ISSUE 79
October 2022
METRO & the Interagency Mentor Protégé Program Partners Continue Their Collaboration to Advance, Strengthen & Drive the Small Business Community
By Subcontractors USA News Provider In keeping with METRO’s commitment to providing contracting opportunities to all businesses, on September 22, 2022, METRO’s Board of Directors adopted a Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (VOBE) Program and a Disability-Owned Business Enterprise (DOBE) Program. These new programs are in addition to the existing and successful Small Business Enterprise (SBE) and…
The Houston Minority Supplier Development Council Continues to Bridge the Gap Between Buying Entities and MBEs
The 2022 EXPO Provides MBEs With Opportunities for EXPOnential Growth By Subcontractors USA News Provider Under the leadership of President Ingrid M. Robinson, the Houston Minority Supplier Development Council (HMSDC) continues to combat the challenges MBEs face with a commitment to seeing these businesses succeed.Since its founding in 1973, this nonprofit organization has remained a…
5 Permitting Tips for Public Works Contractors
By Helen Callier, Contributing Writer It is always a great feeling to sign a new contract. Be it for a commercial or public project, the sound of hearing the words, “You have been awarded XYZ job” is sweet music. This was apparent when I was recently picking up a package at the post office. A…
OSHA Reveals Top 10 Safety Violations for Fiscal Year 2022 at NSC Safety Congress & Expo
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced recently its preliminary Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety standards for fiscal year 2022. NSC Safety+Health Associate Editor Kevin Druley introduced Patrick Kapust, acting director of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, who presented the list during the 2022 NSC Safety Congress & Expo, the world’s largest annual…
US Department of Labor Awards More Than $11.7 M in Grants To Educate Workers, Employers on Workplace Safety, Health
The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced the award of $11,746,992 in grants to support worker and employer education to make workplaces around the nation safer and healthier. Administered by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program is making grants to 90 nonprofit organizations in fiscal year 2022 for…
Personal Protective Equipment Market worth $64.2 billion by 2027 – Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets™
Personal Protective Equipment Market size is projected to be at USD 64.2 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of -1.3% from USD 68.5 billion in 2022, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets™. This growth is primarily triggered by the rising awareness about workplace safety, stringent regulations in developed countries, and the outbreak of the…
COS Announces Winners of the 2022 Safety Leadership Awards
The Center for Offshore Safety (COS) has announced the winners of the 2022 Safety Leadership Awards during its Annual Safety Forum. The awards recognize companies for their outstanding leadership in developing safety management and performance practices and projects that advance the offshore industry’s culture of safety. “This year’s winners leveraged research and experience to develop…
DART Welcomes Charles Cato as New DART Chief of Police
After an extensive national search, Charles Cato has been selected as the new chief of police at Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). A public safety executive with almost 33 years of law enforcement and leadership experience, Cato will direct and oversee the DART Police Department including sworn officers, emergency preparedness, security services, and related functions…
Collins Aerospace Opens New Facility at the Houston Spaceport To Support Future Space Exploration
Collins Aerospace recently opened a new 120,000-square-foot facility located at the Houston Spaceport. An anchor tenant at the Houston Airport System’s newly-created space hub, Collins will transition its current local operations to the new site, further advancing its space exploration programs. With more than 40 years in the Houston area and the current site filled…
Port Houston Moves Forward on Sustainability Action Plan
In its latest sustainability move, Port Houston announced an agreement with Shell to explore opportunities to work together to meet the Port’s strategic goals in the areas of sustainability, resilience, and carbon reduction. Port Houston and Shell signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines a shared intention to explore key energy, mobility, and decarbonization…
Issue 78
September 2022
Program Helps Progress 2030 Diversity Challenge
The National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) completed its fourth class of 20 architecture students as the 2022 summer cohort of the NOMA Foundation Fellowship (NFF). The NFF is a two-month summer fellowship hosted at leading architecture firms across the country where fellows engage in design research and benefit from firm mentorship. NFF provides professional…
New Federal Project Labor Agreement Rule Will Prevent Most Firms From Bidding on Federal Construction Projects and Hurt Minority Firms
The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, released the following statement in response to the release of new federal rules that will soon require procurement officials to impose project labor agreements for federal construction projects valued at $35 million or more: “Today’s proposed rules requiring procurement officials to…
Construction Employment in July Trails Pre-Pandemic Levels in 15 States as Lack of Qualified Workers Leaves Many Jobs Unfilled
Construction employment in July continued to trail pre-pandemic levels in 15 states as contractors struggled to find qualified workers to fill openings, according to a new analysis of federal employment data recently released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials called on government officials to allow employers to sponsor more foreign-born workers and…
Doing Business With CPS Energy
CPS Energy is committed to providing contracting opportunities to all businesses including local and small, minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses (SMWV). CPS Energy has a long history of awarding contracts to Certified SMWV Businesses and recommends that vendors register with the South Central Texas Regional Certification Agency (SCTRCA) at sctrca.org. Once registered, businesses are connected…
2022 U.S. Energy and Employment Report Indicates Strong Job Growth Across Several Clean Energy Sectors
By Tracey Kohler, National Association of State Energy Officials The U.S. Department of Energy published the annual U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER). The report tracks employment data and analyzes trends across different areas of the energy sector to inform policymakers, employers, and job seekers. The report indicates that the energy sector grew 4% overall…
MidCentral Energy Adds North Texas Manufacturing Facility
MidCentral Energy Partners, LLC, an asset performance management company serving the energy sector, is expanding its footprint with a 50,000-square-foot lease in Fort Worth. The expansion will bring MidCentral’s operating infrastructure to over 140,000 square feet and will support the company’s manufacturing/remanufacturing and site services product lines Oklahoma City-based MidCentral, has been expanding its client…
How the Future of Drone Technology Is Already Here
Since their first use in the mid-1800s in the form of hot air balloons, unmanned aerial vehicles have been used for security, photography, safety, and many other applications. Today, drones have a significant impact on the way we do business — from warfare reconnaissance and real estate marketing to filmmaking and inventory tracking. For example,…
Does Your Organization Still Use POTS?
By Paul Stoessel, MCA Communications Beginning in the late 1800s and for more than a hundred years thereafter, the Plain Ordinary Telephone System (POTS) revolutionized communication for business and personal use everywhere. But since the advent of new technology starting in the 1980s where the voice could be transmitted through digital protocols, the old “twisted…