To get more information, review the eligibility requirements, and complete an application, check out Suffolk Construction's recent news release or visit www.suffolk.com/subcontractor_development_series.html.
Showing posts with label MBE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MBE. Show all posts
Saturday, August 9, 2014
News Release: Suffolk Construction Launches Fall 2014 Subcontractor Development Series
If you know a Massachusetts MBE or WBE that would benefit from training in construction management and greater access to relationships with major contractors like Suffolk Construction, Suffolk Construction's upcoming Subcontractor Development Series may provide the additional information and resources to help that subcontractor increase their success in the construction field. Applications for the Fall 2014 series are due Friday, August 15 at 5pm.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Repost: World Trade Center contractor charged in multimillion-dollar fraud
DCM Erectors Inc, a contractor of the World Trade Center project in New York City, has been charged with creating fake documentation to appear in compliance with MBE and WBE requirements for construction. A recent Reuters article written by Joseph Ax states:
"In one instance, [DCM Erectors CEO] Davis arranged for at least $2 million in compensation for Johnny Garcia, the owner of minority-owned Solera Construction, the government said.
Davis claimed a joint venture between Solera and DCM did about $70 million of work when, in fact, DCM did the work itself or hired a non-minority subcontractor, prosecutors said." (Ax, 31 July 2014)
The nearly $1 billion construction job, which includes the US's tallest tower at the site of the September 11th attacks, falls under the New York and New Jersey's Port Authority Regulations regarding the allocation of construction contracts to MBE and WBE companies.
Visit http://www.reuters.com/ to read the full Reuters article.
Visit http://www.reuters.com/ to read the full Reuters article.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Reminder: Aug. 2nd Application Deadline for Suffolk Construction Company's Subcontractor Development Series is Approaching!
Suffolk Construction Company's Subcontractor Development Series offers classes to union and non-union subcontractors that are certified by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) or Women Owned Business Enterprise (WBE), and have been in business for a minimum of two years. The free, eight-session series begins on September 5, 2013. The application deadline is 5pm EDT on August 2nd. Space will be limited. For more information and to apply, please visit http://www.suffolkconstruction.com/subcontractor_development_series.html.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Repost: Suffolk Construction offers training to minority and women contractors
Great free training opportunity for MBEs and WBEs in Boston! Check out the qualifying information below.
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July 8, 2013
By John Ruch
Suffolk Construction, Boston’s largest construction firm, is inviting Jamaica Plain minority- and women-owned subcontractor firms to a special course in how to do business on Suffolk projects.
The lack of opportunity for such firms on Boston construction projects has been longtime controversy, including recently in Jackson Square spanning JP and Roxbury. Suffolk started its “Subcontractor Development Series” program last year to help create such opportunities on its projects.
The free, eight-week program will be held in Roxbury starting Sept. 5. It will be limited to 30 participants and the application deadline is Aug. 2.
Applicants can be union or non-union subcontractors that are certified by the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, a Minority Business Enterprise or a Women Owned Business Enterprise. The firms must have been in business for at least two years.
The program includes classes in dealing with Suffolk, managing a project, finances and accessing capital, among other topics. Graduates will receive a certificate and direct access to Suffolk experts. The classes will be led by Suffolk executives and other industry experts.
While the course is open to all qualified subcontractors, Suffolk issued a press release to the Gazette specifically pointing out that “Jamaica Plain area” firms are welcome.
The course is the second form of community-improvement outreach from Suffolk in JP in recent weeks. Suffolk CEO John Fish last month proposed a multi-million-dollar renovation of Franklin Park’s White Stadium through a nonprofit he founded.
The lack of opportunity for such firms on Boston construction projects has been longtime controversy, including recently in Jackson Square spanning JP and Roxbury. Suffolk started its “Subcontractor Development Series” program last year to help create such opportunities on its projects.
The free, eight-week program will be held in Roxbury starting Sept. 5. It will be limited to 30 participants and the application deadline is Aug. 2.
Applicants can be union or non-union subcontractors that are certified by the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, a Minority Business Enterprise or a Women Owned Business Enterprise. The firms must have been in business for at least two years.
The program includes classes in dealing with Suffolk, managing a project, finances and accessing capital, among other topics. Graduates will receive a certificate and direct access to Suffolk experts. The classes will be led by Suffolk executives and other industry experts.
While the course is open to all qualified subcontractors, Suffolk issued a press release to the Gazette specifically pointing out that “Jamaica Plain area” firms are welcome.
