UK's Construction Diversity Accelerator Program Welcomes Inaugural Cohort
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 6, 2022) — The University of Kentucky, in partnership with Turner Construction, is currently hosting its inaugural Construction Diversity Accelerator (CDA) program designed to help minority-owned, women-owned and other underrepresented construction-related businesses gain access to the tools, resources and opportunities to be competitive in the construction industry.
"We are so thrilled to welcome our inaugural cohort of companies into the Construction Diversity Accelerator program and we look forward to engaging with them as they aspire to grow their businesses,” said Kristen Smitherman-Voltaire, community and citizenship manager at Turner Construction Company. “We recognize that these companies are making a significant commitment to invest in themselves through their participation in this program and we are proud to collaborate with the University of Kentucky and KYPTAC to honor that commitment.”
The CDA program, which began in March, is 10 weeks long and covers important topics like safety, site logistics, insurance and bonding, contracts, subcontracting, construction drawings and specifications, estimating, scheduling, bid and proposal preparation, construction accounting, certification and more.
To ensure those participating had a successful CDA program, only 15 companies were accepted for the 2022 season.
They include:
- Valiant Construction LLC
- HB Masonry LLC
- TAS Development LLC
- Franklin Contracting Inc.
- Handy Manny LLC
- Lexington Contracting LLC
- Facility and Maintenance and Services Group
- ARGC Construction Group
- Overflow Service LLC
- Bluegrass Construction Operations LLC
- CIU LLC
- Third Rock Consultants LLC
- Ranger Steel
- Elaine Allen
- Kaliber Electric LLC
“I couldn’t be more pleased with the businesses in this cohort. They are diverse demographically but also in size, years in service, number of employees and trade categories. Also, 66% of the cohort is minority and we also have a great representation of women-owned and veteran-owned construction businesses,” said Marilyn Clark, UK’s supplier diversity manager. “The training they receive from Turner, UK, community partners and KYPTAC coaches will really help accelerate their mastery of the skills needed to be more competitive in the construction industry. Our goal is to make sure they are contract ready when they complete the program.”
The program culminates in a mock bid project that calls on teams to present their proposals in front of a panel of expert judges. Graduation from the program will take place Wednesday, May 11. in the Gatton Student Center.
“The CDA is an important part of UK’s DEI efforts,” said UK’s Chief Procurement Officer Barry Swanson. “Our goal is to have a positive impact in the community, and I can think of nothing more impactful that helping businesses gain the knowledge they need to become a supplier to UK and be ready to successfully compete for non-UK business in the community.”
The Turner-UK Construction Diversity Accelerator is in collaboration with the Kentucky Procurement Technical Assistance Center (KYPTAC). Each participant is assigned a business coach that will work with them even beyond the 10-week program.
“KYPTAC is excited to further extend our relationship with the University of Kentucky and Turner Construction through the CDA program,” said Nancy Brown, executive director of KYPTAC. “The cohort was engaged and interested during our first session, and we expect a significant impact in combining all parties' joint commitment to supplier diversity, disadvantaged businesses and the success of our community overall."
Community partners engage with the CDA participants each week. They include Commerce Lexington, Blue Grass Airport, Lynn Imaging, Fayette County Public Schools, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, the SBA and Park Community Credit Union and Messer Construction.
In keeping with the spirit of inclusion, the CDA program is working with diverse catering companies, under contract with Aramark dining services, to provide boxed dinners each week and contracted with Quisha Ray Photography, a minority business enterprise (MBE) to take photos for the reception and graduation.
For more information about opportunities with UK visit https://purchasing.uky.edu/bid-and-proposal-opportunities.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.