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GENERAL CONTRACTORS CAM OPINION, BE RICHMOND, TEXAS, LARA DEL CONDADO, THE FOURTH BEND, EL DIRECTOR DEL HOUSTON SICA, PARTICIPATING CONTRACTORS.
DEL RIO, THE HOUSTON, THERE'S THE CITY HALL IN HOUSTON, WESTERN.
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I MEAN, RECOMMEND.GOOD MORNING AMERICA, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, PERFECTO, SES, HOUSTON, JOHN WHITMEYER, LOS
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JIM.WHAT IS THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM AND HOW MANY FACILITIES DO YOU OPERATE? YEAH, SO THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM OPERATES THREE AIRPORTS.
SO WE OPERATE GEORGE BUSH, WE OPERATE, UM, WILLIAM HOBBY, AND THEN WE ALSO OPERATE THE ELLINGTON AIRPORT SLASH SPACEPORT.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PURCHASING PROCESS WITH THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM? SO WE ARE A DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY, SO WE FOLLOW THE CITY OF HOUSTON PURCHASING, UH, PROCEDURES.
AND SO IN ORDER FOR YOU TO BE REGISTERED, UM, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO DO, UH, MINORITY PURCHASING WITH THE AIRPORT SYSTEM AND THEN GENERAL PURCHASING, UM, YOU'RE GONNA FOLLOW CITY PROCEDURES.
UM, WE AS THE AIRPORT HAVE OUR OWN, UM, STAFF THAT ARE OUT HERE THAT ARE DEDICATED TO THAT, BUT IT, IT'S GONNA, WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW THE CITY PROCEDURES.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS LIKE FOR THE SERVICE PROCUREMENT PROCESS WITH THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM? YEAH, SO IT'S PRETTY SIMILAR FOR IF YOU'RE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, BE A CERTIFIED MBE OR WBE, UH, OR AN SBE PROGRAM.
UM, THAT'S THE CITY PROCESS AND THE AIRPORT PROCESS ARE, ARE THE SAME.
UM, THE, THE ONE WHERE WE HAVE A A A DIFFERENCE IS, IS WE HAVE FEDERAL MONEY, UM, THAT WE USE FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS, AND WHAT THAT FEDERAL MONEY WE ARE, UM, PART OF THE DBE PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S A FEDERAL PROGRAM THAT'S SIMILAR TO THE CITY'S PROGRAM.
UM, AND SO THE, THE, THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY AND THE AIRPORT, UH, WE KNOW HOW WE CAN GET YOU TO, YOU KNOW, BE QUALIFIED FOR BOTH IF IT'S POSSIBLE.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A SECOND, UH, A THIRD PRO PROJECT THAT WE HAVE OUT HERE, WHICH IS OUR AIRPORT CONCESSION DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S SPECIFIC PROGRAM FOR DISADVANTAGE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWS FEDERAL RULES FOR THE CONCESSIONAIRE THAT OPERATE AT THE AIRPORT.
IF A MINORITY OWNED COMPANY WANTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT, THOSE PROCESSES, WHAT ARE THE STEPS? WHAT ARE THE NORMAL PROCEDURE THAT THE COMPANY HAS TO FOLLOW? YEAH, SO YOU'RE GONNA WANNA GET, SO YOU HAVE, FIRST YOU GOTTA GET CERTIFIED BY THE CITY, RIGHT? SO THE CITY HAS THE ABILITY TO CERTIFY YOU FOR YOUR WBE, E UH, AND MBE AND SBE PROGRAMS. UM, AND THEY ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO ER, UH, CERTIFY YOU AND POINT YOU IN THE DIRECTION TO BE ABLE TO CERTIFY FOR THE DISADVANTAGED FEDERAL PROGRAM.
AND THEN THEY WILL ALSO ASSIST YOU WITH THE, UH, WHAT'S NECESSARY TO BE, UM, UH, CERTIFIED AS AN ACE, UH, AN AIRPORT, UH, CONCESSION DISADVANTAGE BUSINESS.
THE RULES ARE ALL A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
SO GENERALLY, IF YOU QUALIFY AS AN MBE OR A WBE, UH, THAT YOU CAN QUALIFY ON A FEDERAL DBE, BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS TRUE.
SO YOU REALLY HAVE TO WORK WITH THE PROCUREMENT EXPERTS TO BE ABLE TO SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU QUALIFY FOR.
'CAUSE WE WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU IF YOU'RE GONNA, UM, REGISTER THAT YOU TRY AND, YOU KNOW, GET CERTIFIED WITH THE CITY AND GET READY CERTIFIED.
