June 25, 1999
Rickey Laster has built an entire career around building small, minority-owned businesses and designing better ways to prepare the next generation of contractors. His vision of the future —and efforts to provide a level playing field for minority contractors— has earned Laster many local and national awards.
But his participation in the Market Creek Plaza project, develop by the Jacobs Center for Non-Profit Innovation, serves as a culmination of those efforts.
"This project is extremely important," explained Laster, president and co-founder of Minority Contractors Consultant Group (MCCG). "It's the first time that a construction project has ever been done like this. We are using a construction management team that is in control of the project, and we are bringing new people into our industry. We are not just giving them jobs, but training them to do the work, so they will be able to work for themselves after the project is complete."
MCCG is a pool of 140 contractors from a variety of ethnic backgrounds who assist small, emerging businesses to win construction contracts and provide technical support for their projects. MCCG seeks to build a relationship with large prime contractors and municipalities and develop a comfort level for them to use contractors within MCCG.
MCCG is one of five organizations working in collaboration to build Market Creek Plaza. The goals of providing opportunities to learn and grow a new generation of contractors are shared by the Jacobs Center, the Market Creek Plaza team and Laster.
"This project breaks down the barriers to small, emerging businesses that normally compete based on the lowest bid submitted," he said. "In addition, the labor for this work comes from the 4th District. This job is open to anyone who wants to go to work and undergoes the training program at the San Diego Youth and Adult Coalition (SDYAC)."
The SDYAC works to help inner-city young people, 16 to 21 years of age, to go to work in various industries by establishing mentor-protégé relationships that provide on-the-job training. The work relationships then go hand-in-hand with courses on life and interpersonal skills, work preparedness and other industry-specific training.
Laster said, "After going to the Coalition, those who want to participate in Market Creek Plaza then go to the Black Contractors labor pool, a 250-hour training program, and then can begin the apprenticeship program. If they show us that they want to work, show up on time and work well, they can build a foundation on which to go to work for another contractor."
Once Market Creek Plaza in completed, Laster foresees taking this concept to the whole industry, with Market Creek serving as a model program.
"This is a targeted outreach program that would work well in any construction job in the public or private sector. It allows for better minority inclusion in public or private projects and is a win-win situation for everyone."
Over the course of 23 years in the construction industry. Laster has personally overcome the obstacles faced by minority-owned contractors. His ability to win major construction contracts in both the public and private sectors led him to found the R. Laster Consulting Corporation, an independent consulting firm specializing in procurement and contract management services.
Laster's efforts have brought a piece of some of San Diego's largest projects to his group of contractors and subcontractors. For example, the Bayview Heights Naval Housing Project, the area's largest Navy housing project, brought minority contractors $6.5 million in contracts. The Chollas Heights Naval Housing Project brought in $2.3 million in business for these contractors. In total, MCCG has secured more than $23 million in contracts for minority contractors.
In addition, Laster is serving as a consultant for the 12-year, $1.5 billion Brown Field expansion, and has negotiated the involvement of several minority-owned firms.
Laster has also authored and introduced an educational program called Winning Opportunities for Responsible Contractors (WORC). The nation's first construction industry program of its kind, WORC provides on-the-job training for men and women who work by day and attend classes at night. The WORC curriculum provides 273 hours in training in all facets of the construction industry.
Laster's commitment to others and the future of minority contractors has earned him three Congressional awards for fighting discrimination in the construction industry and outstanding and invaluable service to the community. He also earned two State assembly certificates of recognition.
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