By Chelsea Hadaway and Molly Parker
chadaway@scbiznews.com
mparker@scbiznews.com
Published Dec. 9, 2009

Thousands of people attended events today and Tuesday to learn how to secure new business as Boeing stands up its massive Dreamliner factory in North Charleston.

Boeing’s general contractor, a joint venture between the BE&K Building Group and Turner Construction, hosted two seminars on Tuesday at the Charleston Area Convention Center to inform the local community about ways to bid for the subcontracts for a wide variety of items and services, including cranes, plumbing and temporary toilets.

Mac Carpenter, BE&K’s senior vice president, said between 2,500 and 3,000 people attended the early session and about 400 people showed up for the late session.

“It’s the best opportunity we have to get out and tell the public where we are,” he said.

Boeing’s goal is to include as many local, woman-owned and minority-owned businesses as possible, Carpenter said. Resumes — which could be provided to the winning subcontractors in case they need additional labor — also were collected at the events.

“There are a lot of small, local and diverse companies that can fit in the fold,” Carpenter said.

This morning, about 100 minority-owned businesses from across the Carolinas linked up with corporations and governments to learn about upcoming opportunities for local projects, including those by Boeing and the S.C. State Ports Authority.

Boeing was a late addition to the regularly scheduled meeting of the Carolinas Minority Supplier Development Council conference, held at the Charleston County Public Services Building in North Charleston.

Company representatives included technology, staffing, aerospace manufacturing, general contracting and materials manufacturing, among others.

Representatives from Boeing, the State Ports Authority, Charleston and Berkeley counties filled out the panel for a discussion on the contracting opportunities that are out there and advice on how to best pursue them.

Joan Robinson Berry, director of Boeing’s integrated defense systems strategic work placement and corporate supplier division, said almost 70% of the products and services in Boeing’s commercial airplane sector are procured outside the company. But she added that the contracting procedure is complicated. She gave the following tips for landing a contract:

· Do your homework. Understand what the company buys.

· Offer something unique and make sure it will add value to the company.

· Know your competition.

· Understand the technology trends and read up on what’s coming up.

Janice Greene, manager for supplier diversity programs for Boeing, offered these tips:

· Be able to tailor your product to the company.

· The shared services group is the easiest way to get your company into the system.

· Be patient and persistent. It’s a slow road.

· Update your profile in the system every six months or so and call your contact to touch base every couple months.

Francisco Alvarado, owner and CEO of Marand Builders, was up at 5:30 a.m. to make the drive to Charleston from Charlotte, where his general contracting company is based.

Alvarado said he wanted to get the paperwork for prequalification to contract with Boeing and to find out how Boeing can make smaller contracts available for companies like his, he said.

Marand does mainly commercial construction for banks and offices, the market for which has significantly slowed. Alvarado jumped at the chance to get some work with Boeing, and hopes to do metal framing or drywall or to become a subcontractor to a prime contractor.

“We’ll do toilet paper if we have to,” he said.

Carrie Thomas, president of JSAC LLC in Spartanburg, knew about Boeing but didn’t know of a way to become involved, so she came hoping to get more information.

JSAC manufactures aeronautical supplies, turbines, weaponry and other products, and it partners with larger companies like GE. Thomas is also hoping to partner with some of Boeing’s prime contractors and was picking up a list of them that she had requested from Boeing.

“We don’t want all of the pie,” she said.

Marvin Alston, a participant in Tuesday’s BE&K/Turner event, said he showed up to network as much as to learn about opportunities to do business for Boeing. He owns a landscaping firm, Marvin’s Gardens LLC, based in Goose Creek.

“When you plant a giant like Boeing, all kind of roots are going to grow,” Alston said.

To obtain a prequalification package for subcontracting opportunities with BE&K:

· Send an e-mail to BoeingSC@kbr.com

· Download qualification package.

· Call Marion Kobusch, project support coordinator for subcontractor relations, 864-250-5011.

Reach Chelsea Hadaway at 843-849-3142. Reach Molly Parker at 843-849-3144.