Class is in Session for 190 Small Businesses Owners Enrolled in Clark Construction's 2019-2020 Strategic Partnership Program

WASHINGTON – The school year is underway for 190 small business owners across the country looking to enhance their business and project management skills and realize smart, sustainable growth. These entrepreneurs are enrolled in Clark Construction’s Strategic Partnership Program, an intensive, executive MBA-style course designed to help small business owners enhance their size, scope, and scale. Clark kicked off its program in seven cities across the country throughout September, furthering its commitment to strengthening the small business community nationwide.

“For almost 15 years, Clark’s Strategic Partnership Program has provided an in-depth, executive education program for leaders of small, minority, and disadvantaged businesses across the country,” said Jay Grauberger, a senior vice president at Clark and executive champion of the program nationally. “For their part, these small businesses have made a significant commitment and investment in their own growth and development by participating in the program.”

The primary goal of the course is to grow the capabilities and business acumen of small, local firms to enable them to successfully compete for the best opportunities in their market. Offered at no cost to participants, the program includes weekly interactive classes focused on a wide range of topics, such as finance and accounting, insurance and bonding, project management, contracts, and estimating and purchasing; it also includes business competencies, such as networking and presentation skills.

Since launching the program in Washington, DC, in 2006, Clark has helped myriad small businesses grow their firms. More than 800 entrepreneurs have successfully completed the development course, and hundreds have gone on to successfully compete for, and perform, work on Clark projects.

 “The Strategic Partnership Program has been designed to go beyond just training to be truly transformative for participants,” said Kwaku Gyabaah, a vice president at Clark who helps oversee the Strategic Partnership Program in Southern California. “The most rewarding part in expanding the program over the last 13 years has been the consistent feedback from graduates about the lasting impact it is having on their companies – and seeing those companies help transform their communities.”

Since its founding, Clark has expanded the program to additional cities where it builds, including Chicago, IL, Irvine, CA, Kansas City, MO, San Francisco, CA, and Seattle, WA.

This year, the company debuted its Los Angeles-based Strategic Partnership Program. Sixteen area business leaders, representing 15 businesses, are currently enrolled in the course. The program furthers Clark’s commitment to strengthening Los Angeles, not only through the physical structures it builds, but by creating opportunities for local small business owners to grow, hire additional employees, and, in turn, give back to their own communities.

Clark has awarded more than $1 billion of contracts to Strategic Partnership Program graduates nationwide, resulting in a total economic impact of more than $2.3 billion.

“The Strategic Partnership Program is a key part of our commitment to building small business capacity in the communities where we live and work,” said Grauberger. “We’re excited about the future for each of these small businesses and can’t wait to watch them grow.”

Current class participants will culminate the program with a graduation ceremony in spring 2020.

The Strategic Partnership Program was recently named a finalist in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s 2019 Corporate Citizenship Awards in the category of Best Economic Empowerment Program.