Glenn Ackerley, partner, construction law, discussed breaking down barriers in procurement at the Breaking Down Barriers – Identifying Opportunities – Overcoming Challenges session hosted by the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce on February 24, 2016. The event was covered by local newspaper Niagara This Week, in an article by Paul Forsyth entitled Stopping the hallowing out of the Niagara construction industry: Forum focuses on barriers to local firms getting municipal contracts.
The forum covered several topics, including the continuous move by municipalities and school boards toward the public-private partnership (P3) model, in which private companies and/or consortiums bid to oversee items including the building, financing, and design of public projects.
During the forum, Glenn discussed the benefits of breaking down large-scale projects into smaller components to local governments and public agencies. “(That’s) for the very reason that it keeps small and medium sized companies out of the market,” he told the crowd of about 80 people, many from the construction industry. “It hollows out the industry,” said Ackerley. “All you’re left with are the big players.”
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