Dive Brief:
- Skanska has launched a new edition of its Construction Management Building Blocks program in Atlanta, aiming to bring its subcontractor engagement initiative to over two dozen local firms, according to a Monday news release.
- The coaching and education program helps small, local construction firms position themselves for long-term success when working with large general contractors like Skanska USA, the New York City-headquartered unit of the Swedish builder.
- Since 2006, Skanska's CMBB program has graduated over 800 companies nationwide and generated about $740 million in contracts between Skanska and program participants.
Dive Insight:
Participants can engage with virtual learning sessions or in-person networking opportunities, which sets them up to develop relationships with Skanska leadership as well as fellow contractors and potential project partners in their region.
The CMBB curriculum covers topics including:
- Certification basics.
- Competitive bidding and estimating.
- Insurance requirements.
- Prequalification processes.
- Marketing strategies.
- Project scheduling.
- Billing procedures.
- Safety standards.
- Project execution.
“The CMBB program accelerates our relationship building with small business leaders in our region and offers participants tools they can leverage to run their businesses successfully,” Matt Frey, general manager of Skanska’s Atlanta operations, said 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-based contractor One Day Came, detailed his experience in the CMBB program for Construction Dive earlier this year. Skanska partnered with the University of South Florida for one of its CMBB programs in the state.
“I got in this program and I knew right away that I was going to learn quite a bit,” Delancy said in March. “Small companies, we’re in our space, we’re in our lane, but we do know that there are other things that we can learn to get better, to work a little faster, to work a little more efficient, to become better for our clients.”
Helping smaller businesses find their footing and success is exactly the goal, leaders from Skanska say.
“When we support small businesses in our local communities, everyone benefits,” Ashley Hunter, subcontractor engagement coordinator for Skanska, said in the release. “Strong partnerships create opportunities not just for individual firms but for the entire construction ecosystem.”
