The courage to challenge the status quo and embrace innovation is the first step toward meaningful change.
The belief that everyone deserves the chance to build wealth inspired The Enterprise Center to partner with LF Driscoll.
BUILDING INCLUSIVITY
The Enterprise Center is an important local institution that is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that invests in people and initiatives in the center of its West Philadelphia community. Fundamentally, the organization has supported the expansion of diverse small businesses in the area for more than 30 years by providing access to funding, procurement help, and business advising services, thereby advancing racial and economic equality.
Inspired by the unrealized potential they saw while pushing for greater representation of minority business enterprises (MBEs), The Enterprise Center took matters into their own hands and used public and private funding to create their own Community Resource Hub with 100% MBE participation. Motivated by this endeavor, LF Driscoll agreed to serve as the pro bono prime contractor, offering guidance to The Enterprise Center and minority-owned construction companies involved in the project.
“We’ve had a strong connection with The Enterprise Center for some time now. They’ve monitored several of our initiatives,” says Mike Delaney, executive vice president at LFD. “So, when we talked about this project, I told the team to call us if they needed assistance.”
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
The project focused on creating a resource center along the 52nd Street corridor in West Philadelphia. In addition to the center, LF Driscoll also provided mentorship throughout the process. The 3,000-square-foot building houses the resource center on the first floor, with accommodations on the second and third levels. Despite launching the project at the height of COVID-19, LF Driscoll held weekly meetings to guide and support subcontractors.
“Every subcontractor was encouraged to participate in the full process—from submittals to approvals to preconstruction,” explains Ray McDonald, general superintendent at LFD. “We provided both leadership and mentorship throughout.” “This method helped them become even better builders by improving their abilities at every level.”
Many of the MBE contractors had limited experience with AIA bidding procedures and the complexities of the construction phase. However, they quickly adapted. By applying LF Driscoll’s guidance, they created lasting impacts on both the community and their own businesses. This led to a number of difficulties, including some schedule disruptions and delays.
Although many MBE contractors were inexperienced, they adapted quickly. By actively applying LF Driscoll’s guidance, they made a lasting impact—not just on the community, but on their own businesses as well.
“I recall coaching a superb subcontractor who successfully applied the knowledge we offered,” recalls Charles Steiner, project director for LFD. “She is now putting it into practice and teaching her own employees.”
We started this project with the only objective of proving the viability of a comprehensive approach to minority contracting. Della Clark, president and CEO of The Enterprise Center, stated, “The Community Resource Hub project used 100% minority contractors of, by, and for the community we are rebuilding here in West Philadelphia, from the fully dug basement to the tip of the roof.”
CHANGE THROUGH INTENTIONALITY
For McDonald, seeing the mentorship outcomes firsthand has been the most rewarding part of the process.
I“One of the subcontractors we mentored even asked for help bidding on another project,” he shares. “We were really proud of the wonderful full-circle moment.”
For Delaney, it is more important than ever to intentionally promote diversity and inclusion in the building sector.
“Intentionality means selecting the right people, giving them the right responsibilities, and helping them succeed,” McDonald adds. “That way, they’re empowered to create more success for others.” And The Enterprise Center did just that.
