How long have you been in this industry?
I have been working in this industry since 1999 when my husband founded the company, and I have been running the office ever since. His father had a landscape/construction company and he was brought up learning the trade since he was 15 years old. My husband is second generation to this industry and now both my boys are in the business.

Did you have another career before this one?
Yes, I worked for Nabisco for many years as a secretary and really enjoyed that job. I left Nabisco to be a stay-at-home mom raising three beautiful children, my daughter, Briana, and sons, Ryan and Tanner.

What did you find most challenging as you worked your way up in the industry?
The most challenging thing in this industry is our competitors. We want our customers to research our industry and be confident that they will see us as an honest and fair company that doesn't take advantage of people and is fair priced. They will also see that we are on top of all the new products in the marketplace. It is a magical experience to see a dry piece of land and turn it into a backyard oasis for someone's family to enjoy for generations. ... It makes it all worth it.

Who has been your biggest inspiration?
The fireplace and barbecue shops have been traditionally all male. Working through and partnering with my distributors and manufacturer reps has been challenging and very rewarding at the same time. Very quickly you can realize who is going to partner with you and who is not.

Who has been your biggest inspiration?
My biggest inspiration is my husband, Don. He opened his own company with just a backhoe and now he owns several after working very hard for many years, working days and nights and weekends. [Don] is a very driven person who makes sure he does the best job possible for all his customers. He is an honest, fair-priced contractor and when he is finished with his jobs, is proud to see his finished work and the customers' satisfaction on their faces. My husband has our two boys working for him, Ryan, doing our amazing 3D design work, and Tanner, our lighting design and installation expert. My husband Don, is not just a hard-working business man, but a great husband and father.

What is the most rewarding thing about what you do?
The most rewarding thing for me is when a job is complete and getting the final payment with a note saying what a great job D. Panetta Contracting's team did. To me, that is the most rewarding thing, knowing that our team has worked together to do a great job. The other most rewarding thing that I have done is raise our children and that our dog Charlie was a wonderful part of our lives. They are all happy, successful adults and I am very proud of them and love them dearly.

What is something you can't live without?
The most important thing I cannot live without is my family. My family is my life. I enjoy having family dinners and outings. We are all very close. We look forward to the arrival of our second granddaughter very soon and she will join her sister Eleanor, who can not wait to become a big sister.

How do you unwind after a stressful day?
After having a stressful day, for me to unwind is to have family time on the front porch with a glass of wine and just chat about everyone's day. Sometimes you have to take a negative and make it a positive to get over a stressful day. No matter how stressful a day can be, you have to think: it could be worse and be thankful for what you have.

D. Panetta Contracting
Randolph, N.J.
(973) 659-9374
DPanettaContracting.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 23, Issue 8 (June 2023).
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