One of the misconceptions that Jeanie Hunter held about construction as a career path was that she needed to have a hammer and some sort of trade experience to be in the industry. “As an African-American woman in a male dominated industry, this mistaken belief didn’t thwart my efforts to pursue entrepreneurship in a thriving industry.”
In 2003, Hunter and her business partner founded Synergy Construction with $500 each, and she is now the Owner and Principal of Synergy Development Partners LLC. Despite the many hardships and opposition that minority businesses face, Hunter said the business has since broadened to include major projects, including the expansion of T-Gates at Atlanta Jackson-Hartsfield Airport.
Synergy Development Partners LLC is a world-class company with varied experience in construction, real estate sales and real estate development with a mission to perform all work with pride and to deliver beyond expectations while developing valued client relationships. With nearly 20 years of experience, the firm manages the design and construction process from start to finish and has completed over 300 projects spanning across four states.
Under Hunter’s leadership, Synergy has built a solid foundation by building and cultivating relationships in the industry. With more than 18 years of experience in a male dominated industry, Hunter said she has used her knowledge of the construction market, as well as the real estate landscape and associated sectors to grow the business to reach over $600 million in construction projects locally. Her efforts have earned recognition as one of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential Black Women in Metro Atlanta by the Atlanta Business League and the 2021 Women Leader Award by the Urban Land Institute.
She leads with the motto that failure is necessary if success happens. “In building my company, I have learned failure is an excellent stepping stone to success,” said Hunter. “Trial and error and moving out of my comfort zone has led me to some of my most successful business relationships.”
Hunter said that as a leader, you can use failure to grow, become more patient, decisive and a more proactive decision-maker. “Now, I pass the lesson that the failures that we all experience in life are what allow us to appreciate our successes to my team members,” said Hunter. “There is value in failure because it causes us to rethink, reconsider, and find new ways and strategies to achieve our goals.”
