PTAC Co-Hosts Construction Opportunities Conference

The Construction Opportunities Conference was a networking event like no other. The conference provided some 160 small businesses from Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia the opportunity to network with large prime engineering and construction firms. They also had the opportunity to receive technical assistance from experts in the fields of OSHA, certifying payroll, bonding and cost accounting. The UT Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), Nashville Business Incubation Center and Baker Donelson presented the conference in Nashville.

The conference kicked off with a "What's Your Forecast?" session that allowed participants to hear from representatives of Skanska, Turner Construction, Messer, Hensel Phelps and MICC-Fort Campbell. Breakout sessions later in the event ranged in topics from OSHA to cost proposals to retaining talent. The following business matchmaking session provided a great opportunity for participants to meet with buyers in one-on-one meetings during the conference. Business matchmaking matches small company sellers with participating buyers represented by government agencies and large construction prime contractors. Participating matchmaking companies included:

  • Bell & Associates
  • City of Nashville
  • Hensel Phelps
  • KMK Construction
  • Messer
  • Metro Nashville Airport Authority
  • MICC-Fort Campbell
  • Oak Ridge National Lab
  • Skanska
  • Tennessee Valley Authority
  • Thalle
  • Turner Construction
  • US Army Corps-Memphis
  • US Army Corps-Nashville
  • Vanderbilt

 

PTAC program manager Paul Middlebrooks understands the value of opportunities like this for construction and engineering firms.

"Events like these are so important for our advanced clients who are looking for an opportunity to meet with potential large prime contractors and government agencies, while also gaining important information in such areas as safety, cost proposals and upcoming projects,” said Middlebrooks.

Thank you to all of the sponsors that helped make this event possible:

Platinum Sponsor: Baker Donelson

Silver Sponsor: Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Bronze Sponsors: Turner Construction, KMK Construction, Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce, Bell and Associates Construction

To see photos of the event, visit our Facebook page. Stay tuned for details regarding the 2020 conference!

Tags Government Contracting