Woman's History Month: OSDBU Celebrating Women in Transportation

The United States Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Office of Small Business (OSDBU) is celebrating Women's History Month by highlighting the success of women in transportation.

"I would like to thank OSDBU and the Michigan Department of Transportation for offering the Bonding Education Program. This program opened the doors for new business opportunities, specifically the I-94 Bridge Project" - Tarolyn Buckles, President and CEO, Onyx Enterprise, Inc.

This week's featured business is Onyx Enterprise, Inc. (Onyx Enterprise). Based in Detroit, Michigan, Onyx Enterprise is a DBE and 8(a) Certified Small Business owned by Tarolyn Buckles. With over 24 years of experience, Onyx Enterprise provides engineering consulting, project management and construction management services to local, state, and federal government, in addition to engineering consulting firms and contractors.

Onyx Enterprise participated in the Great Lakes Region Small Business Transportation Resource Center's (SBTRC) Bonding Education Program (BEP) in 2014. As a participant in the Detroit BEP, Onyx Enterprise learned the importance of becoming bonded to participate on federal projects. Onyx Enterprise secured a $50,000 line of credit with Chase Bank in addition to acquiring a $350,000 bond as a result of attending the Detroit BEP. By participating in the Detroit BEP, concurrently with the Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Small Business program, the firm grew significantly. The firm's revenue increased by 50% in 2014 and in 2015 increased by approximately 60%. The firm also increased its total number of employees from two to four.

Onyx Enterprise recently was awarded a $137,000 contract for the M-1 Rail project in Detroit, MI to provide underground utility inspection services. A major project Onyx Enterprise works on is the Michigan Department of Transportation's $1,200,000,000 I-94 Bridge Design project. The firm is contracted to produce a municipal utility design for the Cadillac Bridge in Michigan.

The Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce serves as OSDBU's Great Lakes SBTRC. The Great Lakes SBTRC administers small business assistance programs and provides technical assistance to small businesses throughout the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio. For more information on the SBTRC and the BEP, please visit their website here.