Five things you should know about
Rebecca Mouk
President, Ascension Roofing and Fabrication
Rebecca Mouk’s career began in sales for an agricultural chemical company, but all the while she was looking for a concept of her own. When traveling, she found a restaurant franchise she liked, and in 2004 she left corporate America to open Louisiana’s first Cheeburger Cheeburger on Siegen Lane with her brother and sister-in-law. They eventually purchased franchise rights for the whole state. The construction portion of the restaurants came naturally to Mouk, so when the opportunity arose to sell the establishments, construction was a fitting transition. It was around that time Mouk and her father decided to buy an existing industrial roofing and sheet metal company that was on the decline in Gonzales. Together, with Mouk as president and her father acting as a business consultant, they’ve turned the company around and continue to grow.
1) Like many in the business, the company deals with a constant struggle to find workers because of the Capital Region’s industrial expansion. “With the rate of growth, it can be difficult to find skilled labor,” Mouk says. “And, to be honest, Louisiana’s infrastructure has made it challenging to even get where we need to be sometimes.”
2) For Mouk, the most challenging part of her business is gaining access to the competitive industrial market. “There are very stringent requirements that must be met in order to work at these facilities,” she says. Nonetheless, since 2008 she’s been able to re-introduce the company to customers and expand into new markets.
3) Being a woman and running an industrial roofing and fabrication company comes with its inherent difficulties. Mouk says her greatest professional obstacle is when people don’t take her seriously. “I don’t necessarily fit the mold of construction, so I have to work hard and earn the business,” Mouk says.
4) As president, Mouk is essentially her dad’s boss, which she says makes her laugh every time she thinks about it. “Attempting to direct him brings laughs daily,” Mouk says. When they bought the business together, Mouk says her dad did not want to be involved in the day-to-day operations. However, he can’t seem to stay away. “He really enjoys it and is very valuable, so he’s here almost every day,” Mouk says.
5) Mouk’s secret to success: Never get comfortable. “There are times I think, ‘OK, we’re doing well, I can relax now,’” Mouk says. “But there’s always more to do and competition to look out for.” Mouk says it has been rewarding turning the company around and growing it, as well as putting more people to work.
