General Contractor Jill Dunlap Wallen Finds the Flow of her Business

By Meg Hale Brunton

“To be honest, I never thought I would go into construction,” says Dunlap Construction President and General Contractor Jill Dunlap Wallen. “I knew I wanted to go into business, just not necessarily construction.” 

Over forty-five years ago, Jill’s father Dennis Dunlap started Dunlap Construction, which quickly became a staple construction firm in Henderson County. While Jill was in high school, Dunlap encouraged her to work at his company during her summer breaks. In her role, Jill worked hands-on with the crew as a general laborer working from the ground up. One of her main responsibilities was driving the company dump truck, hauling construction debris to the landfill. She recalls that she would often struggle to pry the truck’s tailgate off and took this as a sign that construction might not be her calling. 

After graduating, Jill attended UNC Asheville and earned her degree in Business Management. Utilizing the knowledge she had already acquired from being in and around construction her whole life, she spent her early twenties fixing and flipping spec houses. “There was something about working for yourself and seeing a project from start to finish,” Jill explains. She did this with four or five houses before deciding that she needed to try her hand at something new. 

Jill worked a brief stint at Verizon Wireless, thinking it would be more up her alley. “I wanted to climb the corporate ladder,” she says of her choice. “They kept getting my paychecks wrong, and I thought, ‘If I work for myself, I can write my own checks!’” So, she left Verizon, took a prep course on construction, passed her examination, and became a licensed General Contractor. 

Then, Jill went into the family business, primarily working on renovation projects and restoring commercial properties through Dunlap Construction. She also worked on residential properties through Dunlap Properties, LLC. During this time, Jill says she learned a lot from her dad, who advised her not to stay in the office all the time. She took his advice and spent the majority of her time in the field, visiting job sites and interacting with customers. 

Jill admits that, as the years have gone by and she has taken the business over from her father, she has shifted to spending about 90% of her time in the office, overseeing the day-to-day activities of the company. “Every day is different,” Jill explains. “That is the reality of construction, and that suits my personality well.”

What started out as a relatively small business has evolved into a multi-million dollar company under Jill’s management. “A female-owned construction company is a minority,” she acknowledges. “There aren’t many of us out there; the construction industry has always been male-dominated.” Jill reports that women make up about 9% of the construction industry nationally, and only 4% in North Carolina. Despite these statistics, she says she has only encountered discrimination a handful of times. “Every now and then, I get a customer who really doesn’t trust what I say or doesn’t feel they work well with me,” she admits, adding that she will generally hand off those projects to her father or her husband in the interest of avoiding a negative work scenario. “There’s a certain level of respect that I demand.”

Jill feels that her personality type makes her uniquely-skilled to do her job. “I’m a planner and a list-maker,” she says, stating that she even keeps a notebook by her bed so she can jot down any ideas that occur to her in the middle of the night. Jill also professes to be a good listener and communicator, which makes her especially good at working with her clients. She particularly enjoys being able to turn a client’s dream into a reality. “Taking the time to make decisions and selections in the beginning helps everything to flow smoothly,” Jill says of such projects. “A well-designed project is my cup of tea. I like a fast pace; I’m goal-oriented. I find gratification in completing lots of tasks.”\

She also likes that running a family-owned business gives her the flexibility to devote time to her two sons and her boxer, Sydney. “I get to be my own boss, so that I’m also able to be a mom,” Jill says.

Jill encourages all budding female entrepreneurs to step beyond their comfort zones. “My main thing is: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes,” she advises. “I’ve made plenty of them, and I’ve learned tons from every one.” She also places emphasis on the individuals that make her business run smoothly and successfully. She loves knowing that she always has the support of her team at Dunlap, but she also values the relationships she has with Dunlap’s clients, subcontractors and suppliers. 

As a minority business owner, Jill prioritizes honesty, integrity and compassion in her work. She is dedicated to every project she starts and enjoys getting to see them through to their best possible completion. “I love what I do,” she confesses. “Meeting the expectations of my clients by completing a project on time and under budget is always satisfying.”

For more information on Dunlap Construction, visit their website: www.dunlapconstructionnc.com