Turner Awards $1.3 Billion of Contracts to Minority and Women Owned Businesses in 2007

This release from Turner mentions two of this blog's favorite things: a majority firm that puts its money where its mouth is, and the ACE Mentor organization. Kudos to Turner and thank you Turner for your strong and continuing support of the ACE Mentoring program.

New York, N.Y., March 6, 2008 — Turner Construction Company, the nation’s leading general builder, announced today that it has awarded 3,000 contracts totaling $1.3 billion to minority and women owned business enterprises (M/WBEs) during 2007. This is the third year in a row that the company has surpassed the milestone of awarding in excess of $1 billion of contracts to M/WBE firms.

“We are very proud to have achieved this milestone as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Turner’s formal community affairs program. Our long-standing record of achievement in expanding opportunities for minority and women-owned contractors across the country is critical to the success of Turner and of our industry,” says Hilton Smith, Turner senior vice president, community affairs.
Since 1979, Turner’s total number of contracts with M/WBEs has surpassed 47,000 at a value in excess of $16 billion.

Turner has received more than 100 awards for its community affairs program. Following are a selection of the awards Turner received for its efforts during 2007:
• Corporate Leadership Award, National Minority Supplier Development Council• Advocate of the Year, National Association of Minority Contractors• 2007 Grassroots Award, Contractor of the Year, Coalition for United Community Labor Force• Business of the Year “Diversity” Award, ABC Construction Industry• LIFEPACT Award, National Association of Women in Construction• Corporate Award of Excellence from the Kentucky Association of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, Inc.• Best Practices Award from the New York/New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council
While building some of the most significant projects in the nation, Turner remains committed to the communities in which we build.

As an example, Turner is working with Clarian Health on the IU Simon Cancer Center in Indianapolis, Ind., which has a construction cost of $107 million. With 94% of the construction contracts awarded to date, $27,785,370 (or 27.6%) has been awarded to minority- and women-owned business enterprises.
“Over the last decade Clarian Health has taken steps to become one of the most diverse health care providers in the nation. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion extends beyond the healing environment and into the construction of the facilities themselves,” says Renee Smith, Project Architect for Clarian Health.

Renee Smith continues, “Turner has taken a leadership role in M/WBE utilization. Through strategic bid packaging and candid communications with the entire contracting community, Turner not only met our spending goals for the IU Simon Cancer Center, they exceeded them. We appreciate their shared commitment to the community and are proud to be a sponsor of their annual Turner School of Construction Management training and enjoy working with them in the ACE Mentor Program. Both of which are programs that seek to increase the number of minorities and women working in the construction industry.”