AEM Newsletter

April 17, 2023
Reporter: Mike Schmidt
Article: PERSISTENCE EXEMPLIFIED: A&D EQUIPMENT’S
DONNA LAFATA’S EVOLUTION INTO A WOMEN-
OWNED BUSINESS LEADER

– Mike Schmidt

“I was going to commit myself to this, and I wasn’t going to give up until it was done. Anybody can do it, it just comes down to how badly you want it, how important it is to you, and if you go out and get the resources you need to make it happen.â€

It’s long been Donna LaFata’s opinion that the skilled trades needed more female representation, particularly in positions of leadership. And while she spent several years playing an integral role in assisting her husband, Anthony, as he grew and developed his Connecticut-based excavating company, it wasn’t until a few short years ago that she decided the time was right for her to take the reins as the head of her own organization.

Donna LaFata, President A&D Equipment Inc.

Donna J. LaFata, President, A&D Equipment, Inc.

“Women are not very well represented in the skilled trades,†said LaFata. “We need more of a presence, and so I decided to come in and be really big and intentional about it.â€

Today, she is President and 51% owner of A&D Equipment, a Guilford, Connecticut-based construction equipment supplier. According to LaFata, the company is currently more successful than at any other point in its history. Its sales have doubled since 2020. A significant office expansion is underway. And, perhaps reflective of the strong organizational culture LaFata has worked so hard to establish over the last few years, the environment at A&D Equipment has an energy about it as additional staff comes aboard, and new organizational goals and aspirations come into focus.

Read the Full Article, here: aem.org/news/persistence-exemplified-ad-equipments-donna-lafatas-evolution-into-a-womenowned-business-leader

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