HOUSTON — Thirty-eight Houston-area small and diverse business leaders successfully completed Clark Construction’s Strategic Partnership Program on Friday, May 31.
Throughout the eight-month course, participants focused on a range of business and construction industry topics, including financial statements and accounting, insurance and bonding, estimating, purchasing, and project management, as well as essential business skills, such as conducting presentations and successful networking. The experience concluded with a capstone project, where SPP participants presented to leaders and experts within the industry. The project further highlighted the importance of business skills, teamwork, and forming strategic relationships to strengthen the competitive advantage and likelihood of success in future endeavors.
Established in 2006, the Strategic Partnership Program delivers executive MBA-style classes to small minority-, women-, and veteran-owned firms in the construction industry. The SPP curriculum combines classes taught by Clark’s building professionals and local industry experts with interactive team projects and workshops. Houston graduates join the broader SPP alumni network of more than 1,500 business leaders and construction entrepreneurs.
Botello Builders Corporation Co-President Eleazar Botello went into the Strategic Partnership Program with the objective to increase his estimating, project management and marketing acumen.
“Through SPP, I have forged valuable relationships with Clark leaders and industry peers. I am excited to put everything I’ve learned from the program into action and share what I’ve learned with my team,” Botello said during the graduation.
Clark founded the SPP to provide diverse businesses with the training, knowledge, and resources necessary to compete for opportunities on large-scale construction projects. Since the program was founded, Clark has expanded the course to 10 markets across the United States. The program’s core curriculum, which is reinforced through a series of quarterly assessments, helps ensure that participants are able to grasp key course concepts quickly.
In recognition of the program’s 15th anniversary in 2021, Clark reiterated its commitment to fostering inclusive growth among program alumni by pledging to award $2.5 billion in new contracts to SPP alumni over the next decade.
“Launching the Strategic Partnership Program in Houston is another proof point of Clark’s commitment to creating economic prosperity in the region. We are proud to be a small part of these amazing business leaders’ journeys. I look forward to what they will accomplish and the ways we can work together to drive the Greater Houston region forward,” said Cara Lanigan, Group CEO with Clark Construction leading the company’s efforts in Texas.
Clark’s inaugural Strategic Partnership Program cohort in the Greater Houston area includes:
- Kym Adams, The Business Team
- Nicole Baldwin, Verde Global Corporation
- Sergio Banuet, TidyPro Partners LLC
- Jorge Bassante, Jeb Air Solutions
- Eleazar Botello, Botello Builders Corporation
- Rodrick Boykin, W&B Logistics LLC
- Chaunquila Brooks, PCW Unlimited
- Roque Campos, Montgomery Heavy Equipment
- Marlon Cooper, Mayan Staffing LLC
- Anthony Curtis, Teksync Technologies, Inc
- Rima Damani, Frontier Construction and Remodeling
- Keith Davis, Jerrold Construction
- Olusola Dosunmu, Dominion Engineering LLC
- Shanna Doucet, Bloomin Blinds of Richmond
- Ahmad Drumgo, Perpetual Development LLC
- Maurice Edwards, Edwards Enterprise Roofing and Construction
- Sara Esther, Evita Cabinets
- Rosalyn Francis, Global Supplier LLC
- Luz Gomez, Rice Military Group
- Jeronimo Gutierrez, VEP Properties, LLC
- Marqueta Harris, Phoenix Global Group
- Stanley Holland, Prime Elevator Corp
- Stanley Isawode, Delta Electrical Solution LLC
- Katy Lopez, KAJ Construction Inc.
- Kirk Martin, Houston Giant Construction
- Juan Medrano, Ceiling Crafters
- Jules Moor, A. Alexander & Associates
- Stevenson Moore, The Wire Connect
- Aderonke Okeleye, T.R.E.P.I.C LLC
- Jonathan Pete, Metropolitan Cleaning Solutions
- John Preston, Legion Construction
- Nathaniel Prevost, Glass Doctor of Greater South Houston
- Gerald Reece, EDP Engineers & Inspectors, LLC
- Gylenda Robertson, G.U.R Services LLC
- Irela Romero, Emerald Standard Services
- Liz Sturgill, Maximus Construction LLC
- Nancy Villatoro, YZ Builders LLC
- Kedrick Winfield, NRG FREIGHT & LOGISTICS
SPP provides small business owners with a solid foundation for smart, sustainable growth and long-term success. Participants of this program receive comprehensive construction management and business skills training from experienced industry leaders.
Are you a small business owner who desires to continue to grow professionally? Clark’s Strategic Partnership Program is the ideal program for firms with three or more years of operation experience. SPP has a track record of setting participants up with long-term success and the program’s teams are invested in seeing participants and their businesses thrive. Learn thorough technical and soft skills training while utilizing direct access to learn from a team of experts.
Following completion of the program, alumni have access to SPP ENCORE programming, which provides free continuing education and networking opportunities. Completing the program does not guarantee a contract with Clark Construction, however, Clark says it has awarded more than $1.3 billion in contracts to SPP alumni.
Interested firms can learn more about the Strategic Partnership Program or apply for an upcoming class by visiting www.clarkconstruction.com/spp.
