Free Construction School Helps Seattle’s Women, Minority-Owned Businesses SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Twenty individuals will graduate from the 8th Annual Turner School of Construction Management in Seattle, WA, at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday November 27, 2007 at The Association of General Contractor’s (AGC) Seattle headquarters, 1200 Westlake Avenue North. Offered annually in Seattle, the free 8-week program enables minority-owned, women-owned and emerging small businesses (M/W/ESB’s) to develop a comprehensive understanding of the construction industry through hands-on course work and case studies. In addition, students hone their professional skills and have the opportunity to develop new strategic business relationships. During the 15 sessions, students who are often business owners, participate in courses such as business plan writing, marketing, accounting and financial management, bid estimating, purchasing, safety, risk management and much more. Cindy Patterson, controller for residential, commercial and marine flooring company Fryer Knowles Inc., a woman-owned business in Seattle, participated in the Construction School in order to learn “how the big companies operate, to learn what general contractors look for in partners, and to see how they structure certain processes. It’s given us a breath of fresh new thoughts -- not just how we can grow the company but grow it successfully,” Patterson said. “The school has also given me insight to problems we might not even have known about. I feel it will help us tremendously.” Upon Cindy’s graduation last year, Fryer Knowles was one of a few companies selected to receive additional consulting services in partnership with local university business students.
