| COMMUNITY NEWS
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hen you think about construction and woodworking hardly ever is the thought of a skilled black woman dominating that occupation. Recent statistic reflects that only 13% of construction firms in the United States are women-owned, and only 3.7% of these firms are black-owned. Meet Trinette Johnson the owner of T.J. Builds our community spotlight! Q: Trinette, before we jump into specific questions about your company. Please share the background of yourself. A: I was born in Canton, MS. I’ve always loved construction, especially woodworking. In the last 10 years of my 22-year career at FedEx, I worked as a project manager. While there, I improved my woodworking skills and increased my interest in construction. I wasn’t happy as a project manager for the business (or end user) side of software development, I decided to leave to become a construction manager. I went to Southwest TN Community College and got a technical certificate in Architectural/Construction Fundamentals. In the spring of 2017, I enrolled at Drexel University’s College of Engineering for a master’s in Construction Management. I completed the program in 2019. Q: Tell us about your construction business, TJ Builds. A: I found it hard to find a fulltime job in my new field. So roughly 150 applications and 3 internships later, I opened TJ Builds, LLC. I offer design/build custom woodworking, construction management, and owner’s representation services. I’ve been opened since March 2018. Currently, I design and build mostly custom closets and cabinets for residential. I’ve started bidding on cabinetry for commercial projects in the last year. I’m also the owner’s representative for OUTMemphis’ Youth Emergency Center located at 2055 Southern Ave. Q: What does “success” or “successful” look like to you? A: To me, success is that I still wake up everyday to do what I was meant to do...build dreams. TJ Builds, LLC www.tjbuilds.com IG: @tj_builds
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