L’Tryce Slade: Birmingham Business Owner and Mom on Work-Life Balance

By Keisa Sharpe-Jefferson | The Birmingham Times In addition to being “mom” to Baby Slade, L’Tryce Slade’s other title is “businesswoman”—and she gives her all to both roles. Slade considers becoming a first-time mom at age 45 one of her greatest accomplishments. She is owner of Slade Land Use, Environmental, and Transportation Planning LLC in Birmingham. Her son will turn 2 in June, and Slade, now at the age of 47, embraces motherhood every second she can. As Mother’s Day—Sunday, May 12—approaches, Slade reflected on work-life balance and being a business owner in a male-dominated industry. The mission statement of her company, Slade Land Use, Environmental and Transportation Planning LLC, is simple: “We build more than buildings, we build communities,” said the award-winning entrepreneur and Managing Partner for the Birmingham-based firm. Slade’s company, founded in 2006, specializes in construction material testing, general contracting services, geotechnical services, environmental consulting, and urban planning. Clients include federal and county governments, universities, law firms, nonprofits, transportation consulting firms, and engineering firms. The company is licensed in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. As one of the few Black female contractors in Alabama, Slade knows there are some who doubt her abilities, but she...