Construction Allies in Action

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Construction Allies in Action

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Advocating for underrepresented contractors and empowering them to create generational wealth! 🏗️
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10/06/2026

If you've been waiting to grab individual tickets or secure a table for your team for the CAIA Gala, Thursday is the day!

While general registration opens on October 8th, sponsorship opportunities are available right now.

Sponsorships are the foundation of this event. More importantly, they directly power our mission year-round. Every sponsorship dollar gives us the stability to keep our programs accessible, providing local, emerging trade contractors across Michigan with the tools, resources, and connections they need to scale.

Set a reminder for Thursday morning to grab your tickets, or visit the event page to explore available sponsorship packages: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-caia-gala

09/28/2026

If you travel through Grand Rapids or across Michigan, you've likely seen Rockford Construction’s name on landmark job sites, from the new Amway Soccer Stadium to major healthcare, school, and retail developments.

In addition to high-profile projects, Rockford actively builds capacity for trade partners, including CAIA's network of underrepresented business owners. From stepping into classrooms as mentors and teachers to showing up at our events, Rockford consistently invests in the long-term sustainability of the industry.

In 2025, our community recognized that dedication by honoring Rockford with the Ally in Action Award at our inaugural STRONG Honors. Today, we're proud to recognize Rockford Construction as a Community Partner for the third consecutive year.

Their sustained commitment provides the stability CAIA needs to keep our programs accessible and ensure local contractors have the tools and resources required to scale.

And a mention of Rockford wouldn't be complete without a special shout-out to CAIA Board Member Brad Mathis, whose genuine support and hands-on leadership continue to pave the way for contractors across Michigan.

Thank you to the entire Rockford Construction team for continuing this work alongside us!

09/24/2026

Building a stronger construction industry takes honest, unfiltered dialogue.

At the CAIA Gala on November 5th, moderator Kara Wood (Grand Action 2.0) will be joined by Alex Smart (Grand Rapids Public Schools), Bradford Mathis (Rockford Construction), Cindy Schlee (Post Construction Cleaning Company LLC), and Eric Olson (Pioneer Construction) for a candid discussion on what it actually takes for local trade contractors to move from surviving to scaling.

From confronting tough questions to discussing the real purpose behind industry inclusion, this panel is focused on shifting the trajectory for emerging contractors across Michigan.

👉 Swipe through to meet our panel and secure your sponsorship or table at constructionallies.org/gala

09/22/2026

This year's Gala will feature a special live performance!🎷

Enjoy smooth jazz from acclaimed saxophonist Isaac Norris throughout the evening as you bid on silent auction baskets and connect with construction industry leaders at the Goei Center on November 5th.

Only one impactful company gets exclusive naming rights for the musical presentation, a full table at the event, marketing perks, and a curated folder of professional photos as the Encore Sponsor!

The Encore Sponsor, and many other opportunities, are available at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-caia-gala

Learn more about Isaac Norris Music: https://www.isaacnorrismusic.com/

09/21/2026

Time and again, Whiting Turner shows how serious they are about creating generational wealth in the construction industry for historically underrepresented business owners.

Construction Allies in Action is proud to recognize Whiting-Turner as the title sponsor for our annual event for another year in a row. As our Generational Wealth Sponsor, the WT team will be at a front-row table at the 2026 Gala, and you'll see more from them in an upcoming CAIA newsletter and a short remarks video to kick off the event!

Now is the time to claim your seats at the Gala by selecting a sponsorship: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-caia-gala

Join us on November 5th from 6-8pm at the Goei Center!

09/15/2026

We're raising a glass to Pioneer Construction for stepping up as a Perfect Pour Sponsor for the 2026 CAIA Gala! 🥂

Their partnership directly supports CAIA’s year-round work connecting underrepresented trade contractors with commercial opportunities, business assistance, and industry mentorship across Michigan. As a Perfect Pour Sponsor, Pioneer’s logo will be featured on the evening's drink tickets.

