<\/p>\n
Patricia Bonilla reviews plans at a job site.<\/p>\n
Courtesy of Patricia Bonilla<\/p>\n
When Patricia Bonilla arrived in the United States in 1992, she was a 22-year-old civil engineer from the Dominican Republic with a suitcase, a young family and a plan to earn her master\u2019s degree. Little did she know that one day she would lead a thriving construction firm in South Florida.<\/p>\n
Today, Bonilla is the CEO and founder of Lunacon Construction Group, a company that will celebrate 20 years in business next year . Her journey, marked by immigration, loss, motherhood and entrepreneurship during an economic recession, reflects both the challenges and determination of immigrant business owners in the United States.<\/p>\n
Her story is particularly inspiring during March, Women\u2019s History Month .<\/p>\n
Early lessons in excellence<\/p>\n
Born in 1968 in Santo Domingo, Bonilla grew up in a household where discipline and education were paramount. Her father, Pedro, an engineer, built his own company after rising from poverty. Her mother, Fanny Sanchez, was an attorney who worked alongside him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were very hardworking people,\u201d Bonilla said. \u201cThey taught me to do the right thing, to be integrous with your word and to treat everyone the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the oldest of four children, she excelled in school and pursued civil engineering, a choice her father initially opposed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I told him I was going to be an engineer, he said, \u2018Absolutely no. Construction is not for women.\u2019\u201d That just strengthened her resolve.<\/p>\n
Construction had long been part of her life. She frequently accompanied her father to job sites and absorbed the language of the industry at home.<\/p>\n
Tragedy struck when her father died. She was just 19 years old. His death reshaped her future.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought, who is going to teach me now?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Determined to continue growing in the field, she decided to pursue a master\u2019s degree in construction management in the United States.<\/p>\n
Starting over in America<\/p>\n
Once in Miami, she enrolled at Florida International University. She was married with three young children by then, so she had to juggle graduate school and work.<\/p>\n
Adjusting to American culture was challenging. Bonilla maintained the high standards she grew up with, cooking meals daily for her family and prioritizing education while navigating a new environment. Though she spoke English and Spanish, skills that helped her land a corporate construction job, she faced bias in the workplace.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn promotions and payments, women were definitely not like men,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd sometimes they would mention my accent.\u201d<\/p>\n
The obstacles intensified when her first marriage ended, leaving her a single mother and sole provider for the three children.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was probably my biggest challenge,\u201d Bonilla said.<\/p>\n
She continued building her career in construction, often having to prove herself repeatedly in a male-dominated industry. Women make up roughly 10% of the construction workforce, a statistic she says reflects her experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to prove yourself all the time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
A leap of faith Patricia Bonilla, 57, CEO of Lunacon Construction Group Courtesy of Patricia Bonilla <\/p>\n
By the mid-2000s, Bonilla had established a stable career in corporate construction, working for a Florida-based firm specializing in heavy civil and building. That type of work involves planning, designing, building and renovating large-scale structures like office buildings, retail spaces and corporate campuses. But the demanding schedule and a 50-mile commute weighed on her, especially as her oldest daughter prepared to start high school.<\/p>\n
She left her job, and just two days later, Bonilla received a phone call about a potential project opportunity. She describes the timing as providential.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an act of God,\u201d she said. \u201cGod said, \u2018Have faith.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2007, she launched Lunacon Construction Group in Miami and partnered with Emilio Criado, president of the company, whom she had met earlier in her career. Lunacon specializes in a wide range of construction projects, from commercial spaces to sustainable residential developments, as well as parks and recreation facilities, warehouses and industrial facilities, and retail spaces.<\/p>\n
In 2008, just months before the financial crisis hit, she married Criado.<\/p>\n
The recession brought uncertainty to the construction industry, which often rises and falls with the economy. With limited financial security, the couple pivoted strategically into federal contracting, a move that helped stabilize the starting company.<\/p>\n
Over the years, Lunacon has completed and contributed to a range of high-profile projects, including the Wacky Barn at Zoo Miami, loanDepot Park (formerly known as Marlins Stadium), Maurice Gibb Memorial Park, South Dade Park Aquatic Center, the United States Postal Service Cape Coral North Branch facility and the Pinecrest Upper Garden.<\/p>\n
Growing through innovation<\/p>\n
Nearly two decades later, the company that had begun in a modest garage expanded into a formal office in Palmetto Bay with over 50 employees, marking an early milestone in its growth. Criado credits Bonilla\u2019s commitment to continuous improvement for its longevity.<\/p>\n
\u201cPatricia has never stopped learning,\u201d Criado said. \u201cWe\u2019re always innovating, always growing. If there\u2019s something new out there that works, we implement it right away. And if it doesn\u2019t work, we recalibrate.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also points to the strength of their partnership.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have tremendous respect for each other,\u201d Criado said. \u201cI respect her as an engineer and as a leader, and we\u2019ve worked together to grow this business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bonilla\u2019s leadership style has shifted over the years. Shaped by rigid corporate environments, she now emphasizes mentorship and values-based leadership.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I\u2019m the one talking the most in a room, I haven\u2019t done my job,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The company prioritizes excellence, integrity and opportunity, hiring based on ability and actively employing women in roles beyond administrative positions.<\/p>\n
Building a legacy<\/p>\n
Beyond business success, Bonilla sees Lunacon as a vehicle for impact. She describes it as \u201clike a child,\u201d something nurtured not only for profit, but for legacy.<\/p>\n
She has also authored two books. \u201cBe Who You Long For\u201d focuses on empowering women to embrace multiple roles, such as motherhood, professionalism and entrepreneurship, from a place of abundance. Her second book, \u201cScaling Beyond the Blueprint,\u201d offers guidance to tradespeople seeking to grow sustainable construction businesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt compelled to share what I have learned,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on her immigrant journey, Bonilla believes courage is central to success.<\/p>\n
\u201cImmigrants have courage,\u201d she said. \u201cThey take action.\u201d<\/p>\n
From a determined engineering student in the Dominican Republic to CEO of a South Florida construction company, Bonilla said her story is a testament to resilience and to the belief that fear, when met with faith and persistence, can become the foundation for something lasting.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t give up,\u201d Bonilla said. \u201cWith persistence, passion and hard work, you can build the life you envision, even when it feels impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
This story is the result of a partnership between Florida International University\u2019s Lee Caplin School of Journalism and Media and the Miami Herald.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Patricia Bonilla reviews plans at a job site. Courtesy of Patricia Bonilla When Patricia Bonilla arrived in the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":194729,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[90456,90459,123,90457,125,124,90458,90460],"class_list":["post-194728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-female-construction-ceo","tag-lunacon-construction","tag-miami","tag-miami-construction-company","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news","tag-patricia-bonilla","tag-women-in-construction"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=194728"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194728\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/194729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=194728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=194728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=194728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}