(October 17, 2013) –After a year of classes, brainstorming, problem solving and confidence building, 20 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) firms recently celebrated the completion of their training through the Maryland Business Assistance Resource Center (MBARC) program. MBARC was a Federal Highway Administration funded program, administered by the State Highway Administration (SHA) to build the capacity of certified firms to improve their ability to compete for and win Federally funded SHA contracts.

“Education plus entrepreneurship equals jobs and greater opportunity,” said Zenita Wickham Hurley, Special Secretary for the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs. “Training programs such as MBARC are exactly what is needed to usher in a new generation of job creators in Maryland. I commend the participants for staying with the program while still carrying on with their businesses and I thank the Federal Highway Administration and our own State Highway Administration for the funding and oversight.  I hope the program continues.”

MBARC took 20 Maryland certified DBE firms through a comprehensive 12 month program that included sessions on developing a strategic action plan; marketing to the government; access to capital; bonding; government contract law; work site safety; pricing and estimating; human resources; Mentor-Protégé; as well as individual coaching. The program was administered by TCE, Inc., itself an MBE firm in Prince George’s County.

“MBARC has been an unqualified success in equipping these Maryland DBEs to provide quality work on SHA and other State Agency projects.  As a direct result of this program several of the firms are now participating in SHA projects, thereby allowing them to grow in staff and revenues,”  said Cheryl Hill, Deputy Administrator, Maryland State Highway Administration.

During the graduation celebration, some participants volunteered comments on how the program impacted them personally.  “MBARC helped me realize that in order to grow my business, I need to set goals. They explained how to identify the action steps to make the goals a reality,”  said Martha Fernandez of Rowen Concrete.

Participants in the program included firms with and without prior SHA experience and were divided between Engineering and Construction (and related) firms.  The participants were:
 

Engineering & Architectural:                                 

CenKen Group, LLC                                                
DMY Engineering Consultants, LLC                     
E & G Consulting                                                     
Estime Enterprises, Inc.                                         
Hanover Land Services, Inc.                                  
J.A. Rice, Inc.                                                              
Joe Jackson Associates, PC                                  
Navarro & Wright Consulting Engineers, Inc.      
NMP Engineering Consultants, Inc.                     
RAM Consulting Corporation                                  

Banneker Ventures
Callahan Construction Company, Inc.
Elite Hauling Group, Inc.
G-11 Enterprises, Inc.
Hardscapes Construction, Inc.
Ladders and Things
Legacy Builders & Construction
Rowen Concrete, Inc.
Stormwater Maintenance & Consulting
Valley Green Landscaping, Inc.