Latest / The Commercial Builders’ Network (TCBN) / How to Win Commercial Construction Contracts | Juneau Construction's Supplier Playbook
Transcript
- speaker-0: Today we're answering a question that thousands of contractors, suppliers, and construction professionals have. How do you actually do business with one of the region's leading general contractors? Joining us today is Yami Adiyamo, Director of Community Engagement at Juno Construction. Today we're going to walk through how Juno finds trade partners, what they're looking for, where to find opportunities, common mistakes businesses make, and how to position yourself to earn a seat at the table. Here at the Commercial Builders Network, we say construction can change your life and it's starting to look more like you. This is the Commercial Builders Network, where trust is restored, power is reclaimed, and legacy is built. Let's get to work. Hello, beautiful people, and welcome to another episode of the Commercial Builders Network. My name is Tanisha Reed and I am your host. And today we have the amazing Yami Adiamo from Juno. He is the community engagement director. How are you doing today? speaker-1: I'm doing good. How about yourself? speaker-0: I am well. I am well. And it's good to have you here. speaker-1: Happy to be here. speaker-0: So I know there's a lot of people out there that want to do business with you know. Can you tell me what type of business are you guys looking to partner with? speaker-1: ⁓ yeah. So Juno construction does a wide range of things, right? So we do a good bit of new construction. So anything from demolition, site, ⁓ concrete to the finishes, right? We do ⁓ interior build out projects as well too. ⁓ we do renovation projects ⁓ on the construction side. So there's a lot of opportunities as it relates to trades. ⁓ on the corporate side, ⁓ you know. We order promotional items, marketing items. ⁓ we do events, so there's a need for catering. ⁓ so there are a couple of services that are not, I would say, related to the project or job site per se, but they're still opportunities that small businesses could be a part of. speaker-0: Awesome. And where are they able to see what kind of opportunities that you guys offer? speaker-1: Yeah. ⁓ so it it's really based upon the the need. ⁓ sometimes as it relates to the trades, we will do an outreach event, whether it's virtual or in person, ⁓ and we'll share the opportunities there. ⁓ other way is to ⁓ complete a prequalification and then you'll get bids ⁓ that are related to the capacity ⁓ that you have been approved for. Or just simply by just following up, you know, ⁓ with me or pre construction ⁓ department for those type of opportunities. speaker-0: So when you when somebody submits their pre qualification, what are the things that you are guys are looking for in that process? speaker-1: ⁓ yeah. So our risk department takes the lead in reviewing pre-qualification, right? ⁓ for me, I work with the small businesses or diverse businesses through the process. So ⁓ even though I am not the one looking through the paperwork, but I'm guiding them through the process. And really for the risk department, they look at a couple of things. One, ⁓ your experience level, right, which is a a big factor into what you can do, right? ⁓ number two is your safety record, ⁓ specifically for our our trade partners, right? ⁓ number three is just financial as well, too, because obviously finance is a big ⁓ big indicator of your growth and your ⁓ business, right? And then the cash flow aspect, because we don't want to ⁓ give a project where you don't have enough ⁓ cash flow, right? ⁓ and so those are the couple of big factors involved when they are reviewing the pre f ⁓ pre qualification application. speaker-0: So with all these companies, all these events that you go to, what will make a company I guess stand out and and say, Okay, maybe we will consider I guess doing some conversation with them. I know that you gotta do the prequalification, but I know relationships is really big as well. speaker-1: Yeah. So what would make a company stand out is their preparation, ⁓ you know, their level of readiness, right? ⁓ meaning that if there's a particular project that we're doing, have they done the research to know A about Juno construction, what markets we do, B, have they done research ⁓ to know more about that project or the location of it right? ⁓ and also how the business is structured right. So when they are sharing about the services that they offer ⁓ and how they are able to provide resources to do a successful project, ⁓ those are the kind of things that stand out to where we want to engage with that company ⁓ of course after another pre-qualification application is processed. speaker-0: So is there anything like this on the opposite side that stands out that could basically hurt people's chances or something that you commonly see that keeps people from getting the opportunity? speaker-1: I mean it th th there are a couple of things ⁓ that could hurt your opportunity. ⁓ again, pre qualification