Pre- and Post-Project Communication and Measurement Needed by DEIs

Date Posted: August 22, 2022

Posted In: Discussion, Ideas, Workforce,

by Ron Unterreiner, Founder, PEOPLE of Construction

Editor’s note: “Opportunity Report” is a regular feature of ConstructForSTL.org — a column by PEOPLE of Construction Founder Ron Unterreiner that we’re calling “Opportunity Report”.

Martin Luther King wrote, “The struggle for rights is, at bottom, a struggle for opportunities.” Dr. King noted that it does no good to say that someone can live wherever they want if they can’t afford to buy a house or that their children can go to any school if there’s no money for clothes or lunch.

The mission of the Construction Forum is “To facilitate the collaboration of all the stakeholders in the St. Louis Region’s built environment in creating inclusive robust employment and economic growth.” Ron Unterreiner will address all these issues in this and upcoming issues of “Opportunity Report”.

When I crafted my wish list of “Best Practices” for DEI—published thus far only on my PEOPLE website– I was thinking of how helpful it would be if all parties involved in a major commercial project made a more concerted effort to meet the minority and women-owned firms working on their sites. What a bonus it would be for all parties to get to know each other on a personal as well as business level. After all, we all look to do business with people we know.

Would it be that difficult or cumbersome to standard procedure for the owner and the general contractor to schedule an upfront introductory meeting with all minority and women owned firms scheduled to perform work on their project? In most job situations, the minority firm works under a second-tier subcontract to a prime trade contractor and may or may not ever meet the general contractor or owner. In most cases, the second-tier subcontractors are not included in the job site meetings, nor are they brought to the meeting table in any job situation. It seems at times, the diverse firms working on major projects are a well-kept secret.

Further, I propose that at the conclusion of the project, the owner, GD/CM and the prime trade contractors meet with all minority firms that performed work on the project. This would be a great time to critique their performance as well as discuss the overall financial success of each firm in respects to their work on the project. Following the meeting, the GC could summarize the meeting notes and include a recommendation for future work with the minority company and/or discussion of the reasons why a recommendation will not be made. There will also be a discussion of the type of business support an individual minority firm should receive to complete on future projects successfully in our industry.

This would cause meaningful progress in the decades long effort to build the capacity of minority firms. Just a thought.

In meetings this past week, there was a discussion of the MBE firms that have reached success over the years. Let me spotlight a couple of the firms I know well.

Shaun Carr has reached that enviable level to where his Carr Flooring Company is now known as a commercial flooring contractor that just happens to be MBE-certified. Carr Flooring competes as a prime sub on some of the most significant projects in the region. Shaun is a student of the industry and has labored intensely for many years to reach this position. He successfully navigated through the RUCC system and has been a major participant in diversity events through the years. Shaun was present at my first PEOPLE meeting in 2014 and I am proud to say that I served as an advisor to Shaun and his company during his tenure with RUCC. Hard work and a passion for detail and always doing business the right way are all keys to the success of Carr Flooring.

Brian Murphy had many ups and downs with his now well-known carpentry firm, BAM Contracting before reaching a impressive level of success in the greater St. Louis marketplace as well as the Kansas City marketplace. Brian was also a successful participant in the RUCC program, and I am sure would credit this remarkable, well-run business assistance program for the professional guidance offered over the years. BAM is a great example of patiently waiting for the right opportunities and never giving up the fight and always looking back to help other minorities succeed, whether it be through the company workforce or through business assistance.

Carr Flooring and BAM Construction are well respected members of the design and construction industry that just happens to be MBE certified. My congratulations to both Shaun and Brian on their success.

I look forward to telling the stories of other successful MBE and WBE firms through this column. Thanks for reading.