SPECIAL EDITION - MBEConnect

ids, the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway project
utilized 44 percent locally owned businesses, 16 percent
for minority-owned businesses and nearly 26 percent for
women-owned businesses, a combined total of 86 percent.
Businesses that qualified for multiple categories were
included in the statistics for all applicable categories.
The new Arrowhead Stadium
Additionally, Turner Construction participated in a recent
project at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the NFL’s Kansas
City Chiefs. Turner Construction worked on a large-scale
improvement project for Arrowhead Stadium, using 19
percent MBE contractors and 7 percent WBEs. As part of
this project, Turner Construction teamed with Kansas
City MBE, Greenleaf Construction. Earlier, on a smaller
renovation and addition project at Arrowhead, Turner
Construction aimed even higher and set an initial goal of
15 percent MBE, 5 percent WBE participation, and ended
up achieving 24 percent and 14 percent, respectively.
These notable inclusion goals are applied on projects
throughout the country, including major national projects
like the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, which
was recently opened in Washington, DC. More than 83
percent of the over 100,000 hours worked on this project
were completed by M/WBEs. Additionally, The Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. National Memorial project exceeded its
minority business utilization goal by 38 percent. Hilton
Smith, Senior Vice President for Corporate and Community
Affairs at Turner Construction Company, is extremely proud
of both the project and the diverse businesses involved.
“We were blessed to be selected as the construction
manager on such a worldwide viable project as the Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project in
Washington, DC,” says Mr. Smith. “The diversity of
minority and women business utilization was a key factor,
which included McKissack & McKissack and the Gilford
Corporation, nationally viable minority firms that were chosen
as our joint venture partners. The goal was to have visible
minority and women businesses construct the project.
These firms were main players in the successful completion
of the MLK National Memorial. We simply
followed our corporate goal by enhancing the utilization
of minority firms, as we have for over forty years,”
adds Mr. Smith.
“We were blessed to be selected
as the construction manager on
such a worldwide viable project
as the Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. National Memorial Project in
Washington, DC,”
— Hilton Smith
Supplier diversity at Turner Construction is not just about
inclusion and participation on projects, but also education.
The Turner School of Construction Management is an eightweek
course taught by professional Turner staff on such
topics as risk management, construction estimating, safety
and effective marketing. More than 15,000 individuals have
graduated from this program over the past 40 years. This
program is held at facilities across the country, and included
1,206 businesses and entrepreneurs in over 31 cities. Turner
Construction will hold its 15th class in Kansas City during
2012. Graduates of the Turner School of Construction
Management often become project participants after
program completion.
Through projects and programs like these, Turner
Construction has developed a long and positive track record
of utilizing M/WBEs on projects across the country. Turner
Construction has maintained its sterling reputation by
consistently striving to do more and also offering M/WBEs
of all sizes a chance to grow, develop, and prosper.
CoNtaCt
Gerri L. McQueen, Community Affairs Director
P. (816) 886-4548 E. gmcqueen@tcco.com