August 2020 Newsletter

“…in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.”
~Maya Angelou~

Next PBDG Meeting

We will be taking a brief hiatus from our monthly membership meetings in the month of August.

We look forward to meeting with everyone again in September!

From the Desk of the Executive Director

Kenechi Onyeagusi, PBDG Executive Director

Hello,

As an organization, we are taking this month to re-vamp our internal procedures and get ready for an exciting training year. Our training calendar runs from September to June and will roll out many classes tailored to subcontractors taught by Primes and Business leaders in our community. Starting September 1, we will be offering our own Mentorship Cohort as we will be providing one on one advising services for 15 businesses, funded through Prosper Portland, to help their businesses grow and scale while accessing mentors. Our training center is open to all certified business, not just PBDG members, and we will be focused on prioritizing businesses owned by People of Color and Women. Please keep an eye out for the application to be released August 15th. To the small businesses who are not accepted into our mentorship/advising cohort, we will continue to help strengthen your business skills through classes, specially curated to meet you where you are. There is no limit to the number of businesses we can work with to refer job opportunities, provide information to available resources in our community and be a support for you in any way that we can.

To our Partners, we are excited to provide access to mentees and provide a platform for you to share your knowledge with our special community. We would like to continue to provide advising to as many businesses as need it and invite you to walk with and partner with us in this journey. Please consider sponsoring a class cohort so certified firms can attend our classes for free. For more class sponsorship information, please email Sam@pbdgweb.com. To all those who are volunteering their time to teach with us, I say a special thank you for your investment. We are always open to new teachers so please feel free to reach out if your organization is interested in volunteering. We are doing all we can to make this process mutually beneficial and welcome feedback.

I look forward to reconnecting in our September meeting where we will continue to bring you access to timely information and opportunities to work together. We have a very special and exciting announcement coming up soon, please keep an eye out for that!

Welcome to August! I wish you good health, safety and joy.

Member of The Month

Partner of The Month

New Member Spotlight

Industry News

Event & Meeting Details

Invitations to Bid

Member of the Month

Reyna Badillo, Owner
Phone: (503) 953-2357

Website: https://SummitWoodCreations.com
Email: Info@SummitWoodCreations.com

Summit Wood Creations specializes in custom wood furniture, premium-grade commercial casework & millwork for commercial and residential customers. We provide one-stop-shop solutions and work with our clients to ensure our handcrafted pieces are to spec and all pieces are installed to perfection. I am the founder and president of Summit Wood Creations and also the interior designer.

We have worked on several notable commercial projects. Last year we completed all the custom architectural woodwork for the Nike Hangar consisting of a reception desk and restroom countertops. We also built the casework, wood countertops, solid surface countertops, PLAM, and breakroom cabinets for the PDX TCORE project. In addition, we completed cabinets, countertops, and custom benches for Edward’s Vacuum, LLC in Hillsboro. Another recent project we completed was the tenant improvements for the breakrooms in the new Portland Building and the 10th and Yamhill Parking Garage. We also custom-made podiums for the Multnomah County Courthouse and installed benches and tables for Cully Park in Northeast Portland.

I am currently seeing more women and minority owned firms like myself present in the construction industry. In the next 5-10 years, I see more small minority and/or women owned firms growing, getting more opportunities and visibility because of the work of trade organizations like PBDG. I recently graduated from the Port of Portland’s Mentor Protege Program and am thankful for that experience.

I have been a PBDG member for the last 4 years. What attracted me to this organization was the significant support I received from Faye, Vicqui and the PBDG community. I think the work PBDG does is necessary because it is important to be part of a community that is creating business relationships and resources for women and minority contractors. I have also had the opportunity to work with several PBDG members in the past, such as O’Neill Construction Group and Pacificmark Construction.

In my spare time, I love being outdoors and hiking in nature.

We are currently DBE, ESB, MBE, and WBE certified.

Current project capacity: $750,000

Partner of the Month

Ralph Salamie, Portland Area Manager

Website: https://www.kiewit.com
Email: Ralph.Salamie@kiewit.com

Kiewit works in almost every construction market: Building, Industrial, Mining, Oil/Gas/Chemical, Power, Transportation, and Water/Wastewater. Here in the Portland area, we are focused on Heavy Civil and Water/Wastewater Treatment Plant projects. I cover business development for the Pacific Northwest.; I have lived in the Portland area for the last 22 years and am focused on construction projects right here.

