In an effort to promote and strengthen the role of minority, women, and veteran-owned firms in the construction industry, Gilbane Building Co. recently convened its first-ever National Partners Council Forum at its world headquarters in Providence, RI. The Forum, the first of its kind in the construction management industry, brought together presidents and chief executives from more than 15 minority and women-owned firms from around the U.S., along with 10 members of Gilbane’s senior executive team. During the two-day event, attendees participated in a dynamic exchange of ideas on industry best practices as well as building and sustaining strategic partnerships that will extend beyond a single project focus.
“The Gilbane National Partners Council’s Forum was truly groundbreaking,” said Mark O’Luck, Chief Executive Officer of New York-based Spectrum Personal Communications Corp. “The great thing about the Forum was how frank and candid the discussions were. The knowledge gained and information shared by Gilbane and members of the Council is so important during this period of contraction in the construction industry. The sharing of information from the National Partners Council and Gilbane will only serve to foster stronger business relationships going forward.”
“Historically our industry places too much focus simply on winning jobs and often the decision to work together is centered solely on that goal,” explained William J. Gilbane, Jr., President and Chief Operating Officer of Gilbane Building Company. “We believe that not nearly enough time is spent growing the relationships between companies and sharing skill development that will benefit all of us in the industry. This Forum brought together an extraordinary array of industry leaders to discuss supporting the growth of minority firms to pursue, perform, and deliver client-focused opportunities.”
He added, “Some attendees have built a relationship with Gilbane over 50 years or more while for others, the Forum marked the start of what we hope will be a mutually beneficial relationship. The benefit of this shared knowledge will make all of our companies and our industry stronger.”
Commenting on the immediate, practical impact of the Forum, Rosana Privitera Biondo, President of Mark One Electric Company of Kansas City, MO, and a 37-year veteran of the industry, remarked, “I was stunned that Gilbane would be so kind as to invest the time and resources to bring minority and women-owned businesses together and to share so much information with us, as well as to learn of so many minority contractors around the country. It’s encouraging to see so many that have done well. There was a lot of teambuilding going on in the room and I look forward to reaching out to people in the Forum to potentially do business together.” BD+C
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Apr 12, 2024
ICC eliminates building electrification provisions from 2024 update
The International Code Council stripped out provisions from the 2024 update to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) that would have included beefed up circuitry for hooking up electric appliances and car chargers.
Urban Planning | Apr 12, 2024
Popular Denver e-bike voucher program aids carbon reduction goals
Denver’s e-bike voucher program that helps citizens pay for e-bikes, a component of the city’s carbon reduction plan, has proven extremely popular with residents. Earlier this year, Denver’s effort to get residents to swap some motor vehicle trips for bike trips ran out of vouchers in less than 10 minutes after the program opened to online applications.
Laboratories | Apr 12, 2024
Life science construction completions will peak this year, then drop off substantially
There will be a record amount of construction completions in the U.S. life science market in 2024, followed by a dramatic drop in 2025, according to CBRE. In 2024, 21.3 million sf of life science space will be completed in the 13 largest U.S. markets. That’s up from 13.9 million sf last year and 5.6 million sf in 2022.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 12, 2024
Habitat starts leasing Cassidy on Canal, a new luxury rental high-rise in Chicago
New 33-story Class A rental tower, designed by SCB, will offer 343 rental units.
Student Housing | Apr 12, 2024
Construction begins on Auburn University’s new first-year residence hall
The new first-year residence hall along Auburn University's Haley Concourse.
K-12 Schools | Apr 11, 2024
Eric Dinges named CEO of PBK
Eric Dinges named CEO of PBK Architects, Houston.
Construction Costs | Apr 11, 2024
Construction materials prices increase 0.4% in March 2024
Construction input prices increased 0.4% in March compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data released today. Nonresidential construction input prices also increased 0.4% for the month.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 11, 2024
The just cause in behavioral health design: Make it right
NAC Architecture shares strategies for approaching behavioral health design collaboratively and thoughtfully, rather than simply applying a set of blanket rules.
K-12 Schools | Apr 10, 2024
A San Antonio school will provide early childhood education to a traditionally under-resourced region
In San Antonio, Pre-K 4 SA, which provides preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds, and HOLT Group, which owns industrial and other companies, recently broke ground on an early childhood education: the South Education Center.
University Buildings | Apr 10, 2024
Columbia University to begin construction on New York City’s first all-electric academic research building
Columbia University will soon begin construction on New York City’s first all-electric academic research building. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), the 80,700-sf building for the university’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons will provide eight floors of biomedical research and lab facilities as well as symposium and community engagement spaces.
