The free eight-week training program, funded by SCC and conducted by the Regional Alliance for Small Contractors (RASC), is designed to teach small, minority, and women-owned firms about good business management practices in order to assist them in competing for SCC school building contracts

SCC is responsible for school construction projects throughout the State of New Jersey. The $8.6 billion program is the largest public construction program ever undertaken by New Jersey and represents one of the largest programs of its type in the nation.

John F. Spencer, SCC Chief Executive Officer, said the goal of the Fall 2004 Northern Region Contractor Training Program is to lead the participants to new contracting opportunities in Bergen, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren counties.

“This initiative is part of the ongoing effort of the SCC to improve small, minority and women-owned business participation in school construction projects across New Jersey,” Spencer said, noting that similar training programs will be held throughout the state.

The graduates of the Northern Region Contractor Training Program received certificates during a ceremony at Berkeley College that featured an address by Lee Quinn, Program Manager of the SCC Office of Diversity and Emerging Business Markets. Recipients were introduced by Amy Warren, Program Administrator for the Trenton-based RASC – a leading force for the training and development of small, minority and women-owned construction firms in the tri-state area of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

Ms. Quinn discussed the Mentor /Protégé Pilot Program the SCC unveiled recently at a Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Workshop. SCC is developing the program to pair up large construction firms with SBEs to teach them how to grow, participate in larger construction projects and possibly bid on larger jobs as prime contractors. Ms. Quinn also addressed areas of estimating, administration, project management and support.

Consultants hired by SCC offer four contractor-training courses over a two-year period. Each course consists of eight sessions, which are taught by top executives from major firms and other construction professionals. Session topics include: Overview of Construction Practices and Principles; Marketing Construction Services, Becoming Classified/Pre-qualified as Prime Contractors and/or as Subcontractors; Construction Contract Law; Project Management and Project Scheduling; Construction Cost Estimating; Financial Management, Accounting Principles and Banking, Bonding and Insurance; Operational Management and Construction Management; and Preparing to Bid as a Prime Contractor or as a Subcontractor, Overview of the School Construction Program and Upcoming School Construction Program Projects.

“SCC has been working hard over the past two years to create programs to help small, minority- and women-owned businesses grow,” CEO Spencer said. “Our construction program is not just about building schools. It’s also about creating job opportunities.”

SCC has exceeded the state goal for SBE participation. However, Spencer said more work needs to be done to ensure there is more diversity in the number of small businesses participating in the school construction program. Spencer said SBE participation in SCC construction projects across the State exceeded 33% ($350 million in SBE participation on $1.07 billion in construction contracts) from July of 2003 to June 2004.

Other successful SCC programs for SBEs include:

For information about other small, minority and women-owned business assistance programs offered by New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation, visit www.njscc.com. For details on the curriculum and course schedule or to register, contact Regional Alliance for Small Contractors’ Contractor Training Program (609) 392-5600.

Fall 2004 Northern Region Contractor Training Program graduates* and firms include:

Didier Aparri, Aparri & Associates*
Michael Armstrong, Strong Carpentry
Lou Avolio, Lou’s Landscaping & Design
Andrew Axley
Jim Beckham, H&B Contractors*
James Brown, Cornerstone Contracting*
Owen S. Campbell, Owen S. Campbell Contracting*
Walter Cirillo, LIR Contracting & Consulting, LLC*
Guillermo Cruz, Rensselaer Construction Co.*
F. Debra Csikos, Designer Sign Systems*
James Dagostino, Building Technologies Group*
Carlos DeHuelbes, Pentagon Funding Corp.*
Anthony Donadio, TSD Associates*
Salvatore Donadio, TSD Associates*
Mehdi Eliefifi, New Jersey Outreach Group
Jude Anthony N. Estiva, Aparri & Associates*
Edward Faulk, Kane Construction*
Phyllis Florek, TBS Network Intelligence, Inc.*
Peter Grieco, Ronald Schmidt & Associates*
Richard Hodgson, Environmental Management & Design Services, Inc.*
Leslie Huff, Kelly Contracting, Inc.*
Terry Huff, Kelly Contracting, Inc.*
Marlo Iannaccone, Enclave Builders, Inc.
Mohamad Kaptan, KAP-Image Group*
Robert Korenda, KOR Construction Group, Inc.*
Maria Lawrence, Jacobs Facilities, Inc.
Luis Lopez, Lopez Home Improvements*
Thomas Mann, Green Valley Landscaping*
Corrado Mastropaolo, Corrado P. Mastropaolo, Inc.*
Elaine Mickelwaite, Interstate Electrical Contracting
Ray Mickens, Ray’s Contractors*
Rados Milojkovic, North Electric, Inc.*
Walberto Molina, August C. Lozano PE, Inc.*
Fabio Pereira, Green Valley Landscaping*
Maria Renton, O & N Contractors*
James M. Richardson, Owen S. Campbell Construction*
Ruperto Ruiz-Marquina, CADDPLANS, Inc.*
Antonino Spinella, C & S Fencing, Inc.*
Ciro Spinella, C & S Fencing, Inc.*
William Stasic, Stasic Spine Center*
Norma Tempel, Etched in Stone
Jonathan Vogel