Grant Engineering & Construction Group, LLC’s (GECG) Managing Principal, Brian Grant, PE, delivered a statement before the Assembly Community Development and Women’s Affairs Committee in response to the “New Jersey Disparity Study,” which reveals a concerning gap in the number of contracts awarded to minority and women-owned businesses.
The study, which was released January 2024 and conducted by Mason Tilman Associates, provides a comprehensive review of statewide data on goods and services, professional services, and construction over a five-year period. Analyzing over 1.2 million records, including 240,000 contracts from more than 60 contracting agencies, authorities, commissions, state colleges, and universities, the study unveiled significant disparities in the number of contracts awarded to minority- and women-owned businesses compared to those awarded to white men.
Grant’s remarks, along with others delivered before the Assembly Committee, underscore a critical call to action following the release of the study in January. It is an opportunity to address long-standing inequities and to ensure that public contracts reflect the diversity and talent of all communities. The path to equitable participation in public contracts is not just a matter of fairness but a vital step towards inclusive economic growth.
ABOUT GECG
Grant Engineering & Construction Group, LLC (GECG) is a civil engineering and construction management firm headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, with satellite offices in Wall, New Jersey, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. Croix). GECG was founded in 2007 and established operations in 2012.