MEMBER SPOTLIGHT


Yerba Buena Engineering & Construction Shows Strength Through Diversity


By Carol Eaton The Telegraph Hill Rock Bolts Installation project.


Yerba Buena Engineering & Construction ever since President and owner Miguel Galarza opened his full service heavy civil engineering and construction firm in San Francisco’s Bayview/ Hunter’s Point neigh- borhood in 2002. Fostering that diversity


D


is a point of pride for Galarza – borne out by the fact that over 90 percent of the company’s staff of about 45 are people of color. And it is a natural outgrowth of his own background. Galarza grew up in the city’s Mission District and attended Balboa High where, he notes, “If you weren’t flexible and able to deal with different personalities and different cultures, you weren’t going to survive.” An AGC of California member


“Not having come from a traditional track, in the world of construction and business ownership, I’ve looked to find talent where others may not be looking.” – Miguel Galarza


18 November/December 2018


iversity and inclusion have been core values at


noted they “honor member firms and chapters that have established exceptional programs dedicated to expanding the diversity, and with it the strength, of the construction industry. It is a key part of a much broader effort to foster an even more diverse and inclusive construction industry.”


Encouraging Diversity


In countless ways


through the years – as community advocate, industry leader and small business owner – Galarza has made it his mission to encourage diversity and champion the underdog. Te


since the early days of his business, Galarza is an outspoken advocate for small business contracting in the public sector. He has received numerous commendations and awards from agencies and groups including the U.S. Department of Transportation, the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Small Business Administration, among others. Earlier this year, AGC of America


named Yerba Buena Engineering & Construction winner of its first ever Diverse Business of the Year award, bestowed during AGC’s 2018 national convention in New Orleans. In announcing Yerba Buena’s top


award along with four other diversity and inclusion excellence awards, AGC of America 2018 president Art Daniel


result? He has built a steady, successful business in the heart of one of San Francisco’s most challenging and ethnically diverse neighborhoods. Galarza cut his teeth in the


construction industry in San Francisco, digging ditches as a teenager and then moving into the trades after high school to work as a union carpenter for companies involved in


Miguel Galarza California Constructor


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