UTRGV Rio South Texas Regional PTAC, the leading organization that provides free and confidential business counseling for those interested in partnering with governmental agencies, hosted a full class of over 20 local businesses which participated in the University of Texas System Model Contractor Development Program (MCDP). The program, developed to mobilize and educate small construction and construction-related firms needed to complete UT System-related projects, has existed since the mid-2000s. Over 80 companies from across Texas, including Austin, Houston, Galveston, El Paso, and San Antonio, have participated in the program.
Marking another first, bringing the MCDP program to the Rio Grande Valley cements the continuing partnership between UT System, UTRGV RSTR PTAC, and large and small community businesses. The program was sponsored by Houston based Vaughn Construction and held in conjunction with the UT System Office of HUB Development and the Office of Facilities Planning & Construction. Vaughn Construction is the billion dollar general contracting firm that will construct the UT System managed South Texas Medical Academic Building—a million project.
The MCDP is designed to familiarize and impart critical best practices that companies should implement to improve their operations, their access to capital and financing, and leverage their position to take advantage of the upcoming, region-wide projects. Companies that have completed the program have also increased their competitiveness in seeking and obtaining other public and private contracts.
“We took a wealth of information from it and can’t wait to utilize it in our day to day business practices; as well as, getting ourselves groomed to bid on the Medical Building project. It is good to know there is such a great resource here in the Valley, with such open arms,” said Charles Crockett, principal of Gulf Coast Contractors, Inc.
Now that the UT System is set to offer contracts worth millions of dollars, the timing was right to get local businesses educated on what the expectations are when working with general contractors like Vaughn Construction on UT System managed projects.
“The knowledge provided and the class modules, has been instrumental in the way we are structuring our business. Less than a week after completing the program, we were awarded one of the big projects at a private school. The new job is a complete Gymnatorium with stage, lighting, A/V recoding for production, cameras, sound systems and more!,” shared Dyan E. Warrenburg, Director of Sales for ProSound, Inc./MOO. “All thanks to UTRGV PTAC and the MCDPs guidance.”
Presenting the different modules were officials from the UT System Office of Facilities Planning & Construction including Richard Petty, Richard DeLeon, and Marc Kimble, the UT-RGV Medical School Project Manager for UT System. Steve Skabla and Brett Fairman represented Vaughn Construction. Other industry leaders and representatives also shared their expertise. These included such luminaries as Joanna Baltierra and Leslie Guajardo of top accounting firm Padgett Stratemann, Omar Villareal of the respected Smith-Reagan Insurance Agency, and Jamie Branham, Market Manager of of iSqFt, a leading construction software technology firm.
“UT System has continuously worked with UTRGV RSTR PTAC in presenting and educating all businesses interested in seeking available contracts, and we hope to only strengthen that relationship,” said Hector Landez, UTRGV RSTR PTAC director.