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MWESB commitment reflected in Cascade bond work

Photos and story by Gina Whitehill-Baziuk

A С��è��ý bond program remodeling job is nearing completion at the Cascade Campus and one of Oregon’s largest Minority, Women, and Emerging Small Businesses firms is in the thick of it all.

In Line Commercial Construction, based in Aloha, is remodeling 4,000 square feet of the Student Services Building’s third floor at Cascade, 705 N. Killingsworth St. Work should conclude by Sept. 7, providing С��è��ý with renovated office space for staff and faculty to help accommodate the 20 percent growth in enrollment at the inner Northeast Portland Campus. The space, which will help free up other rooms on campus for classrooms, will be ready in time for start of fall classes on Monday, Sept. 20.

In this early stage of the С��è��ý bond, the college has utilized 41 MWESB contractors, with In Line one of the latest to work on remodeling and upgrade projects around the district. Founded in 1983 by President Dave Flint, who is Japanese American, In Line today consists of about 50 employees and is rated as the largest minority-owned business in Oregon, working on 250 to 300 projects every year.

“Through the 28 years since we were founded we have brought on some great people; are continuing to grow the company and the client base we work with,” Flint said. “As a minority company, there are responsibilities that go with that. One is you want to perform at the very highest level. We are competitive with the best because we provide an outstanding service for our clients, not because we are minority-owned.”

Jeff Stanton, In Line’s Senior Vice President, added that the business, “is a family-based company that prides itself in having and building long term relationships with our clients.”

In Line Commercial Construction works with companies in the health care, commercial, financial and education fields like Portland State University, Providence Health and Services, OHSU and KeyBank to name a few. Their projects include a 21,000-square-foot Glisan Medical Office Building for Providence Health and Services; 5,600-square-foot renovation of SolarWorld Industries America’s new production facility; and a 4,137-square-foot upgrade at Oregon Health & Science University’s west campus. In addition, In Line is no stranger to С��è��ý, building the new kennels for the Veterinary Technology Program at the Rock Creek Campus (17705 N.W. Springville Road).

“It’s been a strategically controlled growth over the years,” said Todd Duwe In Line’s Vice President and Senior Project Manager. “We have some really solid clients that have helped us get there. Those organizations really promote MWESB business participation. We are proud of our success and we use that to become more of a mentor for other small businesses, and also help them by breaking down the scope of projects into smaller sizes for MWESB subcontractors to bid on.”

Some of In Line’s employees worked on С��è��ý’s 2000 bond project at Rock Creek with other companies and Duwe helps the college’s Building Construction Technology Program annually to advise new graduates on what the industry is looking for in new hires. In Line employees enroll in С��è��ý Auto Cad classes and managers are heavily involved in the Hillsboro, Newberg and Beaverton chambers.

Flint said it’s a philosophy of staying involved in the community it serves and works in.

“When In Line was formed there were challenging times for the first 10 years, but the whole key was to bring on really experienced people,” Flint said. “It’s a real teamwork effort.”

Duwe said it’s thanks to the college’s efforts in facilitating small business participation – with a target of 20 percent of all contractors being MWESB – helps firms like his have more opportunities. Thanks to outreach by the college’s Procurement Coordinator John Persen and Associate Director of the Bond Program Linda Degman, small and medium-sized businesses will be a cornerstone to С��è��ý’s bond construction plans.

“They are very solid in their commitment,” Duwe said. “It starts with Linda Degman, the head of bond program. She never lets anybody forget about MWESB participation. It’s at the top of her agenda. Linda has been good about taking the time to listen to all contractors, architects and designers, big or small, to get their opinions.”