FROM A FEDERAL PERSPECTIVE, WHAT ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE THAT MINORITY-OWNED COMPANIES CAN, UH, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF? SO WE'RE ALWAYS DOING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS OUT HERE.
UM, SO BEING ABLE TO GET CERTIFIED, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, UM, YOU KNOW, PAVEMENT WORK OUT HERE FOR OUR RUNWAYS AND OUR ROADWAYS.
UH, WE'VE GOT TERMINAL WORK, YOU KNOW, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR TERMINAL WORK.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S A SMALL CITY OUT HERE, SO ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU, YOU THAT YOU NEED, UM, IN THE GENERAL CITY, WE, WE NEED OUT HERE AT THE AIRPORT.
UM, THEN ON OCCASION WE DO, UH, PROCUREMENT, UH, FOR THE CONCESSIONS OPPORTUNITIES.
SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE ACTIVE RIGHT NOW, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE THE, THE CONCESSIONS, UH, PROGRAMS OPEN UP.
AND THEN WE HAVE ALL OF OUR ENGINEERING AND DESIGN PROJECTS THAT WE'VE GOT COMING ON.
UM, SO WE ARE CURRENTLY, UM, DOING A PROCUREMENT FOR OUR ENGINEER.
WELL, IT'S ACTUALLY CLOSED, WE'RE EVALUATING IT, BUT WE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE SOME, UH, ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE WORK TOO.
WHAT ARE SOME MAJOR PROJECTS THAT THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM IS, UH, PLANNING OR IS IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING TO BUILD? YEAH, SO WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA BE HAPPENING ON THE AIRFIELD.
UM, AND THEN, UH, IN THE TERMINALS, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE STARTING A NEW PROJECT DOWN AT HOBBY TO DO A SEVEN GATE EXPANSION AT HOBBY.
UH, WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE DOING SOME RENOVATIONS TO TERMINAL A, UH, AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WE ALSO PARTNER WITH OUR AIRLINES WHEN THEY DO PROJECTS.
UM, SO UNITED AIRLINES IS DOING A $2.5 BILLION TERMINAL PROJECT AT, AT BUSH, AND IS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THEY'RE DOING THAT PROJECT HERE.
THEY ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO DO AND FOLLOW THE CITY'S PROCUREMENT FOR, UH, WBE AND MBE PROGRAMS. UM, SO THAT UNITED PROGRAM AND SOME OF THE AIRLINE PROJECTS THAT WE DO OUT HERE, UM, ALSO INCLUDES, UH, MINORITY PARTICIPATION, UH, GOALS.
IS THERE ANY EDUCATIONAL PROCESS THAT SOMEBODY CAN TAKE IN ORDER TO LEARN AND, AND, AND GET MORE DETAILS ON ON A PROCUREMENT PROCESS? YEAH, SO
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AGAIN, IF YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE OR THE CITY'S WEBSITE, YOU WANNA SIGN UP WITH THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, UM, BECAUSE THE AIRPORT ITSELF HOSTS, UM, UH, SOME INDUSTRY DAYS WHERE WE BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, GET FOLKS OUT, WE EXPLAIN WHAT'S COMING, UM, FROM A PROCUREMENT STANDPOINT, AND THEN ALSO WE, IT, IT PROVIDES ITSELF AS LIKE A MIXER.UM, SO IF YOU'RE NOT A PRIME CONTRACTOR, BUT YOU'RE A SUBCONTRACTOR, A LOT OF THE PRIME CONTRACTORS ARE THERE.
UM, SO YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO MIX AND MINGLE TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO TEAM UP WITH FOLKS ON THERE.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE HOST THOSE PERIODICALLY.
AND THEN AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT FOR LARGE PROJECTS THAT SOME OF OUR AIRLINE, UH, TENANTS ARE DOING, THEY WILL HOST THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF INDUSTRY DAYS ALSO TOO.
SO, UM, BUT THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS AND OPPORTUNITY, WHEN YOU GET REGISTERED UP WITH THEM, UM, WILL PUT YOU ON LIST TO BE ABLE TO GET THE EMAILS, UH, AND NOTIFICATIONS OF WHEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE THESE EVENTS.
WHAT ARE SOME TIPS THAT YOU RECOMMEND, UH, MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN A PROCUREMENT CER UH, PROCESS? SO, A AGAIN, I WOULD RECOMMEND, UH, MAKE SURE IF YOU'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GETTING CERTIFIED, IF YOU QUALIFY FOR THE FEDERAL, UM, PROGRAM TO GET CERTIFIED IN BOTH.
