Mary Lopez raised a family and built a career in insurance. Now, post-retirement, the Delaware County woman is the owner of a construction company, writes Matteo Iadonisi for 6ABC.

In 2017, Lopez created Anson Construction LLC, named after her hard-working father.

She previously worked for State Farm Insurance for 42 years before retiring.

“I was retired and my son, he said that they need minority business owners. He said, why don’t you start your own construction company?” Lopez recalled.

Anson Construction in Upper Chichester mostly contracts for flagging and demolition work.

“The first year it was very, very hard just getting out there. Getting people used to working with a woman,” she said. “You know, in this industry, you don’t see many women. So, they didn’t take it as serious.”

But she built on her experience in insurance and learned all she could. Lopez also built up a roster of trustworthy employees.

“When you give people an opportunity, you’ll be surprised at how good and how hard they will work,” she said.

Looking ahead, she hopes for more construction opportunities to help people find work in her community, to leave a legacy for her family, and “inspire a lot of women.”

Read more about Mary Lopez at 6ABC.