Public private coalition, seeking to promote equity, creates opportunities for small and minority-owned Californian businesses

By Alisha Green (CALMATTERS) – Being a business owner was always part of the dream for William Jackson, president and founder of Global Electric. He launched the electrical contracting firm in 2006 and built it up to 25 employees, taking on public works projects in the Los Angeles area and beyond with clients including the city, county, LA Metro, and Metrolink. The team is currently working on light rail vehicle projects and making improvements to stations and platforms for LA Metro. As a certified small, minority, and disadvantaged business, Global Electric is the type of contractor that public agencies are supposed to be leveling the playing field for when it comes to competing for work. Winning a contract is still rife with hurdles for small businesses, though, from qualifying for various bonds — essentially promising the contractor will meet the project requirements — to having the right insurance. These are some of the barriers the Equity in Infrastructure Project is trying to dismantle in California and across the country, especially as money pours into public infrastructure projects following the $1.2 trillion federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. California has already received more than $42 billion of those funds....