News

Meet the Woman Whose LIC Business is Soaring Thanks to a LaGuardia Contract

Spectrum News

By Clodagh McGowan

June 29, 2019

In this warehouse in Long Island City, equipment and building materials that will be used in the redevelopment of LaGuardia Airport are waiting for pick-up.

"Just so you know, as far as I'm concerned, I built it. And if you ask my children, they'd be like, oh yeah my mom built the airport,” said Leslie Baltes, the president of Carter, Milchman & Frank.

Meet Leslie Baltes, the president of Carter, Milchman & Frank, an industrial supply company. She sends shipments to LaGuardia several times a day.

Baltes' grandfather opened the business in SoHo in 1924, he moved its headquarters to Long Island City in 1956 and it’s been here since.

Baltes is not the first woman to run the company; her mom was at the reigns before she took over about six years ago.

"It's unusual. But it's getting less unusual, I feel like I'm really lucky. I'm a little bit of a pioneer but the ground is being paved for me by great people, and great companies and great policies that are out there,” said Baltes.

Under its contract with the Port Authority, Skanska the developers of the LaGuardia expansion, promised to give $684 million dollars in business to minority and women-owned companies working on the project. Baltes is just one of them.

"I think it's important that the project itself represent the community and these firms are struggling to the get on to these large projects,” said Suzanne Miritello, the compliance officer for Skanska USA Civil.

Skanska runs a program instructing businesses owned by minorities and women how to secure contracts and create jobs. So far, 350 firms have graduated from the course.

"There's a group of under-utilized subcontractors we can tap into through this program, to help us build the buildings and the things we do here,” Van Thompson, the diversity program director for Skanska Building Inc.

As for Baltes, while she's not physically building LaGuardia Airport, she says she feels great pride knowing she played a role in the renovated airport taking shape.

“In 20 years, in 30 years, I'll be able to say to my kids, my grandkids, I'm part of that. I'm part of something uniquely New York,” said Baltes.

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