SO THEN THAT WAY WHEN WE RE WHEN WE, UH, TRY AND PROCURE FEDERALLY, UH, FUNDED PROGRAMS THAT YOU CAN QUALIFY FOR THOSE TOO, BECAUSE IT'S ROUGHLY THE SAME PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO GET CERTIFIED.
AND SO IF YOU'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE EFFORT GETTING CERTIFIED, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE, I WOULD, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR YOU TO GET BOTH CERTIFICATIONS, UM, IF POSSIBLE.
UH, A AGAIN, THE OTHER THING IS AGAIN, LOOK AT WHAT'S COMING OUT FROM A PROCUREMENT STANDPOINT.
RECOGNIZE WHAT YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO, UM, AND, AND PUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE AGAIN, YOU WANNA START PARTNERING WITH SOME FOLKS.
A LOT OF OUR PRIME CONTRACTORS ACTUALLY HAVE PROGRAMS WHERE THEY'RE, THEY BASICALLY MENTOR, UM, THE MINORITY CONTRACTORS.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF OUR LARGER PRIME CONTRACTORS, LOOK FOR PRIMES THAT HAVE THOSE MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS, BECAUSE IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, GET IN, UH, DO SOME GOOD WORK WITH THEM, AND THEY'LL MENTOR YOU ON HOW TO DO SOME OF THESE BIGGER PROJECTS OUT AT THE AIRPORT SO THAT SOMEDAY YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, TAKE ON THOSE AS YOUR, AS YOUR OWN KIND OF PROJECTS.
CAN YOU SHARE A SUCCESS STORY, A COMPANY THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, TRIED HARD, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MET THE, YOU KNOW, THE REQUIREMENTS AND NOW THEY'RE ENJOYING AND THEY'RE DOING A, A GOOD PROJECT? YEAH, SO WE'VE GOT, UM, SDEL MANAGEMENT OUT HERE, UH, WHO DOES A LOT OF OUR CONCESSIONS, UH, AT THE AIRPORT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE WAS A MINORITY CONTRACTOR THAT STARTED PRETTY SMALL, UH, FROM WHAT THEY, YOU KNOW, CONTROLLED OUT AT THE AIRPORT SYSTEM.
UM, AND, AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THE CONCEPTS THAT THEY BRING FORWARD AND THE MANAGEMENT AND EXECUTION OF THAT.
AND THEY'VE CONTINUED TO GROW BIGGER AND BIGGER AND, AND PROVIDE REALLY GOOD SERVICE TO THE, UM, TO THE TRAVELING PUBLIC.
AND SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, IT IS ONE OF THOSE ONES WHERE YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN START SMALL AND IF YOU, YOU REALLY FOCUS ON IT AND YOU CAN GET BIGGER.
ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS YOU WANNA ADD, JIM? YEAH, I MEAN, AGAIN, THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS A, A AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN, UH, WHAT OUR AIRLINE PROJECT, UH, WHAT OUR AIRLINE PARTNERS ARE DOING HERE AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, IT'S OVER $5 BILLION WORTH OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT THAT'S FORECAST FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
UM, SO THERE IS A LOT OF WORK THAT'S AVAILABLE AND WE ALWAYS NEED GOOD CONTRACTORS TO COME OUT HERE AND HELP US DO STUFF.
UM, SO AGAIN, FOLLOW THE CITY PROCESS, UH, GET YOURSELF CERTIFIED AND THEN GET OUT HERE SO WE CAN, UH, WE CAN USE YOU.
JAMES SESC, DIRECTOR DEO HOUSTON, PORT LOS COUNTY LOS, THE FOR METROPOLITAN, THE HOUSTON, THE WOODLANDS SUGARLAND, AND FOR COUNTY, COUNTY, RICHMOND, TEXAS.
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IN FOR BEND COUNTY DEL CONDADO, THE, FOR BEND COUNTY.TANTO DE CA FREEWAY IN RICHMOND.
GRAND PARKWAY, HIGHWAY SIX E HIGHWAY STAFFORD IN MISSOURI CITY.
SO FOR BEND COUNTY, CENTRAL FOR BEND COUNTY, THE FOR BEND COUNTY IS AND SUGARLAND EL CENTRAL FOR BEND COUNTY.
AND ROSENBERG ADO THE RICHMOND IT CONFERENCE, PERMITTING, BUILDING, CODING, UH, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND MM MM-HMM
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BUT OTHER, UH, UM, CLASSES, HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN HOUSTON FOR BEND COUNTY, FOR BEND COUNTY CHAMBER IS CENTRAL FOR BEND COUNTY CHAMBER.