is a big indicator, right? So if there's any safety issues that your company has had in the past, ⁓ that can hurt your ⁓ opportunity. ⁓ the lack of communication as well too. ⁓ if you're not responsive, right? I mean, I know as small businesses you know, owners are wearing multiple hats, right? And they may not have the opportunity to do so many things, but communication is key. So if you're not able to meet certain deadlines, at least communicate that. And I see a lot of times where that communication ⁓ is is lacking and people miss out on those opportunities and it's a red flag, right? ⁓ I would also say just ⁓ preparation. You know, if you're approaching me about an opportunity And based off the conversation, I can easily tell that you ha you don't know the type of projects we do, right? ⁓ then it just tells me that you haven't done your research. Yeah, you you're not intentional and that's a a factor that can hinder you from getting the opportunity. speaker-0: Is there any kind of certifications that would help the person's chances of doing business with you guys? speaker-1: Yeah. ⁓ great question. So as the individual that oversees our supply diversity program and you know represent Juno Construction, Juno Construction is a woman owned company. And ⁓ next year we'll be celebrating thirty years in business. And so a lot of people know the back hist ⁓ or the history behind Juno, but Juno started off very small and it was because of ⁓ opportunities granted to us, right? to a small business, a woman-owned business that we have been able to grow and we've taken advantage of those opportunities. We've been successful, right? And so therefore we want to be able to get back. We want we want to be able to invest in ⁓ diverse businesses, right? And so we don't do a whole lot of federal projects and a lot of our clients don't have those requirements for those participation goals. But internally we always strive to ⁓ be strategic and involve in diverse businesses. So yes, certifications like women owned, ⁓ minority owned, veteran owned, small business ⁓ helps ⁓ in that aspect of us fulfilling that initiative that we're trying to do to get back to community to cultivate and develop small businesses as well. speaker-0: Awesome. So I I wanna dive a little bit more into the history because I know you've been with Juno for quite some time. It's been what a a decade. Yeah. You must be getting old. speaker-1: About thirteen years. I'm climbing up the ladder. speaker-0: I haven't up the ladder, but going from with an intern all the way up to the community engagement director, that is awesome. Can you tell me about your experience in and what this company means to you to stay so long? speaker-1: Yeah, yeah, so it has been a has been a long time and every time we have interns there's always a questionnaire that they have to find somebody that's been with Juno for ⁓ at least ten years and so I'm usually the one that they find. But ⁓ yeah, I I started out doing an internship with Juno my last year at Georgia Southern University. I was majoring construction management and it was tough for me to find an intern at that time. ⁓ it was as if companies wanted you to have experience before you do did an internship. and so I told myself the company that gives me ⁓ opportunity, ⁓ I would at least commit to ⁓ three, five years with that company, right? And so Juno gave me that opportunity internship. After I graduated, ⁓ they offered me a full time position, which I did. And ⁓ I always knew I wanted a company that had ⁓ core values that were coming to mind. And it wasn't a large company, it was a small company, family feel. And so ⁓ those three, five years went by pretty fast. I, you know, loved the company, stayed with the company. ⁓ and obviously I'm here at this point thirteen years. ⁓ was about three years ago that I kind of made a pivot from being a project manager to community engagement manager to now the director. And it just shows you that Gino is invested in their people, right? ⁓ And so they wanna see their people grow. ⁓ they've been investing me in the different things that I'm passionate about to where I get to have a position that I oversee ⁓ you know, outreach workforce development and supply diversity. So ⁓ this company has a lot of great values and that's why I've remained with this company. speaker-0: Awesome. So one of the core values of this podcast is building trust or rebuilding trust with the community. Could you tell me ⁓ something that that bothers a lot of people is they don't want to bid on large opportunities with larger contractors due to the fact that they think that they already know who they're going to work with before the the bid is released. Can you speak to that and and the integrity of Juno? speaker-1: I've heard that perception before. And I always like to give a I guess you could say a demonstration, right, or perspective. 