2010 Best-in-Class Supplier Diversity For Profit


Turner maintains a nationwide network of offices, including its Cleveland office, performing work on more than 1,500 projects each year. The company's commitment to working with minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs) is long-standing both nationally and locally. In 2010, with a construction volume of $5.7 billion, Turner spent $568 million—10 percent of its total budget—and $21 million, which is 14.5 percent of its $143 million regional spend, with MBEs. Such success is a result of best practices developed over several years. Effective strategies include:

  • “The utilization of minority- and women-owned business enterprises throughout the Company will continue to have high priority within our affirmative action programs. The Company continues to lead the industry in utilizing MBEs and women-owned business enterprises (WBEs) to the fullest extent possible in all geographical locations. Our purchasing efforts must be responsive to this commitment.” (An excerpt from Turner’s EEO policy)
  • The Turner School of Construction Management (TSCM), a nationally recognized program, teaches how to do business in the construction industry with major corporations. Founded in 1996 in partnership with the City of Cleveland, under the leadership of former Cleveland Mayor Carl B. Stokes and Case Western Reserve University, it provides minority, women, disadvantaged and small-business owners with courses on topics such as green building, developing business plans, financial planning, estimating, construction law, bonding and insurance. TSCM has been held in more than 70 cities and is offered annually in major Ohio cities including Akron and Cleveland. To date, the program has graduated nearly 32,000 business owners and generated more than 48,800 contracts valued at $17.6 billion.
  • Turner conducts outreach and networking by organizing, sponsoring, and participating in meet- and-greets, MBE-support organizations’ conferences, and construction-related events. Organizations include National Minority Supplier Development Council, National Association of Minority Contractors, US Pan-Asian Chamber of Commerce, and Contractors Assistance Association. Turner actively assists MBEs to market to potential business customers and partners.
  • Monitoring is placed directly into the contract with a 20 percent goal established in the contract with the prime contractor. The prime must identify Tier 2 MBEs, who must be written into the contract. Copies of Tier 2 tier contracts and/or purchase orders must be provided with a certified payroll.
  • The company routinely provides constructive criticism guiding unsuccessful bidders to improve their proposals, presentations and pricing. This feedback enables MBEs to bid successfully on future projects.

“Turner is always looking to increase our efforts to further develop partnerships with diverse suppliers. We are continuously committed to improving the economic viability, increasing the exposure, and expanding the opportunities for M/WBE-owned businesses. In our communities where we do business their growth is critical to the success of our industry.”

Mark Dent
Vice President and General Manager
Turner