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10/10/2019
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) yesterday announced that 52 contracting firms graduated from the agency’s Small Business Development Program, which aims to help emerging businesses refine technical and business management skills.
The program offers minority-owned, women-owned and emerging firms access to capital, bonding, technical assistance, mentoring and in-the-field training in order to build a new generation of transportation and construction contractors, MTA officials said in a press release.
“Our small business development plan is a win-win for both the MTA and participating firms,” said MTA Chief Diversity Officer Michael Garner. “The hard-working men and women in these firms have proven they have what it takes to successfully complete projects for the MTA. In turn, the MTA becomes even more inclusive, builds its pool of qualified, effective construction contractors, and small businesses will grow their portfolio of successful projects.”
Since the program’s inception in 2009, 241 firms have graduated from the program and nearly $400 million in contracts have been awarded to small businesses, MTA officials said.
Meanwhile, the New York Power Authority recognized the MTA earlier this week for being committed to energy efficiency.
MTA was recognized for advancing Executive Order 88 (EO88), which mandates a 20 percent improvement (over 2010 levels) in the energy performance of New York government buildings by April 2020. EO88 is the centerpiece of the BuildSmartNY program, which was introduced by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The MTA and NYPA have completed over 175 energy efficiency projects with annual energy savings of 216,733,000 kilowatts of electricity, 1,720,000 therms of natural gas and 299,000 gallons of fuel oil. These projects have resulted in over 116,900 metric tons of avoided carbon dioxide emissions per year, MTA officials said.
The agency plans to complete 75 more energy efficiency projects with NYPA by 2020's end. These projects are estimated to result in a 34 percent drop in energy consumption, they said.