After graduating from Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical School, where she studied electronics, Vicki Chapman went to a job interview for an appliance repair position. As soon as she arrived, the interviewer asked Vicki to hop in a truck and before she knew it, Vicki was at a job site. By the time anyone realized that Vicki was only applying for a repair job, not as an electrician, it was too late. She was already on the job.
And so began Vicki's career. She joined an electrician apprentice program and was able to join the electrical workers' union (IBEW Local 103) in 1987. This was at a time when it was quite uncommon to see women on a construction site, but Vicki enjoys her work so much that she persevered to earn the same wages and pension as her union brothers.
Vicki started her own company, Chapman Construction Group, Inc. (CCG) , in 2002, and Sue Chapman joined as CEO in 2009. Sue served in the United States Army Reserve from 1984 through 1992 as a medical specialist, including a deployment to Honduras where she provided medical aid to villagers who would walk for miles to receive treatment. She worked for a medical device manufacturing company prior to joining CCG, specializing in research, manufacturing, and quality control.
CCG is certified as a woman-owned (WBE), disadvantaged (DBE), and veteran-owned (VBE) firm. The company now works with GLXC to provide temporary power at sites throughout the Project. Vicki and Sue are excited to participate in building Boston's future. They are a small company, but being a part of a project of this scope has allowed them to purchase new equipment and grow their safety programs.
A dynamic project like this involves many unknowns and requires firms to deal with constantly-changing scenarios. If Vicki and Sue's experiences have shown anything, it's that they know how to adapt and make the most of any situation.
