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
| Sep 20, 2011
Jeanne Gang wins MacArthur Fellowship
Jeanne Gang, a 2011 MacArthur Fellowship winner described by the foundation as "an architect challenging the aesthetic and technical possibilities of the art form in a wide range of structures."
| Sep 20, 2011
Francis Cauffman wins two IDA design awards
The PA/NJ/DE Chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) has presented the Francis Cauffman architecture firm with two awards: the Best Interior Design of 2011 for the W. L. Gore offices in Elkton, MD, and the President’s Choice Award for St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, NJ.
| Sep 20, 2011
PPG, Pleotint to co-market environmentally adaptive glazing technology with low-e glass
Laminated between two lites of glass, SRT interlayer may be used monolithically or within an insulating glass unit.
| Sep 19, 2011
Portland team hired as LEED and commissioning consultants for $5.5B downtown sustainable project in Qatar
The $5.5 billion sustainable downtown regeneration project underway by Msheireb Properties will transform a 76 acres site at the centre of Doha, Qatar’s capital city, recreating a way of living that is rooted in Qatari culture, attracting residents back to the city center and reversing the trend for decentralization.
| Sep 16, 2011
Chicago Architecture Foundation partners with seven renowned architects to re-imagine Chicago neighborhoods
Design on the Edge presents plans created by seven teams of nine Chicago-based architects to reimagine seven of the city’s neighborhoods to encourage street life, retail districts and dense housing around the existing “L” transit system.
| Sep 14, 2011
USGBC L.A. Chapter's Green Gala features Jason McLennan as keynote speaker
The Los Angeles Chapter of the nonprofit USGBC will launch its Sustainable Innovation Awards this year during the chapter's 7th Annual Green Gala on Thursday, November 3.
| Sep 14, 2011
Lend Lease’s role in 9/11 Memorial & Museum
Lend Lease is honored to be the general contractor for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum project at the World Trade Center site in New York City.
| Sep 14, 2011
Thornton Tomasetti’s Poon named to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s Board of Trustees
During his 30-plus years of experience, Poon has been responsible for the design and construction of super high-rise structures, mixed-used buildings, hotels, airports, arenas and residential buildings worldwide.
| Sep 12, 2011
PVs play new roles as a teaching tool
Solar installations are helping K-12 schools around the country save money and teach students the intricacies of renewable energy sources.
| Sep 12, 2011
Living Buildings: Are AEC Firms up to the Challenge?
Modular Architecture > You’ve done a LEED Gold or two, maybe even a LEED Platinum. But are you and your firm ready to take on the Living Building Challenge? Think twice before you say yes.