The course is the second form of community-improvement outreach from Suffolk in JP in recent weeks. Suffolk CEO John Fish last month proposed a multi-million-dollar renovation of Franklin Park’s White Stadium through a nonprofit he founded.
See the original article at http://jamaicaplaingazette.com. Get more information about the Subcontractor Development Series at http://www.suffolkconstruction.com. Fill out your application at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VQMWD8P.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Repost: The data behind the city’s boost in MWBE contracting goals
An extremely data-rich May 8, 2013 article about Houston, TX, raising their W/MBE goal from 22% to 34%.
Interestingly, they removed the WBE goal after a 2009 lawsuit. The lawsuit required a disparity study, which they have now done, and the city has now re-included WBEs in their goal. Even more interestingly, after the WBE goals were dropped in 2009, the use of WBEs was cut in half. No such drop was found in MBEs. More evidence that goals matter.
Workforce participation goals are not address in this article.
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Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Interestingly, they removed the WBE goal after a 2009 lawsuit. The lawsuit required a disparity study, which they have now done, and the city has now re-included WBEs in their goal. Even more interestingly, after the WBE goals were dropped in 2009, the use of WBEs was cut in half. No such drop was found in MBEs. More evidence that goals matter.
Workforce participation goals are not address in this article.
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Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Houston City Council on Wednesday unanimously passed changes to the city’s affirmative action program, increasing small, minority- and women-owned businesses target share of construction work from 22 percent to 34 percent, and adding women back to the program (they’d been removed in a 2009 lawsuit settlement).
Here is today’s story for more background, and here is a story explaining the 2009 settlement. There are three items we didn’t have space for in the story that are worth noting here.
First, some numbers. Those around the council table praised the goal increase as a big deal today, but Houston already exceeded that goal, reaching 34.4 percent in fiscal year 2011, when the stated goal for construction was still 22 percent. The city also reached 32.4 percent participation last fiscal year.
Mayor Annise Parker has said repeatedly that small and minority firms were awarded more work during the last fiscal year (FY2012, which ended last June) than ever before. It turns out that’s not only true in construction work ($229 million) but overall ($340 million) and as an overall percentage of total work performed (25.7 percent). This is true at least back to 2005, the oldest year for which I have data. (Click here for a spreadsheet showing all the data.)
Also worth mentioning: Of the $229 million awarded in FY2012, certified firms were prime contractors for $105.8 million, or 46 percent, of the work, and were subcontractors on $123 million, or 54 percent, of the work. The substantial prime contracting share proves the program does not impede competition, said Carlecia Wright, director of the city’s Office of Business Opportunity, adding that subcontractors also must be qualified.
Second, the disparity study. The 2009 lawsuit settlement required a disparity study of city contracting to determine whether the city was justified in including women. After analyzing $2.82 billion in contracts over more than five years, the study showed that Hispanic and Native American business owners were receiving a parity of work but that firms owned by blacks, Asians and women were underrepresented (and that women’s share of city construction business was cut in half following the 2009 settlement). See slides 3-5 of this presentation, they’re really interesting.
After the City Council vote today, Women Contractors Association president Lenora Sorola-Pohlman said it was unfortunate her members had to wait five years to reenter the program.
“We’re happy women are back on the program. We’ll flourish like we did before,” she said. “Hopefully we don’t flourish so well they remove us again. It was only because of the goal they were hiring us. I was happy to see it was a unanimous vote, which doesn’t happen very often.”
Here is today’s story for more background, and here is a story explaining the 2009 settlement. There are three items we didn’t have space for in the story that are worth noting here.
First, some numbers. Those around the council table praised the goal increase as a big deal today, but Houston already exceeded that goal, reaching 34.4 percent in fiscal year 2011, when the stated goal for construction was still 22 percent. The city also reached 32.4 percent participation last fiscal year.
Mayor Annise Parker has said repeatedly that small and minority firms were awarded more work during the last fiscal year (FY2012, which ended last June) than ever before. It turns out that’s not only true in construction work ($229 million) but overall ($340 million) and as an overall percentage of total work performed (25.7 percent). This is true at least back to 2005, the oldest year for which I have data. (Click here for a spreadsheet showing all the data.)
Also worth mentioning: Of the $229 million awarded in FY2012, certified firms were prime contractors for $105.8 million, or 46 percent, of the work, and were subcontractors on $123 million, or 54 percent, of the work. The substantial prime contracting share proves the program does not impede competition, said Carlecia Wright, director of the city’s Office of Business Opportunity, adding that subcontractors also must be qualified.
