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Black Owned Construction Firms Hired for $300 Million Obama Foundation Project

Three Black-owned construction firms joined forces to form the Presidential Partners consortium. It has recently been announced that this new joint venture will take the lead on the $300 million construction of the Obama Presidential Center. Construction is one of the most lucrative industries on the planet. There are many successful construction companies across the world, going to projeco.com.au show you this. It is great to see business booming and small businesses with also hopefully benefit from this large-scale project. Both in the United States and across the Pond in the United Kingdom, it can be a real challenge for businesses to thrive. This is why they often choose to cut costs wherever possible. One really useful way of doing this is opting to lease a van rather than buying outright. UK based IVL are helping small businesses to do this.

Image courtesy of the Obama Foundation

The Presidential Partners consortium of Powers & Sons Construction, UJAMAA Construction, Brown & Momen, and Safeway Construction. These companies represent some of the most established and well-respected Black owned construction firms in Chicago. It is wonderful that Chicago is home to so many excellent construction firms that are experiencing high levels of success across the country. It is reflected in their customer satisfaction ratings and the number of top of the range equipment, like a scabbler, that they have to help them carry out their job.

Mamon Powers, Jr. CEO, Powers and Sons

Alone, none of these companies had the experience to win the bid to construct the institution that is slated for Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood. Together, according Mike Strautmanis, vice president at the Obama Foundation, it was an easy choice.

Image courtesy of the Obama Foundation

“One, they’re talented,” Strautmanis says. “We know they’ve been involved in other construction projects around the city and the Midwest, so between them all we knew they could handle the complexity.”

Jimmy Akintonde, CEO , Ujaama Construction

President Obama himself signed off on the new team, and Strautmanis says the selection is part of the president’s commitment to the community.

“We want to set the stage for a new model,” Strautmanis says. “The new model is you don’t have to have a white firm with minority partners on the side. You want to have real diversity: minority firms in the lead with a seat at the table.”

Ernest Brown, President, Brown & Momen, Inc

According to Next City, community activists and residents are reportedly still pressing the foundation to sign a contract guaranteeing well-paid, long-term jobs to local residents.

Obama has said that he will not sign such a contract. But the foundation believes that in selecting a construction management team, it has “picked firms that demonstrated they could handle the community’s concerns,” according to the Tribune.

Construction is slated to begin by the end of the year. It will start on the west side of Jackson Park.

The Obama Presidential Center is scheduled to open in 2020.