The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Southwest Area North Program 2009 Finalists
 

Warrior Group Inc.
Gail Warrior-Lawrence 
President, Founder, and CEO

Gail Warrior-Lawrence’s construction services company, Warrior Group, is on track to increase sales to $160 million for 2009—a 20 percent increase over 2008. That’s more than respectable growth, especially considering the construction industry remains in the grips of a serious economic malaise. Add to that the 66 percent growth in sales the company experienced from 2007 to 2008, and it’s fair to say the company Warrior-Lawrence founded in 1997 is on solid ground.

DeSoto-based Warrior Group credits its success to its early commitment to do things right with projects at a military installation and a Veterans Administration facility. The company faced significant challenges on those projects, including trouble securing bonds and unscrupulous subcontractor issues.

Today Warrior Group specializes in permanent modular construction, including for military barracks. “When I walk through the dormitories that Warrior was involved with building, I get a sense of great joy and pride,” says Warrior-Lawrence, the company’s president and CEO. “There’s no greater feeling than providing something great to the men and women who protect our country’s freedom.”

Warrior-Lawrence credits her success in a highly competitive industry to her drive to succeed, her project management skills, and her ability to understand and measure key details. Her company’s SBA 8(a) status, as well as its designation as a woman-owned and minority-owned business, also are advantages in fulfilling governmental contracting requirements. —G.V.
 
 
BKM Total Office of Texas
Carol Roehrig 
President

To be successful in a business where profit margins are low and fabrics, paint colors, and laminates change with every job, you have to pay attention to the details, says Carol Roehrig, president of BKM Total Office of Texas.

Recently, Roehrig’s commercial interiors furnishings firm has been focusing on the details of some high-profile projects. At the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, BKM has been outfitting more than 300 private suites, while at the Heart Hospital Baylor Plano, BKM furnished the cafeterias, patient treatment rooms, lobbies, and more.

Roehrig purchased BKM in 2002, and by 2008 reported revenue of $43.6 million. Today the Dallas-based company employs nearly 80 people with skills ranging from finance to custom millwork and upholstery. As the economy shifts, Roehrig has proactively directed the company toward new markets and services. She expanded into the health care, hospitality, and education markets, and added a refurbishing division for budget-constrained customers.

“My biggest strength as an entrepreneur is persistence, sticking to it, and working hard to find the solution that will solve any kind of issue,” Roehrig says. “You also have to be well rounded and able to address any area of the company—whether it’s sales, operations, or financial—and give it guidance.”  —W.L.S.
 
 
The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Houston & Gulf Coast Area Program 2009 Finalist 
 
 
ICON Information Consultants, LP
Pamela Chambers O’Rourke
President & CEO

Pamela Chambers O’Rourke, a native Houstonian, received her MIS degree at the University of Houston as a single mother, working a full-time IT job.  When her employer told her to stop “spoiling the clients” she knew it was time to move on.  That statement and her fathers’ encouraging words “Among all my children, I believe you will be the most successful”, were all she needed to take the leap and launch her own business.
 
O’Rourke founded ICON Information Consultants, LP in 1998 to fulfill her vision of what a consulting company should be.   What started from humble beginnings with the tenacity of kudzu, a prolific flowering vine that quickly grows over any fixed object, Pamela has now built an organization with more than 750 employees in 48 states and revenues in excess of $81.5 million (2008) with forecasted revenues for 2009 of $83 million plus.