On October 15, several of our Space Connect members had the opportunity to attend the Private Matchmaking Event organized by Related Ross Foundation and Related Companies, designed to connect West Palm Beach SBE firms performing on major projects such as Shorecrest, South Flagler House, Hilton Curio, and 15 & 10 CityPlace.
Hosted at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, this exclusive event brought together a select group of Small Business Enterprises (SBEs) for direct meetings with MEP primes, creating meaningful pathways for collaboration and growth within the region’s construction industry.
The event included remarks from Mayor Keith James, who reaffirmed the City of West Palm Beach, commitment to supporting small businesses: “West Palm Beach is a place where small businesses can grow and thrive.”
From Related Ross, Scott Borland, Executive Vice President of Construction & Design, emphasized the company’s community-centered approach: “For us, small businesses are not treated as subcontractors, but as trade partners. It may sound cliché, but we don’t come to cities to build buildings, we are truly building communities.”
Also addressing the audience were Jordan Bargas, Executive Vice President of Development, and Zack Peterson, Vice President of Preconstruction & Estimating, who both highlighted Related’s continued efforts to integrate and elevate SBE participation across their projects.
A special thanks to Charisma Adams from Articulate Consulting Group and Jeremy Morse from Related Ross Foundation for making this initiative possible.
Charisma expressed her gratitude to local agencies and organizations, like Space Connect, that actively collaborate to identify and empower SBE firms: “This didn’t happen by chance. This happened because of an intentional strategy.”
We’re proud to see our members representing the local business community with excellence and commitment:
Jorge Iribar – JI Plumbing & Construction
Carlos Lopez – Globaltech Contractors
Leidy Riveros – JS Roofing Construction
Gerardo Barillas – Barillas Building
Kati Cassiani – JIJ Constructions
Jorman Cano – LTC Builders & Underground
Joisse Cordeiro – Advanced AC
Alfredo Sandoval – Sanvel Electric
At Space Connect, we believe in empowering our members through access, visibility and connections that turn opportunities into growth. Events like this reaffirm our mission to link small businesses with large-scale development projects that drive both economic and community impact.