Catherine Moss surveys the scene working on site on the Pulaski Bridge.
Catherine Moss is a leader in New York’s union construction’ community and the owner of several MWBE companies: L&L Painting Co., Inc, L&L Stone & Tile, LLC, L&L Specialty Flooring, and CMR Civil, LLC. She has empowered women in the construction industry as the founder of C-Suite State of Mind and as board co-chair of Non-Traditional Employment for Women. Prior to owning her own businesses, Catherine worked in important roles at several top construction firms, including ADCO Electrical Corporation, Hunter Roberts, and Cauldwell Wingate.
BTEA President Elizabeth Crowley spoke with Catherine about how technology has changed the industry, the course of her career and why she is so dedicated to serving as a role model to other women in construction.
BTEA: Could you share how you came to this industry and how your constellation of companies fit together under your leadership?
Catherine: I came into this industry by pure luck. I had no family or friends in construction. I was working to pay for college every minute of the day, and while waitressing, I met a contractor who was in a bind and couldn’t run payroll and offered me $25 an hour to print paychecks. That led to delivering checks, checking insurances, handling scope questions, and soon I became a direct point of contact. Clients began reaching out to me, and I grew entrenched in residential contracting. I enjoyed it and wanted more. I landed my first commercial job with Susan Hayes at Caldwell Wingate. Susan hired me as marketing coordinator, which gave me exposure across all departments—estimating, purchasing, executives—learning how projects were won. Soon after, I became an assistant project manager on a job at NYU Langone, and I fell in love with the work even more. Eventually, I worked as an assistant superintendent, and then kept working my way up. Being on-site, learning every trade, confirmed that construction was my calling.
BTEA: Your firms have handled projects ranging from landmark renovations like the Waldorf Astoria to major transportation infrastructure. How do you approach public versus private projects?
Catherine: We’re structured in a way that allows us to truly understand and deliver on both public and private projects—it’s part of who we are. Our companies have specialized teams that bring different strengths to each sector.
On private projects like the Waldorf Astoria, the expectation is that every square inch matters—even the interiors of valet closets are wall-covered with perfection. That level of detail isn’t just a task, it’s ingrained in our culture.
On the public side, that same mindset drives us in a different way. For example, in civil work we bring that exacting culture into designing sheeting and shoring for heavy excavation. While the scale and oversight may differ between public and private, our approach is consistent: an unwavering commitment to detail and quality.
Our executives and teams talk through every element, and the diversification we have gives us a leg up.
BTEA: What are some of the civil projects that you’re currently working on?
Catherine: We’re working with the Department of Environmental Protection to protect New York’s drinking water. Local 60 teams, including divers, maintain reservoirs and vegetation. One foreman recently spotted fluid near a reservoir, immediately called HAZMAT, and prevented contamination. That vigilance protects millions of New Yorkers. We’re also partnering with E-J Electric and Comstock on MTA infrastructure upgrades—substations, transformers, excavations, revegetation. For instance, at Prospect Park we’re excavating for the new service lines and restoring the park afterward.
BTEA: How has technology transformed how contractors bid, track, and deliver projects?
Catherine: Technology has been transformative. It eliminates duplicative entries. For example, in stone and tile, entering a project into software now carries through estimating, shop drawings, and as-builts, instead of being redone at each stage. The key is capturing clean data at the start, so it flows transparently across every department. That saves time, money, and labor.
BTEA: You’ve been on the board of Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) for a long time, and now you lead it. Why do you devote your free time to this organization?
Catherine: Because this work is personal to me. Every woman we train and place in union employment reminds me of my own journey. I once worked four low-paying jobs just to make it through college. These women have enormous potential, and what they bring to the job site is remarkable.
NEW provides more than training—it offers pathways, connections, and a true sisterhood. Too often, if you don’t see it, you don’t know it exists. As a mother of two daughters, ages 8 and 10, I want them to know that gender should never define a career path. Yesterday, my younger daughter saw an ad in our town for firefighting careers and said, “Mom, you should be a firefighter.” The fact that she sees that role as a fitting possibility for me tells me I must be doing something right.
That’s the power of NEW. We show women what’s possible, and we’ve placed thousands in strong union careers. The demand keeps growing—and we are rising to meet it.