Dive Brief:
- Skanska has launched a new edition of its Building blocks of construction management program in Atlanta, with the goal of bringing its subcontractor engagement initiative to more than two dozen local companies, according to a press release Monday.
- The training and education program helps small, local construction companies position themselves for long-term success when working with large general contractors like Skanska USA, the New York City-based unit of the Swedish construction company.
- Since 2006, Skanska’s CMBB program has graduated more than 800 companies nationwide and generated approximately $740 million in contracts between Skanska and program participants.
Diving knowledge:
Participants can engage with virtual learning sessions or in-person networking opportunities, setting them up to develop relationships with Skanska leadership as well as other contractors and potential project partners in their region.
The CMBB curriculum covers topics including:
- Basic concepts of certification.
- Competitive bidding and estimation.
- Insurance requirements.
- Prequalification processes.
- Marketing strategies.
- Project programming.
- Billing procedures.
- Safety rules.
- Execution of the project.
“The CMBB program accelerates our relationship with small business leaders in our region and provides participants with tools they can leverage to run their businesses successfully,” said Matt Frey, general manager of Skanska’s Atlanta operations, in the release. “We want to ensure these businesses feel supported and have access to the resources they need to thrive.”
David Delancy, founder of Tampa, Florida contractor One Day Came, detailed his experience in the CMBB program for the construction dive earlier this year. Skanska partnered with the University of South Florida for one of its CMBB programs in the state.
“I walked into this program and I knew right away I was going to learn a little bit,” Delancy said in March. “Small businesses, we’re in our space, we’re in our lane, but we know there are other things we can learn to improve, to work a little faster, to work a little more efficiently, to be better for our customers.”
Helping smaller businesses find their footing and success is exactly the goal, Skanska leaders say.
“When we support small businesses in our local communities, everyone benefits,” Ashley Hunter, Skanska’s subcontractor engagement coordinator, said in the release. “Strong partnerships create opportunities not just for individual companies, but for the entire construction ecosystem.”
