A partnership of large general contracting firms will offer a professional development program for area small businesses.
Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate and a joint venture of Clark Construction, The Weitz Co. and Clarkson Construction Co. announced the Strategic Partnership Program for Kansas City-based minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned and disadvantaged businesses.
The program is a six-month “MBA-style” course for small business owners and leaders. It provides the following:
- Core construction management and business fundamentals
- Opportunities to engage with industry experts
- Bonding, estimating, scheduling and project management best practices
- Technical training and professional development
The course is free for participants. Applications will be accepted at www.cwcjv.com through Feb. 26.
Clark Construction offers the program in other markets, including Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and its headquarters city, Bethesda, Md. Since 2006, more than 350 small business owners have gone through the program. It provides the opportunity for small businesses to develop mentor-protégé relationships with larger firms. However, it does not guarantee a contract with the presenting firms.
Edgemoor and the joint venture partners were chosen to build the new single-terminal project at Kansas City International Airport after the initial selection process. It’s been a turbulent path since then, however; in December, Kansas City Council rejected the first version of a memorandum of understanding. The council is set to vote on a new version Feb. 8.