Kiewit’s view of the changing landscape of the construction industry is that the timing is right to increase DBE participation and workforce diversity. Owners and contractors are stepping up and taking notice. Over the next 5-10 years, I see minorities and women playing a significantly greater role in our industry. Responding to an increase in demand, we will see a marked increase in the number of DBE firms and an increase in capacity for existing DBE’s. In addition, we will experience an increase in the numbers of minorities and women making a career in the construction trades. I would like to give a shout out to Maurice Rahming for his selfless contributions providing a great PBDG training facility in his company building and his work to help more minorities and women expand their businesses, and be successful as a contractor.

We have been an official PBDG partner for the past 18 months, but Kiewit has been engaged before that. What attracted our organization is 2-fold:

We want to help. For minorities and women in construction to grow and succeed, they need mentorship and support. Kiewit wants to support and participate in the great things that PBDG is doing to help their members flourish.
We need your help. Owners are demanding more DBE and workforce diversity participation on their construction projects. By partnering with PBDG, it opens up a world of opportunity for PBDG members and provides Kiewit a great resource for creating relationships with the growing number of DBE firms in our great city.

The work PBDG does is important because minorities and women have been under-represented in the construction industry. Right here and right now, this is changing. However, for minorities and women to seize this opportunity to grow, they need support. It is important to their success that you meet this need. Kiewit has been working with quite a few PBDG members from our TriMet’s Tilikum Crossing and Portland Mall, East Side Combined Sewer Outfall Tunnel, and the Aerial Tram projects.

About me personally – I have been building bridges and highways across our great country for 41 years, but my favorite project was managing our construction team and working with TriMet on the Tilikum Crossing.

New Member Spotlight

Promod Antony and Sumi Promod
Phone: (844) 522-7638

Website: https://logicintelligence.com
Email: promod.antony@logicintelligence.com

Becoming an entrepreneur has been Promod’s passion from childhood. As a teenager, his first business experience was selling birds (parakeets) and water plants at Saturday markets, which he found very thrilling. Dealing with customers and their needs helped him understand supply and demand in business; helping others and feeling satisfied is always a good feeling. Being a computer science graduate helped Promod use his talents in business. Logic Intelligence has been in service for the past 20 years. There are three partners in the business: Jay Schneider, Sumi Promod and Promod Antony.

Logic Intelligence can help implement software and provide resources capable of centralizing the entire construction business process and project management from bidding to closeout. They can also implement software that can do daily auditing. Logic Intelligence is an ESB, MBE, DBE and NMSDC certified company. Their services have been used in various forms to help businesses grow.

Logic Intelligence’s services help businesses analyze data to find meaningful insights to improve their growth. They implement IoT devices/sensors and integrate them into business’s daily work flow. Logic Intelligence has experience working with small to Fortune 500 companies in their finance, sales and marketing, IT etc. They have a variety of service options available to businesses depending on their needs. They provide business analyst, systems analyst, project management, scrum masters and developer services. Their team is very knowledgeable in the automation of collecting data, cleansing data, transforming data and reporting. As a small business, they are proud to provide services as a standalone team.

Logic Intelligence has been working with a Fortune 500 company in the Hillsboro area for the past 15 years and counting. They have implemented a centralized database to collect, cleanse, transform, report and analyze the Fortune 500 company’s data; they build the company’s big data environment for their data analytical needs. Some of the challenges that Logic Intelligence faces include working with worldwide customers and meeting their data and reporting needs.

A defining moment for Logic Intelligence was recently during this pandemic; they were able to provide their services to a non-profit organization on a below market rate to help them service at-risk students. Logic Intelligence feels proud to give back to the community by helping non-profits find solutions by using their services.

Industry News

IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE APPLYING FOR ANY GRANTS, PLEASE LET US KNOW

DJC Building Diversity Awards – Honorees Announced

The DJC’s annual Building Diversity Awards celebrate and examine diversity and inclusion in the local construction industry. The purpose of these awards is to honor COBID certified firms and larger non-certified firms that are actively committed and contributing to diversity, equity, and inclusion within the industry. Honorees are being recognized for their efforts in shaping the industry environment through exceptional work, leadership, mentorships, community involvement, and promotion of diversity.

We are excited to announce that PBDG’s executive director, several PBDG members and partners are being honored for their outstanding work in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Congratulations to the following members of our PBDG family:

Kenechi Onyeagusi of PBDG (Executive Director)
Gale Schmidt of A2 Fabrication (Member)
O’Neill/Walsh Community Builders (Partner)
Pence Construction (Partner)
Skanska (Partner)
Hamilton Sundt Joint Venture/ I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project team (Partner)
MESO (Partner)
Robert Camarillo of Oregon State Building & Construction Trades Council

Click here for the full list of honorees.

A virtual celebration, including an education program, will take place Aug. 27 from 11 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Individual tickets are free while virtual table sponsorships start at $950.