There's only ONE Perfect Pour Sponsorship left! 🎟️

This package includes:
10 event tickets (1 full table)
Direct bar station signage
Dedicated digital and social recognition
Co-branded drink ticket placement alongside Pioneer

Claim the final spot or explore our remaining sponsorship packages at https://constructionallies.org/gala/

09/10/2026

Building what’s next in construction requires intentional partnership. 🤝

Join us for an evening of purposeful networking, celebration, and industry impact as we bring together contractors, partners, and community leaders advancing equity in Michigan's construction industry at our 2026 Gala!

Event Details:
Date: Thursday, November 5, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: The Goei Center

This year's event will feature a live music performance, a panel featuring local success stories, and a silent auction showcasing products from local underrepresented businesses.

Whether you're hosting trade partners at a full table or elevating your brand as an industry leader, every sponsorship directly advances our work providing mentorship and access to underrepresented business owners.

Packages range from $100 to $3,000 — with limited availability per tier.
Secure your sponsorship and table today at https://constructionallies.org/gala/

08/12/2026

From the very first year CAIA started accepting donations back in 2021 through our current funding year, Gerald R. Ford International Airport has been right by our side as a dedicated Construction Ally.

They don't just talk about community impact — they actively create it. GRR consistently lives out the belief that our regional airport belongs to everyone, and so should the opportunities to build it. From sharing project bids with our network and following up on outcomes, to continually refining procurement processes so local contractors can compete, GRR walks the walk.

Looking back through our photos from the last six years, we noticed something pretty consistent: almost every airport photo features GRR’s own Tom Cizauskas! 😂

We truly couldn't celebrate six years of airport partnership without recognizing Tom. Beyond being our primary GRR connection and a deeply valued CAIA Board Member, he is a constant champion for inclusive contracting. Whether he’s sharing upcoming airport projects at our ProjectReady events, speaking on Gala panels, or representing GRR at C2E2 year after year, Tom always shows up for our trade community.

Thank you to Gerald R. Ford International Airport (and Tom!) for six incredible years of advocacy, leadership, and partnership in West Michigan!

08/11/2026

✨ SAVE THE DATE ✨

The Construction Allies in Action Gala is back!

Mark your calendars for Thursday, November 5th (6:00 PM – 8:00 PM) as we bring together our board, partners, and network of contractors for an evening of purposeful connection, celebration, and industry impact.

Together, we’re building a stronger, more equitable construction community — and this night is all about honoring the people, partnerships, and progress making real change possible over great food and drinks!

✨ Sponsorship opportunities will be available soon.
✨ Table and individual ticket sales will launch shortly after.

For now, block November 5th on your calendar, tag an industry ally or team member who needs to be in this room, and keep an eye on our official Gala page for updates: https://constructionallies.org/gala/

08/06/2026

Todd McLemore LLC has been painting commercial, industrial, and residential spaces for 20+ years in Michigan, bringing high-quality craftsmanship to every project.

But they kept hitting the natural limits of manual, paper-and-pencil operations. They were stuck on manual estimating processes, a lack of structured management systems, and the classic "owner-operator bottleneck" where every daily task and decision relied entirely on Todd.

Construction Allies in Action assessed his business using our ProjectReady scoring system, to identify areas of opportunity and strategically match Todd with mentors to support capacity, connections, customers, and capital.

Over the program-year, capacity advisors helped Todd organize his day-to-day operations and create a clear, structured plan to manage his time and delegate tasks.

He refined his market positioning with his customer advisor, and got support creating social media profiles and updating his website to include project experience.

The team at Urban League of West Michigan worked to submit a request through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation — and secured a grant for Todd to continue building a sustainable business.

In the connections corner, mentors put his business in front of local decision-makers, matching his newly structured operations with steady regional project pipelines to support continued growth.

By introducing modern digital systems and opening doors through strategic relationships, mentors helped a skilled tradesman step out of the daily administrative grind and into the structured role of a business executive.

Todd said it best himself —
"Foundations Plus is a game-changing program that works.

Not only does it work, the program leaders really care about your progress in each area.

Their mentorship helped create vision and clear direction for my business."

Own a construction business that's ready to build generational wealth? Schedule a ProjectReady assessment to get your baseline and see if you qualify for the next cohort of Foundations Plus, beginning in 2027.

👉 Learn more about Foundations Plus: https://constructionallies.org/foundations-plus/

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Grand Rapids, MI

Telephone

+16162021027

Website

https://constructionallies.org/

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