Maui contractors and small businesses invited to transportation workshop: July 13, 2010

The state Department of Transportation Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program invites small business owners to one-on-one match making workshops to meet with general contractors and procurement officials for the purpose of fostering partnerships and creating opportunities to work on DOT projects. 

The purpose of the workshops is to match up small businesses with larger general contractors that bid on DOT federal-aid projects.  Brief 15-minute meetings across the neighbor islands will provide small businesses with an opportunity to market themselves and their services to contractors. 

“Small businesses are the life-blood of our local economy and we want to provide every opportunity for them to participate in DOT projects at our airports, harbors and on our highways,” said Brennon Morioka, DOT Director.  “These workshops will help small businesses to make important networking connections with our state’s largest general contractors.” 

The workshop for Maui will be held Tuesday, July 13, 2010 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Maui Business Resource Center Unit B-9, located at 70 Kaahumanu Avenue in Kahului.  Other neighbor island workshops are planned on Kauai today, July 7, 2010 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Kauai District Office located at 1720 Haleukana Street in Lihue; in Hilo on Friday, July 9, 2010 from 9 a.m. to noon at 1990 Kinoole Street; and in Kona on Tuesday, July 20, 2010 from 9 a.m. to noon at Kealakehe Intermediate School located at 74-5062 Onipaa Street in Kailua–Kona. 

Registration forms are availabe online at the DOT website at http://www.Hawaii.gov/dot/notices.  The DOT asks that registration forms be emailed at least five days in advance of the event to: don.fukuhara@hawaii.gov or fax to 808-587-2025.