Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses Help the New Terminal Project at Kansas City International Airport Take Flight

KANSAS CITY, MO - A diverse group of minority- and women-owned businesses are leaving their mark on Kansas City's largest single infrastructure project. On October 7, Clark | Weitz | Clarkson (CWC) and Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate announced that they have added the 100th Kansas City-certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) and Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) to their New Terminal project roster since the start of procurement in 2018.

Clark, in collaboration with joint venture partners The Weitz Company and Clarkson Construction Company, is responsible for overseeing design-build efforts for the project, which features one million square feet of new construction.

Thus far, MBE and WBE firms have been awarded more than $220 million in contracts on the New Terminal Project. Additional construction contacts, totaling nearly $50 million, are currently pending as the team works to secure final letters of intent. Procurement on the New Terminal will conclude in late fall. Approximately $60 million of work on the project remains to be awarded in scopes that are anticipated to yield high levels of small business participation. In total, the project includes $950 million of subcontracted work.

CWC and Edgemoor set the ambitious goal of 35-percent M/WBE participation across professional and construction services in support of making the New Terminal Project transformational for the local community. The project remains on course to meet the MBE and WBE goals.

“Our workforce represents Kansas Citians from all backgrounds and all walks of life,” said Quinton Lucas, mayor of Kansas City. “I am extra proud to see us recognizing, building, and supporting Kansas City’s many women- and minority-owned businesses that have been essential in bringing us a new airport terminal and providing hundreds of high-paying jobs in labor to Kansas City. The people of Kansas City and the flying public of Missouri and Kansas should be proud that the contractors highlighted today have helped construction of our state-of-the-art new terminal remain on time, on budget, and one of its kind. Thank you to all working hard each day in these challenging times to Build KCI for our residents and visitors from all over the world.”

To support capacity building in the Kansas City community, the team offers Clark’s Strategic Partnership Program – an executive MBA-style program for WBE, MBE, veteran-owned and disadvantaged businesses; the program is provided at no cost to small business participants. In the three classes that have graduated thus far, 84 local businesses have been represented. Of those, 12 small, local businesses have been awarded contracts to work on the New Terminal.

“This historic mile marker is a moment worth celebrating, but our work isn’t done. Through these programs, we are investing in small businesses’ potential,” said Mark Goodwin, vice president at Clark Construction. “We’ll continue to determine ways that minority- and women-owned firms can contribute to the construction effort in a meaningful way, and ensure the New Terminal has a lasting, positive impact on both Kansas City and the small business community.”

“We are extremely proud to have such a diverse group of project partners who have been instrumental in every aspect of the New Terminal Project, from the design phase, through demolition, moving into construction and many supporting roles along the way,” said Geoff Stricker, senior managing director at Edgemoor. “We are grateful for their contributions, dedication and commitment to making this project a success.”