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
| Dec 17, 2010
How to Win More University Projects
University architects representing four prominent institutions of higher learning tell how your firm can get the inside track on major projects.
| Dec 13, 2010
Energy efficiency No. 1 priority for commercial office tenants
Green building initiatives are a key influencer when tenants decide to sign a commercial real estate lease, according to a survey by GE Capital Real Estate. The survey, which was conducted over the past year and included more than 2,220 office tenants in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, the UK, Spain, and Japan, shows that energy efficiency remains the No. 1 priority in most countries. Also ranking near the top: waste reduction programs and indoor air.
| Dec 7, 2010
Are green building RFPs more important than contracts?
The Request for Proposal (RFP) process is key to managing a successful LEED project, according to Green Building Law Update. While most people think a contract is the key element to a successful construction project, successfully managing a LEED project requires a clear RFP that addresses many of the problems that can lead to litigation.
| Dec 7, 2010
Blue is the future of green design
Blue design creates places that are not just neutral, but actually add back to the world and is the future of sustainable design and architecture, according to an interview with Paul Eagle, managing director of Perkins+Will, New York; and Janice Barnes, principal at the firm and global discipline leader for planning and strategies.
| Dec 7, 2010
Green building thrives in shaky economy
Green building’s momentum hasn’t been stopped by the economic recession and will keep speeding through the recovery, while at the same time building owners are looking to go green more for economic reasons than environmental ones. Green building has grown 50% in the past two years; total construction starts have shrunk 26% over the same time period, according to “Green Outlook 2011” report. The green-building sector is expected to nearly triple by 2015, representing as much as $145 billion in new construction activity.
| Dec 7, 2010
USGBC: Wood-certification benchmarks fail to pass
The proposed Forest Certification Benchmark to determine when wood-certification groups would have their certification qualify for points in the LEED rating systemdid not pass the USGBC member ballot. As a result, the Certified Wood credit in LEED will remain as it is currently written. To date, only wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council qualifies for a point in the LEED, while other organizations, such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, the Canadian Standards Association, and the American Tree Farm System, are excluded.
| Dec 7, 2010
Prospects for multifamily sector improve greatly
The multifamily sector is showing signs of a real recovery, with nearly 22,000 new apartment units delivered to the market. Net absorption in the third quarter surged by 94,000 units, dropping the national vacancy rate from 7.8% to 7.1%, one of the largest quarterly drops on record, and rents increased for the second quarter in a row.
| Dec 7, 2010
Hot rumor: Norman Foster designing Apple’s new campus
Lord Norman Foster, reportedly has been selected to design Apple’s new campus in Cupertino, Calif. If the news is true, Foster is a good match for Apple say experts. Foster built his celebrity by marrying big gestures to technological wizardry. And, unlike some starchitects, he has glommed onto the environmental revolution—something Apple has made a point of embracing, too.
| Dec 7, 2010
10 megacities of the near future
With Beijing, Shanghai, and Mumbai already on the global radar, where can the next wave of construction be found? Far beyond China, India, and even Brazil it’s predicted. The world’s next future megacities could include Istanbul, Turkey; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Khartoum, Sudan, among others. Read about these emerging and little-known behemoths.