Diversity and Inclusion Perspective from a Trade Subcontractor By:   PEOPLE of Construction In contemplating this perfect “jobsite culture” we have been reading about, I pondered the diversity situation from the perspective of a trade sub-contractor.  As I think about it, the prime trade sub, asked to mentor and guide and assist a minority sub, is carrying the heavy load of diversity and inclusion on major projects. Here are some thoughts we need to consider in our consideration of BEST PRACTICES:…

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Diversity/Inclusion Best Practices As proposed by Ron Unterreiner, PEOPLE of Construction On projects where diversity and inclusion are required or heavily requested by the owner, the following details a list of BEST PRACTICES to follow to assure that success is achieved by all participants in the process.  All participants to be defined as the owner, the general contractor or construction manager, the trade subcontractor, the minority contractor (MBE/WBE) working as prime or working as second tier, the third-tier minority contractor,…

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Twenty twenty-one is about to hit the history books and although not the year I was hoping for in terms of making giant strides in the world of DEI, we did return to a bit of normalcy in our personal and business lives–or did we? I always end the year thinking back and wondering if we are going backwards, standing in place or possibly inching forward a bit–again as relates to diversity, equity and inclusion in our beloved industry of…

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Dreams of a Better Tomorrow By: Ron Unterreiner, PEOPLE of Construction I had a dream last night.  I dreamed that our city of St. Louis won the lottery, and the net bottom-line prize deposited into our city/county coffers was $790M, pending the deductions of minor expenses such as legal and professional fees, of course. I rolled over and my dream tossed and turned with me. I almost woke up, but I hung in there; I wanted to see where this…

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“The holiday season awakens us all–in so many ways.  What a beautiful time of year.  We live in a time of way too much anger, frustration and uncertainty while we as a people crave love and peace, calmness and serenity and a clear and hopeful path for a better tomorrow.  Why is that?  My wish for all this peace-giving time of year is that we all search for that dividing line that defines the middle and we all walk together on whichever side…

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To all, On behalf of PEOPLE–and I am sure all of the good people working to promote diversity and inclusion on our construction worksites– I wanted to offer my personal thanks to McCarthy, Turner, Gilbane, Mortenson, Clark and DPR Construction for the great week and wealth of information presented during Construction Inclusion Week. Our collective challenge now is to build off this week and make Construction Inclusion Week a 52 week a year event in our industry. I love the…

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The Time is Now There is no better time than the moment we are in Yesterday is gone, the rest of the day and tomorrow are a mystery to unfold soon enough But this moment now is ours to hold and savor and to record in history and to remember always It will be replaced quickly with another and then another and another What should we do with these fleeting moments? Life’s precious moments can be squandered away in anger…

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With the pandemic wanting to take another run at the world, we will continue laying low on in-person meetings. I feel this best for the safety of all. Regardless of how we meet, the need to connect and make your firm visible to majority firms and the buyers of construction services is still very much present so get out and about as best you can and attend the many networking events that continue to take place in a virtual setting….

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Our next PEOPLE meeting will be on line via zoom and this most important event will take place on June 15, Tuesday, from 4:00PM to 5:30PM. This will be an important meeting as we need your input into some rather game changing programs coming down the line. Help us take diversity and inclusion to the next level in this most challenging design and construction industry. We want to provide you with some important update information but more importantly, we want…

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To:  Martin Mathews on his 96th Birthday, Because of you, Martin Mathews, and the Mathews Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club, I am a successful entrepreneur, married to a caring woman and raising a productive family.  I do not where I would be if it were not for Mathews Dickey; but I fear a most different place.  Because of you, Martin Mathews, I am alive today.  Because of you, I escaped the jungles of despair and built a life that you…

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