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“We work hard to build relationships and productive professional partnerships with smaller firms – especially those that share our values,” said Tamaka Thornton, Community, and Citizenship director for the Seattle office. “J Linder Painting is a perfect example of what can happen for a UBE, and for Òâ°ºÌåÓý, when everyone dives in with both feet.”

J Linder Painting first came across the Seattle team’s radar when they placed a bid on an elementary school project. They were a local, women-owned firm committed to diverse hiring practices and seemed like a great choice for the job, but through the prequalification process, the team realized their potential sub hadn’t met a key safety benchmark.

Instead of disqualifying them, Janelle Boyd, preconstruction and prequalification coordinator, proposed a solution. “We approached them and quickly discovered the underlying cause of the problem was straightforward to fix,” said Janelle. “They expressed a desire to increase their capacity and their viability as a Òâ°ºÌåÓý partner. So, we began to get to know each other.”  

As part of that process, the office invited J Linder Painting to join the Òâ°ºÌåÓý School of Construction Management to enhance specific back-office functions and refine some of their business processes. “They completed the training with flying colors, and we’ve been working together since,” added Tamaka. “I appreciate the tenacity of both Janelle Boyd as an advocate for UBE’s and J Linder Painting, for their commitment to the process.”

J Linder Painting has since gone on to complete several other scopes of work with Òâ°ºÌåÓý, including another elementary school project, and they are currently working with us on the Seattle Aquarium. “They’re a great partner to us and a great subcontractor,” said Tamaka. “They’ve become the shining star of ‘an opportunity is what you make of it.’”