juneau is an ideal partner that shares ACC’s commitment to supporting team members and giving back to the community. Juneau also cultivates diversity and inclusion in its workforce and its supplier base.
Nancy Juneau and her husband Les founded Juneau in 1997 as a woman-owned business in a primarily male-dominated industry. Today, Juneau has over 200 employees and is #2 on Atlanta Business Chronicles’ Top Women Owned Firms list. We talked with Nancy recently about her business philosophy and the keys to Juneau’s success.
How did you get your start in the construction industry?
I thought I was going to be a teacher—I got an education degree from the University of Georgia. However, I moved to St. Louis and needed a job, so I worked for a structural engineering firm doing business development and marketing. And I absolutely loved it.
From there, I'm a firm believer that there is a plan for all of us, and I didn't have to figure out every minute of my future. But I kept being presented with opportunities in the construction world. I found myself also working part time for a national construction management company setting up bridge bids. And I loved that, too!
How did you come to found Juneau?
I worked for a construction company in Florida, and that's where Les and I met. We moved back to Atlanta, where I worked for a large architectural firm - Heery International, and he worked for a large GC - Holder Construction. We loved our jobs but saw an opportunity to do our own thing and take a different, more family-oriented approach to working with trade partners and employees.
Can you describe your family-oriented approach to business?
In many arenas, the construction industry has had the mindset of working long hours, seven days a week, and that everything you do is for your company. We felt there was a better quality of life and a better way to give back.
When we were first recruiting employees, we were competing against larger firms and thought, “We can’t offer them [employees] a $90 million project yet, but we're going to treat them well, compensate them well and have great benefits. And we wanted a culture where it’s very clear that your family should always be your number one priority. Go to your child’s school play, prioritize your doctor’s appointment. That was born out of who Les and I are and how we were raised. We also have three kids and led by example; one of us was always at their school events.
How has this approach benefited your business?
It’s helped greatly with recruitment and retention. For example, our Tampa office originated with employees moving there and wanting to stay with Juneau, while the Miami office originated through a partnership with a smaller local GC that Les met through a construction peer group. We’ve had other companies ask about and model our approach, which elevates the industry. And we’ve found ways to be really efficient with our work hours while still always delivering on time. We’ve never missed a deadline.
Have you encountered any obstacles as a woman-owned business? How have you overcome them?
When I first started out, people wanted to know where I got my construction degree, and I felt inadequate, but I proved myself by learning about the importance of successful project execution in the field and driving results. There have been times when people have assumed I’m the executive in name only. Women can also be perceived as aggressive when acting the same way as men, and although it’s helpful to know that you still have to be authentic. I’ve found it effective to use good-natured humor and be respectful when clearing up misperceptions or confronting difficult situations.
I think as this industry grows, women need to feel like they can and should be equal to their male counterparts, and I enjoy being a role model for the women at Juneau and for other women in the industry
Why was The Ridge at Emory University a meaningful project for Juneau?
We were proud to work with ACC on a project that would help deliver a high-quality community with affordable rents. Emory is a prestigious institution here in Atlanta, and it’s pretty mind-blowing to think we contributed to a place where students are becoming the next generation of doctors, teachers, scientists and other industry-leading professionals. They’ll always remember where they lived at that time, making friends and memories as they’re in the trenches working hard to change the world.
What have you enjoyed about working with ACC?
We’ve admired ACC for a long time; Emory was our first project together and we enjoyed working with them. Philosophically, we’re aligned on things like core purpose and values, giving back to the community and delivering an exceptional client experience. We both see obstacles as opportunities and work together to figure things out. There’s a mutual respect there. We also admire ACC’s focus on mental health; we share that, as that’s an important issue in our industry. And we admire their focus on sustainability—Emory is built to LEED standards, and we’re proud that we recycled 77% of the project’s construction waste.
Why is it important for Juneau to give back to the community, and what are some examples?
We're changing our communities by building and renovating buildings for people and communities to enjoy for years to come. We feel strongly that we have to leave our communities better than the way we found them. Les and I feel extraordinarily blessed to be able to give back to local nonprofits and organizations that are continually working on bettering our community.
We always look for ways to be inclusive and partner with diverse-owned businesses. When we construct a project, we go to local schools, as we did in Atlanta, to teach kids from all backgrounds about careers in the construction industry and give them hard-hat tours and hands-on experiences. It opens their eyes to the breadth of opportunities. We volunteer locally. We’re also working on a renovation and addition to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, which will educate and inspire people from all over the world to be changemakers in the future of civil and human rights.
Why is it important for companies to support small and diverse businesses?
Today, we are fortunate enough to have grown to a place where we now have dedicated resources to building and fostering diverse trade partner relationships. Our Community Engagement Manager is continually finding opportunities for them to work on our projects. This is a win for all parties involved. When companies like Juneau and ACC use their resources to cultivate inclusive partnerships and inspire the next generation’s workforce, it elevates our whole industry.