Second, the disparity study. The 2009 lawsuit settlement required a disparity study of city contracting to determine whether the city was justified in including women. After analyzing $2.82 billion in contracts over more than five years, the study showed that Hispanic and Native American business owners were receiving a parity of work but that firms owned by blacks, Asians and women were underrepresented (and that women’s share of city construction business was cut in half following the 2009 settlement). See slides 3-5 of this presentation, they’re really interesting.
After the City Council vote today, Women Contractors Association president Lenora Sorola-Pohlman said it was unfortunate her members had to wait five years to reenter the program.
“We’re happy women are back on the program. We’ll flourish like we did before,” she said. “Hopefully we don’t flourish so well they remove us again. It was only because of the goal they were hiring us. I was happy to see it was a unanimous vote, which doesn’t happen very often.”
View the original article at http://blog.chron.com/houstonpolitics.
Monday, August 20, 2012
More women and people of color on Minnesota road projects (From: Minnesota Public Radio)
Posted at 8:37 PM on August 17, 2012 by Dan Olson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Discrimination, Government
Minnesota Department of Transportation faces were grim a few years ago.
My colleague, Mike Edgerly and I sat in an agency conference room with MnDOT bosses and asked about some sobering numbers.
Their efforts to recruit and find women and people of color for road and bridge projects were falling short.
Not just once, but over a period of years.
Fast forward to 2011, and MnDOT says the picture has changed.
There are more Disadvantaged Business Enterprises - women and minority owned companies - winning primary or subcontracting jobs with MnDOT and prime contractors.
There are more women and people of color breaking into living wage jobs on road construction crews through the agency's on the job training program.
Here are the numbers supplied by MnDOT:
Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) Participation improvements from 3.2% in 2009, 5.6% in 2010 to 7.6% in 2011. Current goal is 8.7% .
13 Mentor Protege Relationships established between prime and DBEs and implementation of a Working Capital Fund to assist small businesses.On the Job Training Placements: 70 in 2009. 111 in 2010. 127 in 2011Minority Workforce Participation increased from 6.1% in 2009 to 8.5% in 2011Women Workforce Participation increased from 3.3% in 2009 to 4.5% in 2011
The Federal Highway Administration recently took note of the improvements and gave MnDOT an award for how it got there.
It got there in no small measure because a whistleblower called the agency on its poor performance. She lost her job, sued, and won a small settlement.
The result was MnDOT's shortcomings hit the radar screen of advocacy groups and MPR News' reporting brought even more attention to the problem.
Enter Summit Academy OIC executive director Louis King and others who know how to marshal facts and rouse bodies for public confrontations with MnDOT officials.
The confrontations led to a so-called collaboration.
MnDOT hired an outside facilitator and representatives from the agency, contractors, unions and a range of other groups for more than a year to hammer out a plan for change.
The strategy appears to be helping MnDOT's and its contractors' hiring to more accurately reflect Minnesota's population.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Dueling forums address minority hiring in construction
Sid Hastings
24 JULY 2010 -- ST. LOUIS
-- Rally participants stream onto the Eads Bridge before the start of a
meeting on the bridge calling for greater participation by women and
minority in contracting and construction during the building of the new
Mississippi River bridge Saturday, July 24, 2010. That bridge, which
will carry I-70 when completed, is being built just north of the
existing Martin Luther King Bridge. The rally, held at mid-span of the
Eads Bridge, was sponsored by the United Congregations of Metro East,
Metropolitan Congregations United for St. Louis, the St. Louis, East St.
Louis and O'Fallon, Ill., chapters of the NAACP, Mo-Kan, Construction
and Contractors Assistance Center, St. Louis Metropolitan Clegry
Coalition and St. Louis Area Jobs with Justice.
Photo by Sid Hastings 
Loading…
The discussion about minority hiring in the construction trade - a hot button topic that has vexed St. Louis
for well over a half century – rose to the surface again Thursday in a
pair of dueling forums that showed the issue is far from resolution.
Yet the day's events also offered some hope that minority employment will improve after Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District decided Thursday evening to set its minority hiring goal of 25 percent.
Early Thursday afternoon, a consortium of leaders from major regional trade organizations led off with an announcement of what they envision as a “productive move forward” to remedy decades of the underrepresentation of minorities and women on local construction projects.
Yet the day's events also offered some hope that minority employment will improve after Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District decided Thursday evening to set its minority hiring goal of 25 percent.
Early Thursday afternoon, a consortium of leaders from major regional trade organizations led off with an announcement of what they envision as a “productive move forward” to remedy decades of the underrepresentation of minorities and women on local construction projects.
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