“As a new owner, I had to bring the company and all of its employees out of 2020 with their jobs intact”

Jodie Weber, CEO and second-generation owner of Federal Engineering & Testing, Inc., is very thoughtful of her employees and their families. She is always looking to do what is best and put her employees first. She strives to have a company culture where everyone feels like they are part of the team/family. She joined the Federal Engineering & Testing, Inc. team to work alongside her father, John Weber, in 2011. Over this time, she has learned many different aspects of the family business up to various leadership roles. As a hands-on leader, she has continued to remain very involved in all aspects of the company, including day-to-day operations. She took over ownership of Federal Engineering & Testing, Inc. in August of 2020. She is looking forward to continuing her father’s legacy in the entrepreneurial world and hopes to make him proud. He is now working part-time to enjoy his golden years. She plans to continue growing the business and exploring new avenues in the industry as the building code, standards, and demands evolve in Florida.

Federal Engineering & Testing, Inc. was formed in 1989 as a DBA of Jodie’s Father, John Weber's first business. He separated the entities, and Federal Engineering & Testing, Inc. was incorporated in 2013. In 2020, after the pandemic began, John (80) decided that the business was too much to handle and transferred ownership over to Jodie as 100% owner. Jodie Said, “As a new owner I had to bring the company and all of its employees out of 2020 with their jobs intact. I continue to deal with the pandemic and regulations in the best ways possible for my employees and their families.”

Jodie has been inspiring women and guiding them diligently by being a member of the National Association of Women in Construction and the National Association of Women in Roofing. She is also an active member of the Greater Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce, where she has been a trustee and founder/ co-chair of their Construction Networking Lunch for over 8 years. She has obtained several achievement awards. The most recent is the Shining Star Award from the Greater Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce as well as a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for outstanding and invaluable service to the community by US Congressman Ted Deutch.

"As a new owner, I had to bring the company and all of its employees out of 2020 with their jobs intact. I continue to deal with the pandemic and regulations in the best ways possible for my employees and their families.”

Being a female leader in a sea of men has had some challenges, but Jodie did not let that or anything else stand in her way of moving forward. Early on, when she was working in project management within their roofing department and was also learning fieldwork, there were several instances where Jodie was faced with men who thought she couldn’t do her job. However, she did not let that affect her and quickly proved them otherwise. Other than a few small instances she has not experienced any major issues with being a female leader.

Some of the company’s achievements include their state-of-the-art in-house laboratory that is certified and accredited by the Construction Materials Engineering Council, the Florida Department of Transportation, and maintaining the Miami-Dade laboratory accreditation for roof testing in our high-velocity hurricane zone per the FBC requirements. The company has also completed many high-profile jobs within the public and private sector from Key West up to Georgia.

Federal Engineering & Testing, Inc. is constantly looking for ways to benefit its clients and handle any project that is required. “We are in the process of obtaining our Women Business Enterprise Certification as well as the Women-Owned Small Business Certification through the federal government,” says Jodie. “This will benefit us and help ensure our staff continues to stay busy. It will also benefit our clients with meeting their disadvantaged business participation goals on their next city or county project.” They are also staying on top of new testing methods and requirements to keep them competitive and ahead of other companies within the same industry. This different ideology is leading the company to greater heights.

Jodie is a theater for the arts philanthropist and is involved in several organizations within her company’s industry and involving her passions. Outside of work, Jodie loves to travel and explore other places and cultures. She has been to many countries. When not traveling, she enjoys going to Broadway musicals at the Broward/ Kravis Center for the Performing Arts or seeing plays/musicals at other local theaters. She spends most of her free time working in her garden or watching Netflix with her sphynx cats, Idina and Matzah. IE