'Cause I think we're all guilty of that, right? So for instance, you know, we all have our favorite places we go to eat. We all have our favorite place that we get our haircuts right. You know, we're typically consistent in that because that person, ⁓ that restaurant has provided good service, right? And so in in that same manner of trust, right, you gain trust with those type of ⁓ people or places. So you continue to go back to them. So I think by default it's a human nature to go back to something that has produced good results. However, there's gonna be times where that ⁓ barber or that restaurant maybe closed and now you don't you have to find another option, right? ⁓ but before you get to that point. you have to be intentional about creating opportunities for other places, other restaurants, other barbers. ⁓ same thing with business, right? You want to be able to cultivate good relationships, right? But you also want to create opportunities for new relationships. And so it it's a balance, right? And so yes, on projects, ⁓ you know, depending on the location, we want to make sure that we have companies that have worked with us before ⁓ that we know could get the job done. But we also want to create room for companies that been wanting to do work with us. They're ready to do work with us ⁓ as well too. So we are trying to get better at being strategic with our approach, right? ⁓ to create all those opportunities, the right opportunities for small businesses within our projects. speaker-0: So what quality do you value the most from suppliers and contractors that want to work with you? speaker-1: I think just transparency. I mean ⁓ again, not every small businesses will be ready to do work ⁓ with Juno, right? And ⁓ I believe the perfect small business will be a a business that's emerging that has some level of experience, but they're they're growing, right? ⁓ and I've seen a lot of times going to a lot of networking events, there's companies that have started in a residential and you know, that's really majority of their portfolio is residential and they're trying to get into the commercial, but because of the large projects that we do, it it's kind of hard to give a company you know, award a company a scope of work if all they have done is residential, right? So they have to start off in and slowly get into the commercial realm. ⁓ but it it takes you to or the business to to identify and say, Hey, this is where I'm at, right? And this is where I want to go. So I think a level of transparency, not biting more than you can chew, not overcommitting, ⁓ those are the qualities that are important to making sure that you're successful, which will lead to us being successful. speaker-0: So if it is a person that is in that predicament, what is your advice to them in order to be prepared to do business with you now? speaker-1: ⁓ yes. And specifically in the predicament that they have just done residential work. Is that the case? Yeah. So I I I would say coming to some of our events ⁓ or talking to me and just kind of laying out, okay, how do I get to this step, right? And for instance, t ⁓ pertaining to what market or what kind of project you want to do with Juno, right? Because we are heavy in student housing and multifamily. ⁓ so let's just say for instance that there's a company that does painting and all they've been doing is painting houses, right? And they want to ⁓ transition into more commercial, right? Paint is one of those skulls where it's easier to transition because I mean walls are walls, right? Yeah, definitely. More of a matter of the quantity and the amount of crude ⁓ that you have to have. So I will say ⁓ taking ⁓ our cultivate classes ⁓ that we have. ⁓ from time to time and understand, okay, what type of manpower is needed to operate in this space, what type of cash flow is needed to operate in the space, what kind of documents, records do I need to have to get to that point to where I feel that I'm ready to do work with Juno. So I think just understanding those expectations first, at least so that you can work towards it. And then once you're ready, then you know, coming to Juno. speaker-0: Awesome. So you said something about cultivate classes. Can you dive in a little bit to that and what that is? speaker-1: Yes. ⁓ so cultivate is a program that we started about two years ago and it's a ⁓ trade partner development program geared towards ⁓ diverse businesses, particularly ⁓ smaller businesses. And so we started our pilot phase again two years ago. ⁓ this year we took a pause because we are trying to revamp it and make it more of a cohort style ⁓ program, which will be rolled out ⁓ in twenty twenty seven. And it basically has different sessions, different topics, ⁓ whether it's ⁓ you know, scheduling and manpower, how to create a successful bid, ⁓ risk and safety, ⁓ financial, ⁓ financial tips and pay apps. ⁓ so there's a lot of information and expectation from Juno that we want to convey to these small businesses to make sure that they are ready. And again, it's targeted for emerging businesses, so businesses that are almost ready to do work with us, but they have to go through those expectations to understand exactly what we are requiring