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.
Tarolyn Buckles, President and CEO of 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.
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