Chicago: Minority, Women Owned Businesses To Get Boost At Expo

CHICAGO,  -- Turner Construction Company's Chicago office will hold its 22nd annual Turner School of Construction Management (TSCM) training program for owners of minority- and women-business enterprises (M/WBEs) in the construction industry, beginning on June 22nd. The program is offered at no cost and provides an opportunity for participants to further develop and improve their skills, while networking with others in the construction industry.  

The Turner School of Construction Management is designed to provide M/WBE contractors with the tools necessary to pursue work in the private and public sectors.  Participants learn the essentials of managing a business, including how to develop a business plan, estimate and bid a larger job, obtain bonding, enforce safety principles and establish and manage credit, in order to become better equipped to compete for progressively larger contracts.  One goal of the program is to develop a pool of minority contractors with the necessary skills to perform work on future Turner projects.  

Many local leaders in the industry are participating as instructors in the program covering topics that include "Understanding the Owner," taught by Boyd Black, Assistant Vice President for Capital Project Delivery at the University of Chicago; "Construction Law," instructed by Michelle F. Kantor of McDonald Hopkins LLC; "Insurance for the Construction Industry," taught by Vicki Gotch-Mesa, Associate Director for Aon Risk Insurance Services Central, Inc.; "M/WBE & Small Business Concerns," taught by Althea Taylor, President of Taylor Made Industries, and "Banking in Today's Economy," presented by Matthew Doucet, Vice President of the Construction and Engineering Department at Fifth Third Bank.  Sponsor of this year's TSCM program include:  The City of Chicago's Department of Procurement, a sponsor since the early 1990's, the Exelon Corporation, and the Federation of Women Contractors, as well as former TSCM participants, Riteway-Huggins Construction, Gale Construction, People Space, Ltd., and Taylor Made Industries.  In addition, this year's program is being endorsed by the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council.  

Turner, the nation's leading general builder, has a long and positive track record in the utilization of emerging, minority and women business enterprises on its projects. Turner was the first major builder to establish a formal community affairs department.  Today, the Turner School of Construction Management is offered in more than 70 cities across the country and includes more than 15,000 graduates.  

TSCM has been crucial in helping Turner achieve success in awarding more than 52,000 contracts with a value in excess of$18 billion to minority- and women-owned business enterprises. For the past five years, Turner has surpassed the milestone of awarding more than $1 billion of contracts to M/WBE firms.

Guests or media interested in viewing a class session are welcome to contact Daphne M. Sligh, Director of Community Affairs, at 312-327-2893 or dsligh@tcco.com.

About Turner

Turner is the leading general builder in the U.S., ranking first or second in the major segments of the building construction field.  During 2009, Turner completed $8.2 billion of construction. Turner is the only builder offering clients a nationwide network of offices across the U.S. Founded in 1902, the firm is a subsidiary of HOCHTIEF, a publicly traded company and one of the world's leading international construction service providers. For more information, visit Turner's website atwww.turnerconstruction.com.

HOCHTIEF is one of the leading international providers of construction-related services. With more than 66,000 employees and a sales volume of EUR 18.17 billion in FY 2009, the company is represented in all the world's major markets. The Group's service offering in the fields of development, construction, services, concessions and operation covers the entire life cycle of infrastructure projects, real estate and facilities. In the USA, the biggest construction market in the world, HOCHTIEF is the No. 1 general builder via its subsidiary Turner and, with Group company Flatiron, ranks among the most important players in the field of transportation infrastructure construction. With its subsidiary Leighton (HOCHTIEF share around 55 percent), the Group is market leader in Australia. Because of its engagement for sustainability, HOCHTIEF has been listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes since 2006. Further information is available at www.hochtief.com/press.

SOURCE Turner Construction Company