Development Commission Increases Contracting with Minorities, Women

PORTLAND-Minority- and women-owned and emerging small businesses garnered $10 million of the $54 million in contracts awarded by the Portland Development Commission July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2001. This was nearly double PDC’s annual goal of 10%, and more than four full points higher than last year’s 14.32%.

“Part of PDC’s mission is to create quality job opportunities for all citizens,” says Don Mazziotti, PDC Executive Director. “It’s just as important to do that directly – through our contracting and work force training processes – as indirectly by stimulating new development.”

PDC attributes the growth in minority participation to an intensified outreach effort to train and attract such businesses for construction projects and “personal services” contracts such as engineering, architecture, writing and graphic design. There are 1,500 firms in Oregon certified as disadvantaged, minority or women business enterprises and/or as emerging small businesses.