and what would make them successful ⁓ on the project. speaker-0: ⁓ that's awesome. Awesome. That's gonna be really good. ⁓ to be able to go through a core heart, learn the different steps and even build the relationship with Juno and trust there. So that's awesome. ⁓ I wanna dive into more of the industry's issue with workforce. What is Juno seeing? What is your guys' perspective since you guys are on a larger scale? speaker-1: Yeah, that's a good question. So ⁓ workforce development is something that I'm passionate about. ⁓ yeah, it's a struggle with just hiring individuals ⁓ in the industry. I mean, I think the recent stats show that about 90% of firms are are struggling with hiring ⁓ skilled labor. ⁓ about 80% of firms are struggling hiring individuals ⁓ full time positions. ⁓ so I think a lot of companies are ⁓ facing the challenge. And so I think about three years ago, ⁓ Juno ⁓ decided that we really want to invest in the next generation and ⁓ and how do we do that with workforce development? ⁓ with the pain point of trying to ⁓ get individuals within the ⁓ with in the industry, ⁓ we decided to focus on the K to 12 and untraditional routes, right? I think a lot of companies are used to ⁓ going to colleges and recruiting, but ⁓ just due to the the demand now, ⁓ we have to be creative. And so ⁓ what does creative creativity mean? Well, we're going to schools, we're building those relationships, we're sharing about the opportunities ⁓ in the industry, right? ⁓ we just started a work based learning program, which is pretty much a high school internship program. So some individuals may not want to go to college. They've when to go directly into the workforce. So we're trying to create some pathways within our ⁓ company for that. ⁓ we're also tapping into veterans as well too. So ⁓ there are veterans who ⁓ are are looking for positions. They have great skills, you know, being trained in the army, navy, or the ⁓ or the military. And so they can ⁓ bring those skills into the industry. ⁓ I've met teachers, different ⁓ individuals that have different careers that have gotten into the industry. And so it's just a matter of okay, how do we make roles that ⁓ can be easily ⁓ transferred into and then build a pathway for them to be successful so that they could continue to move up. And so I believe that Juno has been doing a great job in that and will continue to do a better job ⁓ in the future. speaker-0: Awesome. So what do does your internship program look like? speaker-1: ⁓ college internship or the the work-based learning. Okay. Yeah. So it's again it's something that we just rolled out, but we've had success last year. We had a ⁓ work-based learning student in Knoxville and that position was more related to ⁓ our ri reality capture. And basically, you know, with technology, technology is being used a lot in construction now. And speaker-0: work based learning for speaker-1: ⁓ we utilize cameras to capture ⁓ different rooms, right? ⁓ on a frequently ⁓ or frequent basis. ⁓ and that data is captured and helps us identify the schedule, identify what is missing. And so again, I mean you don't have to know too much to walk around with a camera, right? But as a student was doing that, he's learning a lot of different aspects of the industry, right? ⁓ he's learning what goes inside of the walls. He's learning the different roles in a project team. And ⁓ fortunately for us, fortunately for him, you know, once he was done with the work based learning ⁓ program and he graduated, he's ⁓ he accepted a job with us, you know. And and so it basically is, you know, learning or job shadowing somebody, right? But being exposed to different roles in the industry. ⁓ so we try to be more intentional just the fact that this individual may not know too much about construction, may not know the different roles. We want to expose that individual to the job site and the different roles that ⁓ that are there so that, you know, that person could ⁓ be open to the possibilities of the different opportunities. speaker-0: do love that ⁓ with you all it seems to be a consistent thing of if you get the internship you have a good chance of getting a job. And so that's good because I've been through internships with these kind of, you know, rolling through the free work kind of deal. So I think that speaks volumes to you guys as organizations, but it's also speaker-1: Yeah, so I mean I on the on the college front, I wanna shout out our college recruiter because they do a great job. They have a great internship. I mean the rate of the individuals that go through the internship and actually get a full time ⁓ job is is pretty high. And and so that's just goes back to the the intentionality, right? Being intentional with the exposure, ⁓ making sure that it's a good experience for both the the student and for us. And so we're trying to now do that with the high school. again to to give that pipeline. Now some high school students may want to go to college, but again, they'll have that opportunity to do a ⁓ college intern. But for those who