Business opportunities with MoDOT subject of workshop held in Cape Girardeau

The Missouri Department of Transportation primarily handles highway construction, but has other needs as well, and looks for subcontractors to perform those functions.

That was the subject of a workshop Thursday afternoon at the Economic and Business Engagement Center at 920 Broadway in Cape Girardeau.

The primary focus was on disadvantaged business enterprises, or DBEs, and how to maximize their profile with MoDOT and other state agencies.

April Brown, senior civil-rights specialist for the Southeast District with MoDOT, said any business owner considering applying for DBE status should research whether the company�s specialty relates to a need MoDOT � or another state agency � has.

Certainly, highway construction is prominent among MoDOT�s needs, but anything construction related is also included, Brown said: traffic control, sign or fence installation and landscaping are all services MoDOT needs.

Consultants in engineering, plans, AutoCAD, hauling and community outreach are also needed, she said.

�I think it�s important for companies to really hone in on what they do well,� she said.

Gina Montgomery, intermediate civil-rights specialist with MoDOT, said typically a company could be considered for DBE status if it�s owned by a woman or minority, sometimes a disabled person, or a resident of economically depressed areas.

Companies and owners must meet specific criteria regarding net worth and other concerns, and must undergo the certification process.

There are rigorous interviews to prevent fraud, she added.

But in Missouri, there�s a unified certification program, or UCP, and partners certify applicants: �If you�re certified with one agency, you should be recognized by all of them,� Montgomery said, adding the partner agencies are MoDOT, the St. Louis airport and Metro Transit, the City of Kansas City and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority.

After certification is granted, a DBE�s services are listed with the Missouri Regional Certification Committee, or MRCC database, Montgomery said. It�s searchable and interactive, she said, so contractors looking for DBEs to hire can easily find those who fit a project�s requirements.

Montgomery added that each state agency, not just MoDOT, has a goal for women- and minority-owned business participation in projects, so it�s a good idea for company owners to research whether their business could benefit from DBE certification.

More information on MoDOT�s DBE program is at www.modot.org/dbe-program.

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