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BLocal is Making Progress for Baltimore

BLocal is Making Progress for Baltimore
Event Photo

On December 11, 2017, Johns Hopkins together with BGE, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, Baltimore City Mayor Catherine Pugh, and City Council President Bernard C. Jack Young welcomed friends and guest to the first-year progress report event for B-Local and Build College Graduation Program at the historic Reginald Lewis African American Museum in Baltimore City.

 

BLocal, the brain child of Johns Hopkins was created after the historic civil unrest in Baltimore during the spring of 2015. According to Johns Hopkins, CEO’s across the greater Baltimore region with encouragement particularly from Michael Hankin, CEO of Brown Advisory began conversations that led 25 companies to become founding BLocal partners. Those companies committed to spend more on design and construction contracts with local, minority and women-owned businesses who hire residents from Baltimore’s most distressed communities, and spend more purchasing dollars with local vendors and companies owned by women and minorities.

 

At the launch in September 2016, the partners committed to investing at least $69 million in construction and purchasing with said disadvantaged businesses over three years. Pleasantly surprising, their collective efforts surpassed that amount in the first year. They reached $73.8 million in committed construction dollars and $12.3 million in increased purchasing, for a total of $86 million. They also offered employment to 470 city residents, with many being returning ex-felons.

 

“This excellent start would not be possible without the following leaders: Ronald J. Daniels, President of Johns Hopkins University, Ronald R. Peterson, President of Johns Hopkins Health Systems, Calvin G. Butler, Jr., CEO of BGE, Timothy J. Reagan, CEO, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, David Cordish, CEO, The Cordish Companies, Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour, and Michael Hankin of Brown Advisory. We praise these leaders of Baltimore City anchor institutions that have laid the ground work and therefore created a path for inclusion and compassion for those who need a helping hand to jumpstart their businesses and careers and thereby creating a stronger Baltimore, God Bless them all”, said Wayne R. Frazier, Sr., President of Md. Washington Minority Companies Association (MWMCA).

 

Each partners commitments and progress in the first year are available online at www.blocalbaltimore.org.

 

Digital copy of the BLocal Progress Report

Progress Sheet

Recap Video

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