For over 40 years, LoDuca Associates has been a fixture on Long Island. On Fire Island, some of the projects it has worked on include the construction of the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Navy Seal Museum in West Sayville, the Ocean Beach Ferry Terminal on Fire Island, along with numerous residential homes on South Shore Long Island and beyond. The company also holds numerous Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Empire State Awards in the public and private sectors. Now in its second generation of family ownership, we spoke with President/CEO Renee Guerrieri, who is now leading the company at the helm.
Great South Bay News (GSBN): Tell me about your time with the company.
Renee Guerrieri (RG): I have been part of this business since birth and have always been in awe of my father, Rich LoDuca. He was simply a man I thought knew everything. He wants to provide you with all the details to help you understand the answer. We used to travel up north, and there was a toll booth on Interstate 95 that his company built. Every time we passed through, my three sisters and I called them “Daddy’s toll booths.” He was so proud of them, so we were proud of them, too. I never planned to be part of the business. Raising four daughters, I think my father just assumed that, one day, the LoDuca business would be dissolved or sold. Then, in 2007, my father was diagnosed with cancer—treatable, but still cancer. His bookkeeper had left, and the company was going through a tough time. I was a school teacher at that point. Initially, I planned to leave my job for a year to help at the company. That was 18 years ago. Working with him elevated my respect for my father to a whole new level. I never imagined the pressures he dealt with daily: the responsibilities, stress, and many hats he wore. As a father, he never let the pressure show. We started the transition of ownership in 2018, but it was years in the making. The purchase was complete on May 1, 2024.
GSBN: Is your father still involved in some capacity?
RG: He is fully retired, but still around the office from time to time. Initially, there were some projects he saw through until they were finished. He races cars, so he still brings them into our workshop to work on them.
GSBN: Let’s talk about some of your favorite projects over those years.
RG: One project is the Ocean Beach ferry terminal. Many general contractors and subcontractors shy away from working there because of the numerous logistical challenges tied to working on Fire Island. We were demolishing the old ferry terminal and rebuilding a new one during the off-season. Being a transportation site, it still had to stay operational during that time. We didn’t miss a beat. The entire team came together with pride to create this entry point for everyone coming into Ocean Beach. Then, there is the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Navy Seal Museum in West Sayville. That was a deeply meaningful project for us. The Seaford Train Station is another. The Long Island Railroad has been a steady client of ours. We have also built numerous private residences in the region. We’ve always had a private sector and a public sector, and our private sector has always been smaller. My dream, my vision, has always been to create a more specialized residential department where I have a team dedicated solely to managing residential homes. Shifting back and forth between public projects and high-end homes is not always ideal for the employee.
GSBN: Do you do any work in New York City?
RG: We’ve done many brownstones. At first, we struggled to break into that field. My dad always says there’s a time to start everything. What are the components involved in working on a brownstone? They are historical, so you aim to keep that integrity, and we do historical preservation work. It also involves renovating a house, which we know and do well. Once we were awarded our first brownstone project, we became brownstone builders. Nobody ever questioned us again.
GSBN: Now that LoDuca Associates is a woman-owned business, what’s changed and what’s remained the same?
RG: My dad focused more on the rough construction of things. I’m applying a woman’s perspective to that rough construction to refine it. Right now, I’m working to obtain my WBE [Women-Owned Business Enterprise] certification from New York State. I was approved in Suffolk County and Nassau County, but New York State denied me, claiming I lacked hands-on experience. Maybe I’ve never been out in the field swinging a hammer, but I understand what it takes to build a project, manage a team, and handle the financial responsibilities involved. This company isn’t a gift or inheritance. I admired a company where the sons took over after their father, but a year later, they went out of business because they couldn’t handle their finances. Running a successful construction company takes more than just swinging a hammer.
GSBN: I’m shocked that New York State didn’t approve your certification.
RG: I’m currently going through the appeal process for that, and my lawyer believes I have a strong case.
GSBN: Let’s talk a little bit about your family.
RG: My oldest just turned 15. We weren’t able to get pregnant right away, and then it was a whirlwind. We had another daughter in 2011 and another in 2014. After that, I thought our family was complete, but my son was born two years ago. My husband and I are about to celebrate our 19th anniversary. We’ve also been a foster family. When we first started fostering, I thought that would be our new path, and I was looking at 15-passenger vans. I still stay in touch with most of the kids who were with us. It was an enriching experience to have these children in our lives.
GSBN: You told me your dad wears a lot of hats, but I have a feeling that runs in the family.
RG: Yeah, it’s a family thing.
Editor’s Note: Several weeks after our interview, Renee Guerrieri was notified that New York State reversed its denial of her WBE application. LoDuca Associates’ Woman-Owned Business Enterprise status became effective on September 1, 2025.
