91视频

When Jeanne Staton and Leonard Staton divorced about two decades ago, Jeanne got Staton Companies and Leonard got 鈥渆verything else,鈥� she said.

She says she still thinks she got the better end of that deal.

Jeanne Staton, 70, recently stepped down as head of Staton Cos. 鈥� one of the largest demolition firms in the Pacific Northwest. She was a force in the Oregon construction industry for more than four decades, and the first woman president of the Oregon-Columbia chapter of Associated General Contractors. This summer she’ll receive the AGC‘s SIR Award for her contributions.

鈥淲e just love her and respect her greatly and wish her the very best,鈥� said Mike Salsgiver, executive director of AGC’s Oregon-Columbia chapter. 鈥淗er contributions are many and she will be remembered here for a long time.鈥�

Longtime Staton Cos. employee and former general manager Ron Richey bought Staton’s share to become president and sole executive officer.

鈥淪he’s been a great, great partner,鈥� Richey said. 鈥淪he built this company. And employees last a long time here. That tells you what type of a company it is, and Jeanne’s created that. She’s done a wonderful job here.鈥�

Jeanne married Leonard Staton, 18 years her senior, in 1971. Three weeks later, he was out of a job. With experience in demolition, Leonard pursued a contract to demolish the old Springfield High School in his hometown. That led to excavation contracts. Eventually the couple started to do a little better than break even.

With the Eugene/Springfield area experiencing rapid urban renewal, it was a fortunate time to be in the development business, Jeanne Staton said.

The roughest patch, she said, was in the 1980s, when interest rates rose as high as 18 percent. The firm hit a slump and had to borrow money to pay its bills. Keeping up with numerous equipment payments made for trying times.

鈥淲hen we finally paid off that loan, it was an albatross off our shoulders,鈥� she said.

Jeanne Staton gradually took over more and more of the company as Leonard lost interest in the company, she said. Today it employs about 45 people in Springfield and Portland, many who’ve been with the company for multiple decades. Her son, Jeff Staton, is an estimator/operator with the firm.

Jeanne Staton watched as automation radically changed the field of demolition, to the point where today, Staton Cos. workers rarely touch building materials directly. Recycling too has become an important factor in every project. Now up to 90 percent of commercial buildings can be recycled for profit, and around 60 to 70 percent of residential buildings.

Jeanne Staton said there was a time when her company paid owners to wreck their buildings, because of the value of the recyclable metals and other materials.

鈥淣ow you do just anything you can think of besides landfilling,鈥� she said. 鈥淔irst you try to sell it. Then you try to give it away. Get creative 鈥� anything besides landfilling.鈥�

Being a woman in a male-dominated field was always a bit of a double-edged sword for Jeanne Staton. For one thing, she felt she had to work harder to earn respect from male colleagues. But unlike some women who’ve experienced harassment in construction and related fields, Staton said she was never treated unfairly.

鈥淚 always thought that it was an advantage for me, because people certainly do remember you,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t just takes determination.鈥�

Staton kept regular office hours until recently. She plans to dedicate more time to industry and community causes, including those tied to Associated General Contractors, Associated Oregon Industries and the Northwest College of Construction. She said she’ll surely travel more.

Important issues include deregulation, opposition to a gross receipts tax and workforce development through apprenticeship programs.

鈥淚 intend to stay pretty busy,鈥� she said.