DOWNERS GROVE, IL, October 19, 2017 – The Illinois Tollway today will celebrate the leaders of the 11 firms to graduate from its Technical Assistance Program administered by the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA) Scholarship & Education Foundation at locations in Chicago and Aurora.
“Through the Technical Assistance Program these business leaders have gained valuable experience and expertise, preparing them to handle more complex projects both with the Illinois Tollway and with outside agencies and businesses,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Greg Bedalov. “We are looking forward to seeing these firms step up to perform as they take advantage of new opportunities to grow and succeed.”
The Illinois Tollway Technical Assistance Program prepares established firms including disadvantaged, minority- and women-owned firms, as well as veteran-owned and small businesses, to participate as prime contractors and subcontractors on highway and vertical construction contracts, including the Tollway 15-year, $14 billion Move Illinois capital program.
Move Illinois provides contract opportunities for firms of all sizes and types to compete for contracts on Tollway projects. Now in its sixth year, the capital program includes opportunities for both prime contractors and subcontractors on major projects, including construction of the new I-490 Tollway Project and reconstruction of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294), as well as work to keep the 292-mile Tollway system in a state of good repair and vertical construction projects such as reconstruction of Tollway maintenance sites.
The Technical Assistance Program graduates will be recognized for their accomplishments on Thursday, October 19, at a ceremony in Montgomery, Illinois. The graduating firms include 11 Chicago-area firms from various industries, including general construction management, excavation and demolition, electrical, waterproofing, landscaping and trucking.
Eric Bakey, ER Bakey Inc., Carpentersville
Yolanda (Yahni) Bryant, Dillard Berg Inc., Flossmoor
Jeanette Chavarria-Torres, DCH Construction & Hauling, Franklin Park
Richard Dobbins, South Side Roots, Chicago
Sergio Esquivel, SE4 Trucking Inc., Harvard
Millicent Gray, Adonai Electrical Services Company, Chicago
Ananias Grenger, A&D Property Services Inc., Chicago
Kazakiyah Ben Israel, Kazakeeyah Construction Group Inc., Chicago
Alura Ortiz, ISA Energy Construction, Lisle
Georgina Salgado Chavez, Chicago Waterproof Co., Chicago
Charles Smellie, McIntosh Construction & Management Inc., Aurora
Fidel Vega, De Vega Concrete, Broadview
Participants in the Technical Assistance Program receive comprehensive, customized business development assistance to build financial understanding and business plan development for increased business stability and growth in the transportation-related construction industry. Services are customized to the assessed strengths, challenges and needs of participating firms. This includes education, guidance and feedback on general business and construction-specific operations, including strategic planning and assistance with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) pre-qualification application.
Each participant in the program administered by HACIA Scholarship & Education Foundation must earn annual revenue of at least $450,000 and have a minimum of five years in business with subcontractor experience on major highways, roads, bridges or vertical construction projects, as well as moderate computer skills and proficiency in blueprint reading, general documents and specifications.
The HACIA Scholarship & Education Foundation is one of seven organizations that the Tollway partners with on the Illinois Tollway Technical Assistance Program. The program is designed to help small businesses gain the experience and expertise to handle more complex projects while increasing the pool of contractors available to perform work on Tollway projects. There are a total of 13 locations providing technical assistance for emerging businesses in Chicago, Cook County, the south suburbs and Rockford.
About the HACIA Scholarship & Education Foundation
The HACIA Scholarship & Education Foundation (HACIASEF) is a non-profit 501c(3) organization whose mission is to provide on-going training and educational services to businesses and their employees in the construction related industry. HACIASEF strives to promote awareness of professional career opportunities and continues to raise the bar in its goal to promote the future leaders in the fields of technology, architecture, engineering, construction & professional services industries. HACIASEF believes all qualified construction business should have equal access to opportunities and education in their industry.
About the Illinois Tollway
The Illinois Tollway is a user-fee system that receives no state or federal funds for maintenance and operations. The agency maintains and operates 292 miles of roadways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80) and the Illinois Route 390 Tollway.
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CONTACT: Dan Rozek