| RELEASE: CONTACT: |
IMMEDIATE Sande Snead (804) 225-4491 Sande.Snead@VDOT.Virginia.gov Monica Esparza (804) 786-2731 |
CO-704 Feb. 28, 2007 |
VDOT OFFERS THREE WORKSHOPS TO HELP DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE FIRMS
RICHMOND – Belcher Consultants Inc., an African-American owned construction management firm in Alexandria, is one of more than 60 Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) companies that have already signed up to take one of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT’s) three “Accessing Capital” workshops to find out about ways to get bonded and obtain capital funding for their small, woman- or minority-owned businesses.
The workshops will be held in Fredericksburg, Williamsburg and Roanoke in early March.
Owner Roderick Belcher became a certified DBE vendor with VDOT less than a year ago and already has been invited on numerous teams to present Requests for Proposals (RFPs). He hopes the workshops will give him a better understanding of available resources for obtaining capital and growing his business even more.
“VDOT is interested in these companies’ success,” said Grindly Johnson, VDOT’s chief of equal business and employee opportunity. “Some businesses never get off the ground due to a lack of capital or the inability to secure bonding. Our workshops will help these businesses get over these hurdles and therefore, help them be better prepared to compete in bidding on VDOT contracting opportunities.”
Workshop locations and times are:
To reserve a space for a workshop, contact Monica Esparza, Civil Rights Division marketing manager, at (804) 786-3761.
VDOT's DBE program is federally funded to assist small, women- or minority-owned businesses in competing for highway construction contracts.
A firm must meet the following requirements to be certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise:
For information on getting started as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, go to http://www.virginiadot.org/business/bu_DBE.asp
The workshops will be held in Fredericksburg, Williamsburg and Roanoke in early March.
Owner Roderick Belcher became a certified DBE vendor with VDOT less than a year ago and already has been invited on numerous teams to present Requests for Proposals (RFPs). He hopes the workshops will give him a better understanding of available resources for obtaining capital and growing his business even more.
“VDOT is interested in these companies’ success,” said Grindly Johnson, VDOT’s chief of equal business and employee opportunity. “Some businesses never get off the ground due to a lack of capital or the inability to secure bonding. Our workshops will help these businesses get over these hurdles and therefore, help them be better prepared to compete in bidding on VDOT contracting opportunities.”
Workshop locations and times are:
March 6, 2007
Fredericksburg
4-7 p.m.
The University of Mary Washington
Gari Melchers Home and Studio
“The Pavilion” Building / Belmont
224 Washington St.
March 7, 2007
Williamsburg
4-7 p.m.
Williamsburg Marriott
50 Kingsmill Road
March 8, 2007
Roanoke
4-7 p.m.
Holiday Inn Tanglewood
4468 Starkey Road, S.W.
To reserve a space for a workshop, contact Monica Esparza, Civil Rights Division marketing manager, at (804) 786-3761.
VDOT's DBE program is federally funded to assist small, women- or minority-owned businesses in competing for highway construction contracts.
A firm must meet the following requirements to be certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise:
- At least 51 percent of the company must be owned by minorities or women
- Day-to-day operations must be controlled by minorities or women
- Firm must be a small business as defined by the Small Business Administration
- The owner's personal net worth must not exceed $750,000
For information on getting started as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, go to http://www.virginiadot.org/business/bu_DBE.asp
Page last modified: Feb. 28, 2007
