The Joy of COMTOKC

If you are in civil construction in Kansas City and are not yet familiar with the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) and its award-winning KC chapter, allow me the honor of inviting you into the joy of COMTOKC.

I say joy because you will thoroughly enjoy the amazingly colorful and talented people (the leadership and the members, all civil construction and transportation industry leaders, regulators, and entrepreneurial small business owners), you will enjoy the legendary locally-sourced food, you will enjoy the fun outings and occasional day drinks (I mean golf outings) and happy hours, and most importantly you will enjoy the networking with local minority-, disadvantaged-, and woman-owned businesses who are on the path to success.

Public works estimators, especially roadbuilders, take note. Here's where you need to look for your next D/M/WBE vendors. Here's where you need to look for your next D/M/WBE contracting questions (bring even your hard ones). KDOT's and MoDOT's leaders such as my skillful new friend Doria Watson attend and answer questions on the spot from contractors and small business owners.

Small business owners, here's where you need to be for networking and support for growing your D/M/WBE business. Transportation and civil construction is poised for a boom in KC. COMTOKC is hot. It's the talk of the town and the cool club you want to be a part of because it does good, true good, for local businesses. Contractors (primes and subs) and officials both need each other and benefit from working together. The synergy is real.

Let me tell you about two connections I enjoyed making at the last meeting.

(1) Phillip Beard, president of Prescott Trucking, is a man on the move. He has a growing truckload, less-than-truckload, and intermodal freight services business. But he's not done there. He is expanding into materials hauling. Get with Phillip for your asphalt, millings, concrete removals, or dirt hauling needs. He's coming to KC haulin' hot-n-heavy. Tons and cubic yards of materials stand no chance. This man will move mountains.

(2) Misty Parmely is a woman/owner on the move. Her WBE certified Straight Line Sawing & Coring will get your concrete and asphalt sawing and core drilling needs all straightened out. She and her skilled union journeymen straighten out all the things. She'll handle your saw cutting (concrete slab demolition, plumbing and electrical trenches, asphalt and roadway cutting, bridge deck cutting). She'll handle your core drilling (circular cut-outs at precise diameters and depths including manhole openings, handrail penetrations, bollard installation). Stand back, this lady is sharp. She cuts quick. And she cuts straight.

Like I said, if you're in civil construction, this is the room you want to be in. Love yourself, meet and be blessed by the president, Rev. Maurice Gay, and the vice president, Kristen Rising, and enter the joy of COMTOKC's next event near you.