Rob Fortes implementing changes at SOMWBA

Yawu Miller

When Rob Fortes took the helm of the State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance in October, 2004, the agency had a legendary back log of companies waiting to be certified.

In the business world, time is money. Firms seeking to certify their status as minority- or women-owned businesses would often have to wait for up to a year for the certification to wend its way through SOMWBA’s bureaucracy.

There have been some changes at the agency.

“Right now, any company coming into SOMWBA gets their cases processed right away,” Fortes says. “Right now, we’re averaging a turnaround time of 24 days.”

Certification as a minority- or woman-owned business gives firms an advantage in bidding on state contracts that have minority participation guidelines. Much of this work has historically been in construction.

During the certification process, SOMWBA investigators examine a firm’s books to verify that minority or women partners own more than 50 percent of the company. White firms have often used their minority business fronts to gain an advantage bidding on contracts that have minority participation goals.

“Sometimes it’s obvious when the wife of a contractor starts a construction company after she’s been a nurse for 30 years,” Fortes says.

Fortes, who previously served as director of outreach, coalitions and external relations in Governor Mitt Romney’s office, says the transition into SOWMBA was not difficult. Increases in SOMWBA’s budget in recent years have helped the agency increase its capacity.

With an enlarged budget, Fortes has hired five new employees, some with degrees in finance and accounting who were better skilled at reviewing applicants’ books.

Fortes also expanded the agency’s post-certification services, working with minority- and women-owned firms to help them better work with state contractors.

“We now have better one-on-one interaction with business owners,” he said. “We’ve changed our website to make it more user-friendly.”

In addition to providing technical assistance, SOMWBA helps facilitate meetings between minority contractors and prime contractors to encourage joint ventures on construction projects. Having a minority construction partner gives the prime firms a leg up over competitors on a bid. It also helps the minority firms by giving them experience with larger projects.

In addition to the one-on-one assistance, SOMWBA holds workshops for minority- and women-owned businesses to help guide them through the certification process and to help them compete for contracts.

With new legislation on the books, mandating that all construction projects with state funding maintain minority and woman business participation goals, there are growing opportunities for minority businesses, according to Fortes.

The new law means that cities across the state will now be looking for minority contractors to participate in their projects. SOMWBA will be hiring two new staff members to focus on the new opportunities and will be opening an office in Western Massachusetts.

“In the first three months of 2006, we’re holding 15 workshops around the state,” Fortes says.