Date: Feature Week of December 21, 2003
Topic: Black Press Business/Economic
Author: William Reed
Article ID: article_ema122103a

BLACKS AND THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

A Business In Which We Can Build From The Ground Up

Where African Americans should be looking to spur the creation of wealth, new jobs, and economic opportunities?

Across America the employment picture is bleaker for Blacks than any other group.   Nationwide, nearly 2.6 million manufacturing sector jobs have been lost since July 2000, one-third of which were held by Blacks.  We are at the bottom of the recession�s raft with unemployment levels at 11.8 percent.  Increasing African American employment and management in building skyscrapers, houses, highways, bridges and water systems and dams could provide wealth, new jobs and economic development among Blacks.

According to the 2003 McGraw-Hill Dodge Report, the U.S. construction industry is a $245 billion-a-year market.  A leader in expanding opportunities for Blacks in construction is the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and its Construction Technology Department.  Department Chairman Dr. Leon Copeland, Sr. points out that �There are many jobs that make up the industry.�  Copeland�s department at UMES is the nation�s leading predominately African American program preparing and educating professionals for careers in construction.   

Houses, apartments, factories, offices, schools and roads are the industry�s products.  Its activities include work on new structures as well as additions, alterations and repairs to existing ones.  The construction industry is divided into three major segments: General building contractors, heavy construction contractors, and special trade contractors.  General building contractors build residential, industrial, commercial, and other buildings.  Heavy construction contractors build sewers, roads, highways, bridges, tunnels, and other projects.   Workers in construction have relatively high hourly earnings and excellent prospects for job opportunities.  The average construction industry worker makes a base of $35,000-a-year and managers earn $80,000 a year and up.

Blacks have proven they can earn a great deal of money and make positive public impact in construction.  Look at Atlanta.  The growth of this modern city�s culture and chic is due in part to an African American construction company.   Starting with Atlanta�s airport to its impressive skyline of Georgia Pacific Headquarters, the Georgia Dome, City Hall, Phillips Arena and others, you are seeing the work of the nation�s top Black construction company.  The 50-year-old H.J. Russell Company is a $240.3 million general contracting firm that has 2500 employees performing projects nationwide.  Herman Russell has a personal wealth exceeding $40 million.

American construction is forecast to grow.  Growth during the next decade in this industry will be remodeling and modernization.  As homes, buildings, highways, and dams get older, more repair and updating is going to be needed.  There are also many revitalization projects scheduled in urban areas that were once booming, went into decline, and are now becoming popular again.

Black infrastructure building is happing at a Land Grant University started in 1890.  UMES offers four-year degrees in construction management and science.  Copeland�s goal is �to prepare students with the ability to manage and supervise the total construction process.�  UMES has American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) accreditation and a broad range of construction industry executives support the program.  �We are simply seeking to improve access to the industry by previously marginalized sectors of our society, specifically Blacks and women,� says Winchester Homes President Larry Barrows of company grant contributions to the UMES Construction Technology Program.  

Listed among the �100 Best Companies To Work For In The Residential Construction Industry�, Winchester Homes is a subsidiary of the Weyerhaeuser Company, a forest products company and global employer.  Setting a pace for diversity growth in concert with building communities; Winchester Homes Chairman Peter Byrnes says �We are committed to delivering the best buyer experience.  This commitment depends on the inspired people we employ�.  The growing number of UMES graduate professionals and interns among Winchester Homes� workforce is due directly to Byrnes� involvement on UMES� Construction Management Technology Program�s Industry Steering Committee.

Dr. Copeland has� nearly 100 percent placement� of graduates and most have at least two or three offers when they leave.  Under the Industry Steering Committee, comprised of chiefs of construction corporations like Winchester Homes, UMES construction management students participate in summer internships that give them hands-on experience in their construction careers.

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© 2000-2003 William Reed - www.BlackPressInternational.com