want to go directly in the field, we're hoping to have more positions open. speaker-0: Awesome. Now for someone who has no construction experience, whether it's they're coming from high school or they looking to pivot, because like I said, there's a lot of people that are pivoting industries right now and considering construction. What is your first piece of advice to get for them to get started? speaker-1: Yeah. ⁓ just to do some research, you know. ⁓ I think doing some research will help you understand like what is construction, what are the opportunities, 'cause I think people have a misconception misconception that construction, as it relates to like any general contractor or whatever, is just hands and ne ⁓ hand hands and ⁓ I'm sorry, ⁓ nails and hammer, right? And and that you're just constantly using your hands in the field. Well, there's other aspects of the industry, right? I mean, in our company, ⁓ we have engineering services, which helps you know us through the layout. So they're constantly using the technology, but they're both on the on the field. So I consider them as hybrid, right? ⁓ but there's a virtual design construction world to where you're operating out in the office, but you're pretty much building the ⁓ project in a computer. ⁓ there's support teams ⁓ that we have ⁓ from different ⁓ offices, ⁓ you know, corporate marketing, accounting, ⁓ but obviously geared towards construction. So there's there's so many opportunities outside of the trades, you know, mechanical, electrical, plumbing that ⁓ someone could transition to. We even have a data analytics team, right? I mean, so ⁓ so there's just a lot of opportunities, especially as technology continues to advance in in construction. ⁓ you know, it's going to help us create more ⁓ positions and more opportunities in the industry. speaker-0: So what makes this industry such a rewarding place to build a future? speaker-1: Man, ⁓ funny you asked because I was on vacation last week in Tampa and I spent about two years in Tampa ⁓ when we were building our our first ⁓ multifamily project in there. And my family was there and I was able to kind of show them the project I was a part of. And that is ⁓ that's always rewarding ⁓ for me as an individual, having been out in the operations team. and just the fact that I could show people, hey, this is a building that I participated in. ⁓ but also with my new role that I'm very passionate about with just mentoring and exposing students to the possibilities and the opportunities of construction, is rewarding when I I see an individual that maybe I went to this classroom with and talked about opportunities. We exposed them to opportunities and found out that they you know, made that choice to go into construction, right? ⁓ I I believe that's, you know, very rewarding and to see that is great. ⁓ to see little kids, you know, ⁓ excited about, you know, pouring concrete planners ⁓ is is also rewarding to me. So I think there's just so many rewarding things about construction and and that's why I really love this industry. speaker-0: Awesome. Do you guys have any upcoming projects, bid opportunities, events that you could speak on? speaker-1: Yeah, so we have some upcoming projects. ⁓ we have two projects in Atlanta that will be starting sometime next year. ⁓ one will be at the Atlanta Youth Academy. ⁓ they're doing a expansion. ⁓ and so they're expanding their current gym and then they're adding a new building as well for early ⁓ education. So ⁓ hopefully we'll have an outreach event for that. ⁓ either later this year or early next year. we're also doing the Mass Timber project in Atlanta. So that'll be coming up soon. ⁓ so there'll be more details on that ⁓ since we're still in the preliminary stages of of those drawings. ⁓ we currently have some projects outside of Atlanta. ⁓ in in like South Carolina, a lot of our projects are outside of Atlanta or Georgia in general. ⁓ so for companies that ⁓ do travel. ⁓ to different locations in the southeast. ⁓ we have ⁓ project starting in Rock Hill, Rock Hill, South Carolina. It's a student housing project ⁓ there. So there's a there's a couple of opportunities and there's more in the pipeline that's just in more of the conceptual stage. speaker-0: Awesome. So aside from maybe the small businesses that you guys are looking to work with, are there any other partners that you guys are looking to do business with? speaker-1: One thing that has been developing, ⁓ I think in the last couple of years, but specifically within Juno two years, is more of a design build approach. ⁓ meaning that in in the past, we would be the general contractor, the client will contract directly with the design team and so we will work with the design team, but we're all underneath the client right. ⁓ but with the design build approach Juno will contract ⁓ the architect, the mechanical engineer, ⁓ so some design aspects of it, which gives us ⁓ you know, some opportunities to work with other companies, right? ⁓ and so there is a potential opportunity for those types of partnership