Clark & J. Roberts Join GSA Mentor-Protégé Program

BETHESDA, Md. – Clark Construction Group, LLC, has been selected as a mentor in the General Services Administration's (GSA) Mentor-Protégé Program. Clark has selected Chantilly, Va.-based general contractor J. Roberts, Inc., a certified small disadvantaged business, as its protégé company. Clark will work with J. Roberts over three years, helping the company increase its capacity within the construction industry.  

Founded in September 2009, the GSA Mentor-Protégé Program is designed to benefit all categories of small businesses in the construction, professional services/IT, and security services industries. The program's goals include encouraging and motivating small business growth, enhancing protégé capabilities and capacity, increasing access to small business, and increasing opportunity to existing small business schedule holders to increase work. Clark's application to enter the program with J. Roberts was approved by the GSA in July. Clark plans on applying to support additional protégés across the country through this program. 

The GSA Mentor-Protégé Program formalizes Clark and J. Roberts' relationship and reaffirms Clark's commitment to developing small businesses. Clark and J. Roberts have been working together for nearly 10 years on projects including the Department of Transportation Headquarters, NGA Campus East, Largo Town Center/Morgan Boulevard Stations, National Harbor Building L & K, and Pearson Square. Currently, J. Roberts holds subcontracts on two Clark projects, North Bethesda Market in North Bethesda, Md., and DoD/BRAC 133 in Alexandria, Va. 

Clark has developed an interactive mentor-protégé program that combines formal classroom training, monthly seminars, and field training. Clark will enhance J. Roberts' construction management and general business skills by providing training in project management, project budgeting, estimating, project control, project purchasing, and risk management. 

Clark has a long history of supporting certified business enterprises. Earlier this year, the fourth class of graduates completed the Local, Small, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (LSDBE) Strategic Partnership Program. This program, a partnership between Clark and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, is a comprehensive 10-month education process for small businesses intended to increase their size, scope, and scale within the construction industry. In addition, Clark has met certified business participation thresholds on several notable projects including DoD/BRAC 133, NGA Campus East, Nationals Park and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.