Across the nation disparity reports reveal that companies with leadership that is Black, brown, indigenous and/or female are under-represented among large construction companies. Right now, as the Biden administration’s infrastructure plan promotes increasing activity in commercial construction across multiple sectors, there are unprecedented prospects for minority and women-owned firms to close a longtime opportunity gap.
How can generally small and often under-resourced construction firms headed by people of color and women achieve equity, opportunity and access to these mushrooming business opportunities in a field dominated by traditional, long-established builders? These diverse business leaders are resilient, often wearing both administrative and operational hats, weathering slow payment cycles and nominal purchasing power while pushing through compliance paperwork and delivering a level of excellence to sophisticated clients. They deserve a support system that backs up their talent and capabilities.
Maven Construction, the Dorchester-based general contracting firm that I lead, along with a talented group of committed professionals, has partnered with top industry colleagues to found The SRGE. A unique construction equity accelerator, “SRGE” provides back-office support, technology, fiscal and training support to Black, brown, indigenous and women-owned construction companies.
Our highly valued partners include a national/international partnership with Randstad and local alliances with Harvard Business School, Boston Consulting Group and many others.
Built and run by accomplished industry leaders, SRGE fills gaps and meets needs, giving participating companies the edge to meet the challenges and remove barriers for diverse construction businesses. SRGE acts as an operational partner with the mission to help MWBE (Minority and Women Business Enterprise) construction companies. SRGE offers participating companies the tools to grow through access to capital, strategic guidance, innovative resources, access to necessary technology, and business operations and development support.
SRGE also provides leadership in clean energy with a focus on the energy retrofit, renewable energy and sustainability, ensuring that every project of a participant organization uses the most effective energy reduction strategies to achieve our 2050 decarbonization goals.
The SRGE team is working with our first cohort of participants, providing support and resources to prepare them for growth and success as demand grows for high quality construction capability. We are here to serve the building industry and the minority and women construction leaders whose creativity and capability in this time of national fiscal instability will heighten economic growth and vitality in our communities and our country. It’s time to SRGE!
JocCole “JC” Burton is the founder/CEO of Maven Construction, Inc., a Dorchester-based general contractor. Burton has contributed to early versions of the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) worldwide green-building certification program, served on several City of Boston boards and commissions, and has been acknowledged by the White House as a Champion of Change./www.TheSRGE.com