Oregon’s TriMet is on track to reach unprecedented participation from businesses owned by ethnic minorities and women.

TriMet is the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon. Its operation span most of Oregon’s metropolitan areas.

The project has achieved 84 percent DBE (disadvantaged business enterprise) involvement under the direction of the prime contractor, a certified DBE, and a minority-owned business enterprise itself, Raimore Construction. That is a record for TriMet for large projects.

DBEs are firms that are 51 percent or more owned by women or minorities. Through the DBE program operated by the US Department of Transportation, the state of Oregon, and agencies such as TriMet, DBE-certified businesses are given preferences for contracts funded with transportation-related money. One such project is the Division Transit Project, which lays the groundwork for TriMet FXTM and the first Frequent Express line, FX2-Division.

The company created history when TriMet awarded Raimore Construction the $175 million Division Transit Project contract in 2018. This was the largest contract ever granted to a recognized DBE in Oregon. 

Raimore committed to bringing on additional certified subcontractors for the project. Now that construction is virtually finished, and FX2-Division will open soon, the Raimore Construction crew has even more to celebrate. To date, total DBE participation in the project has reached 84 percent, including 50 percent of work undertaken by Raimore and 34 percent by DBE subcontractors.

“With the support of government agencies like TriMet, Raimore and firms like ours gain opportunities to pursue meaningful work, which benefits communities in multiple ways,” said President and CEO of Raimore Construction Jeff Moreland Sr. “Not only will this work improve travel and safety through a diverse transportation corridor, it also lifts up minority-owned businesses, the people who work for them and their families.” 

“Raimore Construction has been a great partner — talented, determined and dedicated to the community and helping others find a path to success,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. 

TriMet asserts that it has a history of integrating various community segments into its staff and business activities. In 1982, TriMet established its initial targets for partnering with minority- and women-owned businesses. The Federal Transit Administration has used the initiative as a model for increasing diversity in transportation contracts on a national scale.

New sidewalks, pedestrian crossings with signals, pedestrian protection at junctions, protected bike lanes, raised center medians, and other elements of the projects have boosted safety.

Raimore used the following DBE subcontractors for the Division Transit Project: A2 Metals LLC, Advanced Tribal LLC, Affordable Electric Inc., Alarm Tracks Inc., Alcantar and Associates LLC, All About Flagging LLC, Alvin L. Hall/Rock & Road Construction LLC, Bailey’s Construction Unlimited, Bestrade Enterprises Inc, Brothers Concrete Cutting Inc., Champion Parking Lot Maintenance Co., COAT Flagging, Egami Construction Inc., Fremont Forest Systems Inc., Gateway Trucking LLC, IML Services LLC, J & R Trucking LLC, Just Bucket Excavating, Lemus Construction LLC, Mainstream Landscape Maintenance LLC, McDonald Excavating Inc., Miller Factors LLC, Northwest Geotech Inc., Precision Landscape Services Inc., Pro Eagle Trucking, S & F Land Services LLC, Shadow Guard Security Group Corp, Thuy Tu Consulting LLC and WB Family Construction Inc.