Click here to learn more and register.

Skanska Virtual Meet The Primes Event

Skanska invites certified firms to attend their virtual Meet the Primes Event on Thursday, August 20 from 9am – 12pm!

Opportunities Include:

Learn how you can be a subcontractor on major contracts in the northwest
Virtually connect with local General Contractors

Exhibitors Include:

Skanska
Hoffman Construction
Port of Portland
Turner Construction
ODOT Office of Civil Rights
Oregon Metro
Andersen Construction
Howard S. Wright

Click here for more information and to access the Zoom registration link!

Local Runoff Election Mail-In Voting Deadline: August 6

The U.S. Postal Service has been delivering ballots for the August 11 special runoff election for the City of Portland Commissioner, Position 2. The runoff candidates are Loretta Smith and Dan Ryan.

Portland residents have until August 6 to mail in their ballots to ensure their votes are counted. Voters can also take their ballot to any official ballot drop site.

Click here to view Loretta Smith’s website and campaign information.

Click here to view Dan Ryan’s website and campaign information.

2020 Census Reminder

It’s not too late to complete the 2020 census! If you haven’t already done so, you can complete the census online, by phone, or by mail. If you choose to complete it online, you will need the 12 digit census ID number that was mailed to your home.

Completing this is important because Oregon needs all the resources that will be dedicated to us based on our census response.

Click here to complete the census online
Click here for information on how to complete by phone with various language options
Click here for information on how to respond by mail

Northwest Infrastructure Position Opening – Project Engineer

Northwest Infrastructure specializes in heavy civil construction and offers excavation, demolition, underground utilities, and dump trucking services. They are currently looking to hire a Project Engineer that is highly motivated, with a demonstrated passion for excellence and taking initiative, has a strong work ethic, and is willing to do what it takes to get the job done right the first time.

Click here to view the full list of position responsibilities, requirements, and how to apply!

Energy Trust of Oregon Position Opening – Marketing Assistant

Energy Trust of Oregon is looking to hire a Marketing Assistant. The Program Marketing Assistant is a member of Energy Trust’s Program Marketing Team, performing administrative activities, including tracking and submitting invoices, assisting in managing work completed by contractors for creative services, collateral fulfillment and event coordination.

Candidates should be interested in working in a fast-paced, creative and responsive environment with staff from across the organization. We’re looking for candidates with initiative, the ability to approach work through a diversity, equity and inclusion lens, and attention to detail, with an interest in telling Energy Trust’s story.

Click here to view the full list of position responsibilities, requirements, and how to apply!

PCC Position Opening – Workforce Diversity and Business Outreach Manager

Portland Community College is hiring a Workforce Diversity and Business Outreach Manager to help us with directing PCC purchasing spend amongst the communities we serve. Although the position is based in Planning & Capital Construction it is not limited to our capital projects.

Click here to view the job description and apply!

Business Oregon Grant

The Oregon Legislature, in partnership with the Governor, allocated $5 Million from the State General Fund, which will be combined with $5 Million redirected from existing programs at the Oregon Business Development Department (Business Oregon), for the purpose of providing financial assistance to small businesses adversely affected by economic conditions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic that have not received federal emergency assistance under the federal CARES Act or other federal program for emergency pandemic funding.

The second round of funding for this grant is expected later this month. We will announce the application window as soon as we recieve the information. If you need help applying for this grant, please let us know so we can assisst you.

eidl loans are available again

After shutting down the Disaster loan program due to funding running out, and then limiting recipients to agricultural businesses only, the SBA has reopened the EIDL Loans for all industries with a cap of $150,000.

The Emergency Grant program (which provides up to $10,000 based on a rate of $1,000 per employee) is also running again.

The deadline to apply for a COVID-related EIDL loan or grant is December 31, 2020. You can apply here.

Will you be working on City of Portland, Multnomah County, Metro, Washington County or Port of Portland Projects?

Adopted by these public agencies over the last year, the Clean Air Construction Standard will require lower emission dump trucks and construction equipment on most of their projects beginning in 2021.

• Are you ready?

• Do you know where your vehicles and equipment stand?

• Do you know what your options are?

The City of Portland is offering free, to COBID certified firms, assessments of their construction equipment against the Clean Air Construction Standard.

This free assessment includes on-site inspection of vehicles and equipment to verify where your fleet stands in regard to the Clean Air Construction Standard and a report to you including a list of options for how to shift noncompliant equipment and vehicles into lower pollution with benefits for your employees and the communities in which you workIt is up to you to decide what steps you will take but you need this information to plan and manage your business.

To arrange for an on-site assessment contact Kevin Downing at 503.539.0610 or kevin@skookumea.com