Business Growth and Development

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Completing a Capacity Building Business Assessment is the first step a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firm completes when requesting DBE program support services. Please review the document and reach out to rosalind.roberson@dot.wi.gov​​ with any questions.

  • ​Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) mentoring is a business-to-business relationship that allows firms to share their expertise and resources to create a stronger economy with a more competitive business environment. The Mentor/Protégé Program is designed to facilitate mutually beneficial business relationships among contractor and professional services firms interested, ready and willing to compete for contracting opportunities in Wisconsin and at the federal level.
  • ​​Coaching
  • Capacity Building Business Assessment
  • Professional affiliations
  • Conferences – WisDOT Annual DBE Conference and Networking Summit​
  • Mentor/Protégé​ Program brochure​
  • 2020-2021 WisDOT Mentor/Protégé​ Program pairs​​​

 View trainings from the 2022 Annual Workshop and Networking Summit:

​WisDOT DBE Support Services​ is excited to roll out a new workshop series in the fall of 2022. These workshops are designed to provide training on topics for both contractors and professional service firms to help with the day-to-day aspects of your business to long range planning. Stay tuned for updates and scheduling.

For more information contact:

Madalena Maestri, EdD DBE Program Chief
WisDOT Office of Business Opportunity and Equity Compliance (OBOEC)
(608)509-8212​
madalena.maestri@dot.wi.gov

Rosalind Roberson DBE Support Services Coordinator
WisDOT OBOEC
6150 W. Fond du Lac Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53218
(414)739-5095
rosalind.roberson@dot.wi.gov​

WisDOT Loan Mobilization Guaranty Program is designed to help disadvantaged businesses obtain working capital to participate on WisDOT highway construction projects as a prime or subcontractor. The program is managed by the First American Capital Corporation, Inc. (FACC). The guaranty is provided by the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin (AICCW), serving as the business development organization.

For additional program information please contact:

Gary Mejchar, AICCW Representativegary@aiccw-facc.org or

Bill Beson, FACC Representativebill@aiccw-facc.org​

Program Elements

  • Each loan is collateralized by a single WisDOT contract or subcontract.
  • A qualified participant may receive guarantees of up to 90% of the loan amount.
  • Each loan cannot exceed 50% of the prime contractor subcontract amount.
  • Terms of the loan is for six months, which can be extended for another six months.
  • Loans to any DBE may not exceed $250,000 at any given time.
  • Loan proceeds are used as working capital necessary to mobilize a WisDOT project.
  • ​​Joint paychecks will be issued to lender and DBE until loan is paid in full.
  • Any Wisconsin bank or credit union is eligible to get this guarantee for loans granted under the program.
  • ​WisDOT or consultant follows up with lending institution and DBE on a ​regular basis until loan is repaid.

View the brochure​​ for the Loan Mobilization Guaranty Program

Testimonials​

“WisDOT loan guaranty helped Arrow Crete during critical times in improving our cash flow. The application process in its current setup having a third independent party assisting DBEs in going through the application is excellent, because when one bank denied us, the Disadvantage Business Enterprise Supportive Service (DBESS) consultant was able to identify other banks for us to do business with.”
Ann Neshek, Vice President, Arrow Crete Inc.

“In general, construction firms are difficult to finance because of their repayment risks and timing of the cash ​flows. Having a loan guaranty program provided by WisDOT, for DBEs, it diminishes the difficulties of timing differences between needing working capital and collecting receivables, and from the bank’s perspective, it’s easier to approve the loan application.”
Paul Farrelly, President-Commercial Lending, Community Bank and Trust

“WisDOT loan guaranty program has helped DAAR Engineering tremendously, we would not have been able to grow to where our company is today without it. As our company participated in the Marquette Interchange project, this loan guaranty was a very important component in developing and growing our business capacity.”
Abdul Hamid Ali, President, DAAR Engineering Inc.

“When Bloom Consultants was growing rapidly, hiring additional staff and our receivable was coming in rather slow, WisDOT loan guaranty program helped us in paying our payroll and bills on time. With the start of the Marquette Interchange project, the guaranty program is a necessity for DBEs such as ours to assist us with our cash flow.”
Matthew Tharaniyil, Owner, Bloom Consultants LLC.