Skip to main content

2009 Wins for Oregon's Minority Contractors

Although 2009 presented significant economic challenges, the National Association of Minority Contractors of Oregon (NAMCO) has been successful in assisting its members to maintain their businesses.

The National Association of Minority Contractors has 25 chapters across the country in major cities. In Oregon, NAMCO is made up of 60 Minority contractors who strive for economic parity in contracting opportunities.

A vital part of NAMCO's success is the strength of its partnerships in business, community and government. During the year, the association has built key partnerships for its membership with public and private sector owners, most notably the Association of General Contractors (AGC) and local trade unions.

Minority contractors agree that membership in NAMCO provides many benefits. "The organization has helped us to build relationships and has assisted us to position ourselves for key projects," said Andrew Colas, President Colas Construction, a NAMC Oregon member firm.

NAMCO members and partners honored at this year's annual event:

Contractor of the Year: Hamilton Construction
Private Partner Project: Legacy Health System
Agency of the Year: Port of Portland
Clean Energy Project of the Year City of Portland: Derek Smith
DBE Contractor of the Year: Pacificmark Construction,


In addition to helping members maintain and improve their businesses, some of the major milestones for NAMCO during 2009 involved partnering with AGC on the Oregon Department Of Transportation (ODOT)Industry Team to set guidelines for state projects.

Working with the ODOT Civil Rights Teamm, NAMCO organized quarterly trainings for DBEs to participate. Most recently, NAMCO helped to determine certification compliance, enforce ODOT requirements to increase utilization of minorities on ODOT Projects and target specific geographic projects to increase minority participation.

NAMC Oregon launched and assisted in the blueprint for the Minority Contractors Improvement Partnership (MCIP) and have continued to support its growth.

NAMCO partners assisted in drafting the Clean Energy participation agreement to include minority businesses, and worked closely with MCIP and Multnomah County on weatherization projects. This work includes looking at contracting practices and incorporating some of the Federal Acquisition Requirements into local projects that are using ARRA funding. President Maurice Rahming is also working with the Energy Trust to increase its MBE participation.

In June 2010, NAMCO will host some of the largest minority contractors in the country as the national organization convenes in Portland. Some of those attending the conference include: Thor Construction, the largest African American owned firm doing business around the country and internationally; Shaw Lindquist, the largest Asian American general contractor in the country; and Meyer Fencing, a Native American company that completed a $5 million 24-hour emergency project on the collapse of the Minnesota bridge in 2008.

Learn more by visiting the NAMCO website.



Popular posts from this blog

Medicine Wheel for the Planet

Jennifer Grenz, PhD       Working toward ecological healing requires awareness of how Indigenous ancestral knowledge and living ways can complement Western scientific approaches to environmental restoration and protection practices. Dr. Jennifer Grenz (Nlaxa’pamux mixed ancestry) worked for more than two decades as a field researcher and practitioner for environmental nonprofit organizations, where she worked with different levels of government, including First Nations in Canada. "Medicine Wheel for the Planet" compiles Grenz’s most potent realizations about the lack of forward movement in addressing an impending ecological catastrophe.  A warming climate impacts not only human lives but also the natural balance that relies on reciprocal relationships rooted in deep connections to the land. She uses the metaphor of the four directions of the Indigenous “medicine wheel” to invite openness to Indigenous teachings, letting go of colonial narratives, merging lessons f...

Memento - Embracing the Darkness

Dennis "Dizzy" Doan Stories about overcoming and persevering through family dysfunction, poverty, and mental health challenges offer hope and the promise of better days. Dennis “Dizzy” Doan’s memoir Memento: Embracing the Darkness is one such story, with the added complexity of being raised in an immigrant Vietnamese family. Doan’s parents dealt with the mental and emotional aftermath of war, which forcibly uprooted them from their homeland. In the United States, they struggled to create a safe and stable life for their two sons. Doan shares his journey of finding himself, his craft, and eventually a successful tattoo business in Southern California despite personal strife and run-ins with the law. Doan is best known for developing the aesthetic language to combat anti-Asian hate that erupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. His art series titled “Model Minority” went viral, sparking conversation about Asian American identities and harmful stereotypes. In Memento, Doan showcase...

Enlighten Me

Editor's Note: This review was originally published in Los Angeles Book Review . Author Minh Lê Standing up for oneself seems like doing the right thing. Binh did just that in the face of a racist school bully who was poking fun at his Asian heritage. But physically assaulting another student goes against school policy, and it was Binh who got in trouble. Binh shares a silent retreat with his family and younger siblings. Along with other children, he learns about stories from the previous lives of the Buddha. The stories are interesting, but for Binh, it is difficult to sit still and clear his mind when he misses his Gameboy. While he struggles with silence, he learns important lessons about friendship, community, and being present. In the graphic novel "Enlighten Me," award-winning author Minh Lê and bestselling illustrator Chan Chau tell the story of a boy who gains a better understanding of himself as he works on quieting the mind and reflecting on dharma. Lê and Ch...