CINCINNATI CONSTRUCTION TECHNICAL SUPPORT CENTER (CCTSC) PROGRAM

In 2004, ACI in collaboration with local business and education partners Procter & Gamble and Cincinnati Public Schools, identified the need in the construction community for a program to assist minority- and women-owned businesses to develop and accelerate their business growth. It was discovered that most new construction business owners came as a craft specialist in their particular field and had the desire to obtain the ‘American dream’ of owning their own business. Unfortunately they soon found that knowing their craft well was not all it took to operate a successful business and that the administrative and financial aspects of running a business were lacking. As a way to assist these business owners, the Cincinnati Construction Technical Support Center (CCTSC) was formed.

Click here for a CCTSC program brochure

CORE CLASSES
The program is FREE to all participants of the program and consists of various elements that fill this void and makes the business more rounded and capable of sustained success. At the core of the program is a series of fifteen mandatory classes that instruct the business owner and their staff in the following areas:

• Business Practice Fundamentals
• Certifications
• Accounting & Software Fundamentals
• Payroll & Workers Comp Fundamentals
• Preparing a Budget and a Business Plan
• Insurance Risk Fundamentals
• Surety & Bonding Fundamentals
• Project Planning & Forms Fundamentals
• Project Cost Control & Tracking Fundamentals
• Marketing & Image
• OSHA 10
• Project Scheduling Fundamentals
• Estimating Fundamentals
• Mechanics Liens in OH, KY, IN
• Taxation Fundamentals
• Process of Getting Paid

ELECTIVE CLASSES
Additionally, companies are encouraged to send individuals from their firm to attend any of ACI’s regular classes from either the Education Department or the Safety Department as an elective. There are more than 150 topics available in these classes. For a complete listing click here for Education and Training Programs or click here for Safety Program & Services.

MENTORING
At the beginning of the program, areas of need are identified by company participant and the class is broken down into groups by their various special needs. A series of Small Group Meetings are held throughout the course of the year which target these needs. Additionally, promoting joint ventures and partnering of the various companies enables them to pursue projects that they might not otherwise have the capability of performing on their own.

PLAN ROOM ACCESS
ACI has the largest and most modern plan room of its kind in the Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana region. Accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it is stocked with the physical plans for the latest projects in a 100-mile radius of the tri-state area. In addition to the physical plan room ACI has also partnered with iSqFt to provide additional projects via the internet which can be accessed from three terminals located in the plan room. Members may copy drawings and specification for any project in the plan room on the copier equipment provided and take them back to their offices to ‘take-off’ the project at their own leisure or they may perform their take-offs in our plan room. All of these services are available to any CCTSC participant, at no cost.

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
ACI’s networking events are also made available to the CCTSC participants to assist them in the marketing of their company to established commercial contractors.

ADDITIONAL YEAR MEMBERSHIP
Lastly, in the second year of the program, ACI provides a free year’s membership to all companies who successfully complete the program. This is done as an opportunity to allow them to stay connected with the ACI community of prominent commercial contractors in our region while they implement the processes and procedures they have learned throughout the program.

All of the above services are provided free of charge to minority or women owned businesses that are accepted into the program. The program starts in September and runs through May meeting on an average of two to six times a month depending upon the subject matter being taught. If you would like to apply to this program or know of a company that you would like to recommend please call Pat Popp at (513) 221-8020 or e-mail ppopp@aci-construction.org.