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"One of the top priorities of my
administration is creating jobs," Gov. Blagojevich said. "Small
businesses are the backbone of the Illinois economy, and we have to
get them the information they need to be successful. By hosting this
conference, IDOT is helping to do just that -- provide startup
business owners the technical assistance they need to 'Get Ready for
Prime Time.'" The "Get Ready
for Prime Time" conference is primarily directed toward the category
of disadvantaged business enterprises, which typically are small,
minority-owned and woman-owned businesses. However, the conference
is open to any companies interested in working with the Department
of Transportation or other branches of state government and related
entities.
"We are committed to diversity, not
just in our workplace, but on our jobsites," Martin said. "We are
working with communities to get the resources in place that small
businesses need, and this is just one of the ways we are trying to
do it. We have opened a one-stop shop in Chicago and will soon open
another in the Metro East area, and we continue to push our prime
contractors to meet our goals of minority participation on each and
every job."
The conference will offer
information on a variety of topics that will assist small
businesses, including workshops on financing, bonding, getting work
as a subcontractor, how to find work and using technology to access
state government. It will conclude with a roundtable forum, "Ask the
Expert," featuring participants from throughout the Department of
Transportation.
The "Get Ready for Prime Time"
disadvantaged business enterprises conference will be at the
Renaissance Hotel in Springfield on Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Registration is free and begins at 8 a.m. the day of the conference.
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 "As a small-business owner, working
with IDOT technical experts has been a tremendous asset for me to
get my company off the ground and on the road to success," said
LaJobie Mosley, owner of Mosley Construction. "Working with IDOT
experts is opening doors for my business, giving me the information
I need to make my company competitive."
According to the U.S. Small Business
Administration, there were approximately 969,700 small businesses in
Illinois as of 2003. Of those, 27.2 percent were owned by women,
generating $44.3 billion in revenue. Minorities owned 21.5 percent
of these companies, generating 90 percent of the total revenue from
minority-owned business in the state.
Some of the items and services IDOT
and the rest of state government seek bids on are road and bridge
construction and improvement, airport construction and improvement,
consultant engineering services, land surveying, land acquisition
appraisals, negotiations and relocations, landscaping, heavy
material hauling, public relations, training, auditing, information
technology, technical writing, vehicles, heavy construction
equipment, mowing tractors, power tools, generators, materials
testing equipment, surveying equipment, ice melting compounds,
signposts, sign-making materials, traffic-marking paints, safety
apparel, office supplies, janitorial supplies, hand tools, repair
parts, hardware, building maintenance and repair, grounds
maintenance, equipment repair, guardrail and fence repair, traffic
signal and highway lighting maintenance, advertising services, and
equipment rental.
[News release from the governor's
office] |
