Facing property damage after a storm or fire? Get help any time day or night: 952-920-0717 J. Benson Construction is Unionizing May 21, 2021 J. BENSON CONSTRUCTION'S PLANS TO BECOME UNION CONSTRUCTION FIRM By Iain Carlos – Reporter, Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal Paul Edlund's old work as a criminal defense lawyer laid heavy on his mind. No matter his success in bettering his clients' fate, he felt powerless to address systemic issues that led them into trouble in the first place, he said. "I felt like Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the hill, over and over and over again," Benson said. That's part of why, in November 2020, Edlund purchased J. Benson Construction in Hopkins. He aims to grow the firm, which has for 50 years specialized in the restoration of residential and commercial structures, into a union-affiliated, general contractor. If he succeeds, he said, the firm would provide a number of Twin Cities metro residents of color with much-needed middle-class income and union benefits and help normalize the presence of Black-owned contractors affiliated with the union. Edlund knows tackling union work with J. Benson, which he wants to start doing in the next couple of months, would unlock a sizable amount of revenue for his business and fruits for his employees. Many large-scale development projects are cordoned off to union-affiliated, and almost exclusively white-owned, companies, leaving nonunion firms to take on smaller projects. He also knows the endeavor won't be easy, he said. Thor Construction, the teeming and seemingly secure Black-owned and union-affiliated construction company that helped inspire Edlund's goal, collapsed in 2019. Calvin Littlejohn, co-founder of TRI-Construction in North Minneapolis, one of the few currently operating Black-owned union construction firms in Minnesota, told the Business Journal that a lack of access to capital and the costs of union dues and benefits have meant "this union construction landscape is littered with the bones of Black businesses.” Edlund has a strategy to keep J. Benson solvent as it scales. The pivot away from the company's restoration work, which earns the firm around $6 million in revenue annually, toward larger-scale development projects, will happen slowly, keeping a reliable stream of capital available. J. Benson will rely on support and guidance from Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson and Alberta, Canada-based general contractor PCL Construction. The firms have been advising J. Benson on the nuances and implications of transitioning into union work, and helping J. Benson network in its search for commercial construction contracting opportunities. Edlund's firm also won't be taking on any prime contracts for some time, pursuing instead safer subcontracting opportunities, for now. "I've got a more conservative growth strategy because I'd like to make sure that we're around for the next 50 years, and not just to chase what may seemingly be a pot of gold at the minority contractor rainbow," he said. On the employment end, J. Benson is working with Minneapolis vocational training organization Summit Academy OIC to recruit construction workers of color, and put them on the path to becoming well-trained, paid and benefited union laborers, Edlund said. Unionizing our construction company allows us to keep the focus on your project. Contact us to learn more about our construction, emergency repair, and general contracting services. CONTACT US J. Benson Construction Partners with CCC in Minneapolis to Make a Difference April 30, 2021 BUSINESS COALITION AIMS TO REPAIR TWIN CITIES DAMAGE FROM LAST SUMMER'S UNREST By Iain Carlos – Reporter, Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal Much of the property damage from last summer's unrest remains un-repaired along Lake Street, North Minneapolis and Midway commercial hubs. A business coalition is trying to change that by tapping the strength of people of color-owned construction firms. Since August, Construction Connection to Community, or CCC, has been building a team of construction contractors, legal and insurance experts, and consulting firms to mend the damages. With their forces now assembled, the organization plans to complete the work by pairing firms owned by people of color with some of the larger general contractors in the Twin Cities — generating revenue and relationships that could transform the landscape of the local construction scene, CCC co-founder R. Lynn Pingol said. "We are not just using [CCC] to shake hands then walk away," said Christopher Tauscheck, project manager at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada-based PCL Construction about his firm's coming collaboration with minority-run contractors. "We are really trying to form partnerships." CCC's mission isn't simple. At least 400 businesses on Lake Street, 94 in North Minneapolis and 236 along University Avenue in St. Paul sustained damage last summer in riots following the murder of George Floyd while in police custody, according to the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and the Northside Economic Opportunity Network. Nonetheless, the coalition's founders, Pingol; Keith Baker, president of Consortium Minnesota Consulting Group; and Tim Worke, CEO of Associated General Contractors of Minnesota, have a plan to get it done. For each project, CCC affiliated firms will perform a pro bono evaluation of the damage, determine how much the insurer is obligated to cover (if the space is insured), and get estimates from minority-owned construction firms for the price of repair. For uninsured or under-insured businesses, CCC will pay for the repairs with fundraised capital and, failing that, by tapping grants, Pingol said. Then, CCC will contract a minority-owned firm to make the repairs as that firm receives mentorship from the larger general contractors for the duration of the project. Repeat that enough times, in theory, and the Twin Cities will have reinvigorated business corridors and a hardier body of minority-owned contractors. Paul Edlund, CEO of Hopkins-based J Benson Construction, one of the people of color-run contractors involved, sees CCC as an opportunity to "build and grow my capacity and scale my business," he said. More than a plan, CCC has a team. It has enlisted the services of general contractors like Minneapolis-based Adolfson & Peterson Inc.; Kansas City, Mo.-based J.E. Dunn Construction Co.; St. Paul-based Trott-Binns Construction, as well as a number of specialized subcontractors. Minneapolis-based construction insurance company CSDZ, Minneapolis-based business law firm Maslon, and Minnetonka-based engineering and planning firm Sambatek have also joined the coalition. At the ready is also St. Paul consulting firm MaKee Co., run by Pingol, which specializes in helping minority-owned firms land contracts. CCC is hoping to begin the process of assisting business owners as soon as possible and urges anyone interested in their help to contact them, Pingol said. The coalition is also seeking more contractors run by people of color to join the coalition, as well as donations, supplies and volunteers. "What we have is the opportunity to build capacity, and that capacity-building has extraordinary benefits to the community," Baker said. "We have to create a stronger base and more force forward to grow more businesses, and this is the ultimate outcome we hope to bring about." Along with helping our community, we are also available to help you with your commercial construction project or emergency home repair. Contact us to get started. CONTACT US Carlos, Iain. (2021, April 27). Business coalition aims to repair Twin Cities damage from last summer's unrest. Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2021/04/27/business-coalition-aims-repair-damage-from-summer.html?b=1619546195%5E21897291. ABOUT NEWS GALLERY FAQ CONTACT Minority owned General Construction Company serving Minnesota since 1971 CALL NOW Our Minneapolis Location: 1415 SOUTH 5TH ST. SUITE D MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55343 TEL: 952-920-0717 FAX: 952-929-9672 FIND US ON: Copyright © 2021 J. 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