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The first graduates of a course for emerging contractors, co-sponsored by the University and the Associated General Contractors of St. Louis (AGC), were recognized at a luncheon Thursday, April 29, in Brookings Hall.
"The Business of Construction" course was designed to help St. Louis area contractors compete in the construction industry and to help the University increase minority and women participation in campus construction projects.
"We hope to develop relationships with smaller contractors and that those relationships prosper and grow and become long-term relationships," said Executive Vice Chancellor Richard A. Roloff, a member of the program's steering committee. "The whole program has just been wonderful."
Roloff and Thomas H. McLaughlin, AGC president, congratulated the 20 business owners who completed the six-month course. Roloff offered them some words of advice and concluded: "We are going to make as much of an effort as we can to be sure minority and women-owned businesses get as much work here as possible."
The course, which began in October, is a unique combination of lectures and hands-on workshops. Topics covered in the course include business planning, marketing, estimating, accounting, banking, project and personnel management, scheduling and safety. AGC leaders and faculty from the John M. Olin School of Business were instructors.
"In my mind the partnership between industry and education shows what can happen when people sit down together and tackle an issue," said Leonard Toenjes, executive vice president of the AGC. "The contractors get the academic, theoretical part from the University professors and the practical applications from the association. It's a fabulous thing for these new businesses. I am just tickled to death with the results."
Ivan James, president of Ivan James & Associates Inc., a supply company, was among the graduates receiving framed certificates of completion.
"I thought it was an excellent opportunity to learn about the business aspects and detailed construction issues," he said. "It gave me good insight, and it was most beneficial to learn how to control and track costs. I had set expectations at the beginning of the course, and it far exceeded them."
Sharon Tielke, president of TGB Inc., which has been in business for 16 years, also had nothing but praise for the course.
"It was very beneficial and a great opportunity to meet other contractors in similar situations," she said. "It was a great relationship builder, and the bottom line is you do business with those you have relationships with."
James Jackson, president of McJac Electric Inc. in Florissant, said even after seven years in the business he learned a great deal that he will be able to implement.
"It was an excellent course," he said. "The professors were very interesting and it was diversified. They covered a lot of ground, and everyone was enthusiastic about the class. There were lots of questions asked and experiences related."
Annetta Vickers, president of T.A.B. Co. Inc., a year-old business, also said the networking opportunities were invaluable. She and other graduates spent much of Thursday giving informal presentations to business managers on all of the University's campuses.
"One of the reasons I got in the program was to make sure that I am a qualified minority and woman-owned business," Vickers said. Now I am just looking forward to reaping the benefits."
The entire steering committee and the course participants attributed much of the course's success to Sandra Marks, the University's director of supplier diversity programs, who organized the course.
"This is not the end," Marks told the audience. "We will offer periodic seminars and symposiums for graduates of the course, and we hope many businesses will become part of our team of vendors and suppliers."
The course will be offered again in October. Tuition is $100 with a $50 reimbursement on completion.
