Never underestimate the power of networking when you work in the trades. Many of our Electrical Alliance members have seen time and time again that some of the best opportunities come from who you know.
That’s why, on April 16th, Electrical Alliance members got to be in the same room as many of the region’s major contractors during a special meet-and-greet luncheon. Hosted in Arlington, VA, the event brought together professionals from a wide variety of trades.
Attendance included:
- Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 26
- General contractors
- Electrical contractors
- Minority-owned Certified Business Enterprise (CBE)
- Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) businesses
- National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Signatory contractors from across the region
The diverse crowd made it a great opportunity to expand professional connections. It was a rare chance to build the kind of relationships that help contractors grow and win more work. During the event, Business Manager Chris Cash took the stage to speak about the importance of this type of networking.
“We need to hook you up with each other so we can conquer this and get this work,” said Cash. “The better you can work together, the more successful we can all be…We want to create an opportunity to promote joint ventures on lucrative opportunities.”
Attendees learned about some of those specific joint venture opportunities, upcoming publicly and privately funded Project Labor Agreement (PLA) projects in Washington, DC, and how to prequalify for partnerships that can position their business for work ahead.
Cash mentioned that, for signatory minority contractors, it’s a welcome opportunity to help them begin the process of becoming pre-qualified with general contractors pursuing big projects. These kinds of connections can be important stepping stones for signatory minority contractors to spread the word about their own businesses.
“We hope all of this helps spark conversations that lead somewhere great,” said Cash. “Please take the time to mix around, have those conversations, and know that we appreciate you coming.”
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