Thanks to the LAX Wayfinding team's intense focus, Webcor is closing in on the client's ambitious requirement of 25 percent of local business enterprises (LBE) working on the project. 25% SBE, 10% LBE, 7% LSBE, and 2% DVBE

Project Manager April Chang and her team anticipated the importance of partnering with local businesses even before the Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) issued the RFP. "We identified potential partners through outreach events, networking opportunities, and research on the LA LBE community," April says.

LAWA EIT (Economic Impact Team) and LAWA BOAC (Board of Airport Commissions) have been exceptionally supportive of the team's community engagement efforts. LAWA EIT has engaged in several outreach events and invited Webcor to participate in LAWA-hosted events such as career fairs, youth engagement programs, and project-related info sessions, which has significantly elevated Webcor's presence in the community.

"It all speaks volumes about the airport's mission to engage the community," April says. "The LAWA project team and EIT have always been available and willing to connect us with the community if we ask, and if there are any specific needs, they do their best to help us."

Why it matters: April and the team's efforts have yielded impressive results, reaching 21.33 percent of the total 25-percent commitment. With about another 4 percent of on-site labor needing to be local contractors, April remains committed to nurturing relationships with these partners and exploring new opportunities. (the 25% is for the entire project until 2027; we're monitoring the progress continuously to ensure we stay on track; it'll change as we get the total contract amount. The 21.33% is only up to phase 1 design. Local contractors/ local hire is a separate requirement)

Dive deeper: Among the activities designed to produce a list of qualified subcontracts was an event Webcor hosted in the Los Angeles office to establish relationships with potential partners. A post-event survey found that the companies appreciated meeting the Webcor team. "Even the airport commissioner showed up," April says. Part of the survey also helps inform the technical training sessions we, the project, plan to roll out to the community in the next three years. Gensler and Burns (or critical partners are also involved in these training sessions)

• Other activities included attending Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA) outreach events and working with organizations like the National Association of Minority Contractors.

The big picture: Identifying XBEs early ensures Webcor can prequalify them in time to get started when the work begins.

• The XBE effort aims to increase the project's diversity and inclusion by ensuring companies within LAX's impacted area have an opportunity to work on the project.

April notes that the LBE XBE community is huge in Los Angeles, particularly around the airport area, making a significant talent pool available. "The wayfinding project is highly specialized, though, making it somewhat harder than usual to find local subcontractors capable of handling this work."

To address these challenges, April has engaged design partners, MEP design partners, lighting design partners, structural engineers, IT/security experts, and stakeholder engagement specialists, among others from the local community.

• She has also established relationships with smaller companies, including those owned by disabled veterans (DVBEs), which is essential to meet LAWA's 2 percent DVBE requirement.

Between the lines: "This is a Progressive Design-Build (PDB) project, which offers several advantages for general contractors partnering with XBEs," April explains. However, limited experience with PDB can lead some to see XBEs as little more than a necessary evil. "In a Progressive Design-Build, there are additional benefits to working with a smaller company," she says.

Among the benefits of working with XBEs on a PDB project...

• The early involvement of contractors in a PDB project helps foster a shared understanding of project goals and expectations, leading to stronger relationships and increased trust.
• The integrated PDB approach reduces the likelihood of cost overruns or schedule delays, helping ensure XBEs' financial stability. Getting to know the capabilities of these XBEs can also help us right-size the scopes to help them be successful.
• By involving LBEs early in the design process, Webcor can leverage their local knowledge and expertise to identify cost savings.
• Smaller organizations can be more flexible and adaptable than larger companies, which can be helpful in a PDB project where design and construction evolve concurrently.
• The construction team's early involvement in a PDB project means an XBE's local knowledge and relationships can be useful.
• XBEs' established relationships with local suppliers can result in cost savings.

April credits Estimating/Outreach Manager Rosa Arevalo, Outreach and Partnership Manager Sharla Sullivan, and Project Director Franco Marinaro for their contributions to the effort.