JP Cullen Logo
Search
Close this search box.

Diverse Partnerships

We are committed to building an inclusive workplace and welcoming people of all backgrounds. This commitment is woven into our mission statement and values, which believe that our people are our greatest assets. We see diversity as a competitive advantage because diverse teams solve problems better than others. Our team will bring different perspectives, not getting stuck in doing things the same way just because they have always been done that way, which results in better solutions for our projects

Cullen icon

Partnering with Diverse Subcontractors & Suppliers

JP Cullen proactively seeks to do business with diverse subcontractors and suppliers on all projects. Our program has resulted in meeting or exceeding our inclusivity goals on over 200 projects and $24 million paid to diverse firms in the last five years alone. To maximize our outreach efforts, we participate in community job fairs and partner with local workforce development partners, such as WRTP/Big Step, Transportation Alliance Network Solution Program, Operations Fresh Start, Workforce Development Boards of Wisconsin, and many more, and community leaders to ensure we are reaching as many individuals as possible.

We do all the commonplace practices to increase diverse business participation on projects like holding town halls and breaking up scopes of work into smaller bid packages. A few different things that we do to build diversity, not seen a lot on other construction projects, are:

Aiding Disadvantaged Businesses

Consider flexible payment terms to support disadvantaged businesses. Expediting payments to those that need cash flow assistance can ultimately play a critical role in their successful completion of project scope and their capacity to grow.

DEI Track Record

Prequalifying and awarding subcontractors on their inclusion history and demonstrated track record of performance & commitment.

Mentorship

Assigning an internal champion/mentor to work with the subcontractor and facilitate “match making” so they can build capacity within all aspects of their business, not just construction.

Mentor Protégé Program

Our Mentor Protégé Program focuses on supporting the local small business community including minority owned, women-owned, veteran disabled, or other diverse-owned businesses. We work with proteges who seek to grow their businesses and improve their competitive standing. Our program is centered around developing a long-term partnership, not just a project-based relationship. In fact, it’s better when the relationships are established outside of a project so the firms can get to know one another’s values, beliefs, processes and systems. We mentor on all aspects of a firm’s business – not just on the project. We use the 70:20:10 learning model for our program, which is comprised of three ways to learn: on-the-job experience, mentoring & coaching, and classroom, courses & reading. We cover topics such as project planning, operations, finance, technology, and marketing.

Commitment to Bringing Diversity to the A/E/C Industry

Our team is highly involved in different organizations and committees to bring more diversity to the A/E/C industry. Shannon Metoxen, Vice President-Milwaukee Division, sits on the AGC National Diversity & Inclusion Steering Committee and the City of Milwaukee’s Residents Preference Program Review Committee.

Learn more about some of the projects where we exceeded inclusivity goals here.

We are committed to building an inclusive workplace and welcoming people of all backgrounds. This commitment is woven into our mission statement and values learn more about how we build an inclusive workplace here.

Shannon Metoxen
DEI Champion
Shannon Metoxen
Shannon Metoxen
DEI Leader