CHICAGO—The City of Chicago Department of Procurement Services (DPS) today hosted the eighth annual Construction Summit at Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Jackson Blvd. Each year, this event provides local residents and businesses an unparalleled opportunity to network and gain information around upcoming construction and construction-related projects underway in the City of Chicago. At today’s event, nearly 1,000 attendees had the opportunity to meet with over 85 exhibitors representing all levels of local government, city vendors and other hiring firms.

“My administration is committed to providing access to resources that will help all our local businesses grow and succeed,” said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “The Construction Summit provides residents an unprecedented amount of information and resources, as well as serves to expand the inclusion of businesses owned by minorities, women, people with disabilities and veterans in public projects through directed and active engagement, putting them in a stronger position to serve their communities, invest in their neighborhoods and grow our economy.”

This year’s Construction Summit featured six categories of exhibitors, including City of Chicago departments and Sister Agencies; county, state, regional and federal government agencies; non-profit assist agencies and support organizations; community and veteran organizations; financial institutions and employment resources. Additionally, government officials and community partners led a dozen workshop sessions. The workshops included:

• DPS “First Look” Series featuring key City of Chicago infrastructure departments: Aviation, Transportation and Water Management
• Resources to Start, Run & Grow Your Business
• 2020 Disparity Study: City of Chicago M/WBE Construction Program
• Financial Resources for Your Construction Business
• An Introduction to The Job Order Contract (JOC) Program
• Becoming a Certified Business
• Construction Trades Informational 101
• Building the Workforce of Today: Diversity in Construction

“The Construction Summit is a wonderful opportunity for residents and businesses from every corner of Chicago to network, learn, and engage with our city departments and agencies on ways they can provide key support to some of our most important construction needs,” said Alderman Gilbert Villegas. “I encourage every interested resident to participate in these programs along with many others as we continue to work together to build a more inclusive city and equitable future for everyone.”

“Outreach events such as the Construction Summit highlight our efforts to provide opportunities for vendors to interact with subject matter experts and ensure the vendors who work on City projects reflect Chicago’s diversity,” said Chief Procurement Officer Shannon E. Andrews. “This is a key event for prime contractors, sub-contractors, and construction-related business owners to network and form lasting connections for collaboration on future construction projects.”

The Construction Summit is one of many efforts led by DPS to enhance the City’s procurement processes, which are aligned with the Mayor’s commitment to creating competitive, fair, and transparent procurement for the City of Chicago. DPS facilitates over 20 different programs and initiatives to encourage the use of local small businesses that are minority, women-owned, veteran, or owned by people with disabilities. Committed to communications and outreach, DPS teaches workshops on over 20 different topics, and hosts or participates in over 100 events annually to educate the vendor community about opportunities and resources.

To view a full list of confirmed exhibitors, workshop presentations and other updates from today’s summit, visit www.chicago.gov/construction

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