with design firms. again, there's not a whole lot of that that we do, but there is ⁓ some of those. approaches from time to time. I would say with possibly ⁓ labor services, ⁓ like skill lay skilled labor services. So as we are expanding our build ⁓ retail build-out team in our interiors division, ⁓ there may be a need for us to supplement our teams there. ⁓ you know, Juno has been growing over the years rapidly. And ⁓ I do think that there's gonna be opportunities as we are growing to supplement some of those teams. speaker-0: Awesome. Where can they get connected with you? And I I I don't think I asked specifically, is there a bid board that you actually use specifically to actually p roll out your opportunities for contracts? speaker-1: Yeah, good question. Yeah, we don't use a a bid board. ⁓ our approach is is a little bit different. ⁓ the way that pre-construction team looks at things is that we want to be intentional and strategic when it comes to the number of bids that we get for different trades, right? Because A, we want our estimators to t to be able to actually have some type of relationship, actually have time to communicate with you, actually have time to provide feedback. And it's hard to do that when you have so many companies bidding a particular scope, right? So we, you know, from time to time we try to target between three to six ⁓ trade partners ⁓ per per scope. And so because of that, we invite ⁓ companies to bid, but again, it's the invite is based off of the ⁓ approved list that we have. So once you go through the prequalification ⁓ project or the process, I'm sorry. ⁓ you'll be approved on a particular capacity level. And based off of that, the and based off the location, ⁓ the pre construction team will reach out. Obviously, as my job to oversee supplier diversity, I'm looking at the bid list, I'm looking at the sub coverage for each project and making sure that ⁓ different small businesses are included, the ones that are ready ⁓ as far as the capacity level ⁓ to be able to be included. So it's a strategic process. ⁓ but to answer your question though, we don't have a posting of the different opportunities. Again, from time to time we'll have outreach events, whether it's virtual or or meet and greets in person. ⁓ but for the most part, just fill out a pre-qualification process and then ⁓ either the pre-con team will reach out or I will reach out ⁓ concerning a specific project that we believe that it will be right for you. speaker-0: Awesome. And I'll just add one question. What are your thoughts on at these different events, the people that meet in a room that are interested in doing business with you collaborating to get these opportunities? What are your thoughts on that? speaker-1: ⁓ I I preach that all the time. So ⁓ I always tell small businesses, right, to not just look for that vertical opportunity to write, look for horizontal opportunities. ⁓ like I feel that there are opportunities with collaborating with each other, right? Especially if you have a limited capacity. You could work with another company to have capacity. At the end of the day, right, there there is just gonna be one company on the ⁓ on the contract, right? But ⁓ if you're able to ⁓ supplement your team, your crew, your resources with another company, by all means, I mean, definitely work that angle. ⁓ but also you could work, I mean, I would say, you know, for that person as well too. ⁓ in terms of a larger company, right? So when we have these meet and greets, we'll have our larger companies there as well too. ⁓ so maybe there's a opportunity for you to do a part or a piece of the work that they're doing as well too. So don't just look for the vertical opportunities. Look for the horizontal opportunities as well. speaker-0: Awesome. One more time, how can I get in contact with you and where's the pre-cloud? speaker-1: Yeah. So ⁓ you get in contact with me through LinkedIn ⁓ by sending me an email ⁓ at Y A D E Y E ⁓ O at Juno J U N E A U C C dot com. and as far as a pre-qual, you know, once you get in contact with me, ⁓ I will copy my risk team in and they'll send you a link through our Procore portal, ⁓ which is where we do ⁓ pre-qualification. And then we'll get that process going. Depending on the size of your company, we do have a short form pre-qualification, ⁓ which is just a two page PDF ⁓ that we'll send as well to ⁓ and then we'll, you know, help you through that process. ⁓ typically you would hear back from me if you're a small business as far as your capacity level, and then we'll talk about the next steps. But yes, feel free to reach out. I'm here to answer any questions. I'm available. ⁓ and I I'm looking for the opportunity to meet you all. speaker-0: Awesome. Thank you, Yami, so much for your time. It's been great. speaker-1: Again, thank you for having me. ⁓ and appreciate you for doing this, for getting the word out about the opportunities. I think this is important ⁓ for small business to be aware of the opportunities and to hopefully get some insight. So thank you for having me.