InSite BUILD LLC

Melissa Drew is the founder and president of InSite BUILD LLC, a commercial construction management firm based in Salisbury. Established in 2022, the company specializes in large-scale, state-procured contracts on the Eastern Shore.

With a team of six employees, four of whom are women, InSite BUILD has experienced remarkable growth, with revenue increasing from less than $200 thousand in 2022 to $3.7 million in 2023 and more than $14 million so far in 2024. Drew, a member of Leadership Maryland and named to The Daily Record’s Maryland’s Top 100 Women list, is passionate about empowering women in the male-dominated construction industry.

What does it mean to you to be a women-owned business?

Being a successful woman-owned business in the male-dominated construction industry means that I have overcome the self-doubt, the double-standards and the working twice as hard as my male counterparts to now be in a position to lead in the ways that I want to. While I have inwardly always felt that I was talented and driven, externally I was passive and accommodating. Now as a woman-owned business owner, I am decisive, strategic, and am showing what my inner self has always known.

What challenges have you faced as a women-owned business?

In a male-dominated construction industry, I feel that our company has to work harder to initially prove to new clients and new trade partners that we are experienced and know what we’re talking about! People tend to stereotype that men naturally know more about construction, yet most industry colleagues know that women tend to be much more thorough and detailed when it comes to uncovering the complexities within the type of construction projects our company builds.

This profile is part of The Daily Record's In the Lead: Best Women-Owned Businesses in Maryland list for 2024. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. See the full list at thedailyrecord.com.