Sonag official to pay $629K in civil case over DBE program abuse

September 12, 2018 1:25 pm Leave a comment

A top official for concrete contractor Sonag Ready Mix will pay more than $600,000 to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of exploiting a program to help small businesses.

Tagged with: DBE fraud Nuvo Construction Sonag Ready Mix

MnDOT seeks to raise bar for diversity on public projects

July 31, 2018 9:49 am Leave a comment

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is proposing new goals for contracting with disadvantaged business enterprises on projects that receive federal money, such as this overhaul of Interstate 35W in Minneapolis. (Staff photo: Bill Klotz )

By BRIAN JOHNSON BridgeTower Media Newswires Contractors on Minnesota state highway and small mass-transit projects that receive federal money may have to stretch a little farther in the next few years to meet goals meant to ensure women- and minority-owned companies ...

Tagged with: DBE disadvantaged-business enterprise Minnesota Department of Transportation MnDOT

Three more charged in connection with Sonag scheme

April 18, 2018 2:54 pm Leave a comment

Three more people have pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with a Milwaukee-area contractor's scheme that bilked the federal government of more than $200 million by exploiting a program set up to help minority- and disabled-veteran-owned contractors.

Tagged with: Brian Ganos DBE minority-owned businesses Sonag Co. women-owned company

Indictment: Milwaukee’s Sonag bilked $200M from federal contracts (UPDATE)

April 3, 2018 5:44 pm Leave a comment

A long line of concrete trucks operated by Sonag Ready Mix wait along Milwaukee's 4th Street in March 2015 to pour concrete for the Moderne apartment project. The federal government on Tuesday accused Sonag and related companies of cheating the federal government out of more than $200 million by exploiting a program set up to help minority- and disabled-veteran-owned contractors. (Staff photo by Kevin Harnack)

A Milwaukee-area construction firm and its officials are accused of cheating the federal government out of more than $200 million by exploiting a program set up to help minority- and disabled-veteran-owned contractors.

Tagged with: DBE minority-owned businesses Sonag Ready Mix

Common Council passes budget plan with disparity study intact

November 10, 2017 12:38 pm Leave a comment

Four years after being forced by a lawsuit to abandon goals meant to direct public works contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses, local officials took a step toward re-establishing the program. Deliberating on Friday on the city’s 2018 budget plan, ...

Tagged with: DBE Jim Bohl Milele Coggs minority-owned businesses Russell Stamper women-owned company

Agencies studying need for DBE programs

September 27, 2016 3:06 pm Leave a comment

As projects like the St. Croix Crossing bridge between Minnesota and Wisconsin fall short of goals for hiring businesses owned by women and minorities, Minnesota officials are embarking on a study of whether such preferences are still needed.

Tagged with: DBE J&L Steel St. Croix Crossing Vikings WisDOT

Milwaukee County to take up expanded DBE definitions … again

July 12, 2016 8:27 am Leave a comment

A committee of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors will again consider proposed changes to the county’s definition of disadvantaged business enterprises.

Tagged with: DBE minority-owned businesses

Two Milwaukee firms to help Bucks meet workforce, small business benchmarks

February 16, 2016 3:34 pm Leave a comment

The Milwaukee Bucks have hired two local consulting firms to help ensure that disadvantaged businesses and workers are employed in the construction of the team's new arena and related developments.

Tagged with: Bucks DBE Prism Technical Management & Marketing Services Residents Preference Program