Building Opportunities, Removing Barriers
Post date
July 15, 2022
Body
Conner Howard, Crain's
It’s often said that small businesses are the backbone of the United States economy. Many of those small businesses are owned by minorities, women and other marginalized groups — all of which can be overlooked when it comes to large-scale public works contracts.
Such contracts are typically awarded to national corporations, creating fewer opportunities for businesses with roots in the communities these projects affect. This ongoing issue was at the core of a recent roundtable discussion convened by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD), which featured a panel of influential stakeholders with deep knowledge of the challenges facing minority-owned businesses.