Just last month, on March 18, our team celebrated RBV Contracting’s 8th anniversary. As we are looking back over all that we have accomplished since 2011, we wanted to highlight eight things that our team is most proud of:
Community Involvement
Throughout the years, our team has volunteered our company’s time and resources for a variety of worthy causes. We are dedicated to giving back to the community that has given so much to us. Last year, several of our team members took part in a particularly rewarding volunteer project as renovation work was completed on Latino Women Empowerment Center in Southwest Detroit.
Headquartered in Detroit
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: we are fiercely proud of Detroit and we are thankful to be headquartered in a city that is as unique as it is tough. In addition to giving back to the local community, our team has also played a vital role in helping restore some of Detroit’s historic architecture. We may be a bit bias, but we think Detroit is the greatest city in the world.
Putting Safety First
Whether it is tips for avoiding heat-related illnessesor how to stay warm and dry in the winter, our team is always focused on safety. We know that working outside can be a perk for those in the construction industry, but we understand that it can also be dangerous if your crew is not properly prepared for the elements.
We pride ourselves in maintaining the highest level of safetyfor everyone working on our projects. We hold weekly safety meetings and logged more than 200 hours in safety training in 2018.
HUBZone Certified
We are proud to be a full-service, HUBZone certified construction contractor. HUBZone is a United States Small Business Administration program for small businesses that operate and employ people in “Historically Under-utilized Business Zones” (HUBZones). Our commitment to our local community is unwavering.
Small Business
It is no secret that small businesses are a major economic driver and key for the success of local communities. We are very proud to be a small business in the State of Michigan. Just last year our Vice President, Jim Foucher, was named as one of the Small Business Association of Michigan Board of Directors. Jim acts as a voice for those in the construction industry and also speaks to issues that small business owners are facing in the Detroit Area.
In 2017 we were named one of Michigan Celebrates Small Business’ 50 Companies to Watch and also won their Government Contracting Award. Being recognized for our hard work on a state level was extremely rewarding.
Minority-Owned
In addition to being a full-service and HUBZone certified construction contractor, we are also a Certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE). RBV was named after our founder, Rodolfo “Rudy” B. Villarreal, who grew up in Sabinas Hidalgo in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. Our company is a member of the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and we are dedicated to giving back to the Hispanic community. Rudy still holds true to the values he learned growing up: honesty, integrity, and hard work.
Advancing Team Members and Local Talent
Our team believes in fostering the education and training of younger generations in order to shape a brighter future for our industry as a whole. RBV’s leadership team sees the benefits of hiring and promoting from within, and we are dedicated to advancing the careers of our young team members. We ensure that all of our employees have a clear path to successand that they see RBV not as a stepping stone, but as a place to put down roots and grow throughout their career.
Outside of our walls, we support local programs, like the Detroit-based Access for All Program, which helps students prepare for successful application into one of several trade apprenticeships. We have also donated equipment and operators for the Michigan Construction Career Days, Michigan’s leading construction career exploration event.
Expanding our Reach
While Michigan is our home base, we are continuing to expand our reach and take on projects in new parts of the country. Most recently, we broke ground in Fort Dodge, Iowa on a $3.5 million-dollar project where we are clearing land and installing a multi-use trail along the eastern bank of the Des Moines River. We are excited to see where future projects will take us, but Michigan will always be home.
It has been an amazing eight years for RBV Contracting and we can’t wait to see what is next. As we move forward, we will continue to focus on giving back to the local community, putting our team members first, and striving to be the best that we can be.
