what small businesses need from gen- eral contractors and the challenges they face. Kayla Montgomery, senior industry advancement manager for AGC of Cal- ifornia, said that her message about the need for partnerships and mentorships resonated with many who heard the panel discussion.


T Inaugural SUB Summit a Success


he inaugural Small and Underrepresented Business (SUB) Summit brought together 174 construction industry professionals at the McClellan Conference Center on June 3, 2025 for a day of education and networking. Hosted by the AGC Construction Education Foundation (CEF) in partnership with the Sac-


ramento Asian American Chamber of Commerce, the event attracted 107 small and underrepresented businesses and 15 major agencies and general contractors. Participating organizations included Caltrans, County of Sacramento, DGS,


Granite Construction, Hensel Phelps, Otto Construction, Pride Industries, S+B James, Shimmick Corporation, Southland Industries, SUNDT, Vantis Construction, Small Business Transportation Resource Center, Sacramento Asian Pacific Cham- ber of Commerce, and SMUD. The day featured four educational sessions covering leadership development,


government contracting strategies, business sustainability, and innovative part- nership approaches. Throughout multiple marketplace networking sessions, small businesses connected directly with prime contractors seeking trade partners for projects happening within the next 19 months. The summit successfully created meaningful connections between diverse


businesses and major contractors while providing practical tools for business growth and development.


dation (CEF) invited Pruitt to join its board of directors, which she was happy to do. “Being on the CEF Board and a mem-


ber of AGC of California is an honor and a privilege,” she noted. “It touches a large part of my heart, which is getting other people exposed to the opportunities that construction has to offer. I like to be a mentor and share my experiences


with young people. We’ve done a lot of work since I’ve been on the board, and there’s so much more to be done that I’m looking forward to!” During AGC of California’s inaugu-


ral Small/Underrepresented Business Summit in Sacramento this year, Pruitt participated on a small business pan- el in which she shared her insights on


Sharing Her Insights with Others “Jacque talked about how small business- es thrive when everyone gets on board with supporting them, giving them the resources they need at the right time,” Montgomery said. “One thing that stood out that Jacque said on the panel is, ‘I’ve had to realize that I needed to be more than just a boss; I needed to learn how to lead my company.’ Jacque is an ex- ample of someone who really hustled to find the support and partnerships that her business needed to get a foothold.” Pruitt is quick to acknowledge the im-


portance that industry relationships and external resources made in her journey to build up her small business. “I’ve grown so much by being part of organizations like BuildOUT and AGC of California,” she said. While recent years have brought a few


growing pains, from some unprofitable jobs to challenging insurance costs, among others, Marvella Steel Placers is now focused on growth and restructur- ing, and on track to generate $10 million in annual revenue within the year. Te company is expanding into new project types and into other parts of the state. “Now I need to look beyond just ‘one


foot in front of the other’ to, what is 10 steps ahead?” Pruitt noted. “We need to be innovative in the way we deliver services and show customers why they should choose Marvella Steel Placers. There are challenges, but I don’t take that as a negative thing. I am always up for a good challenge.”


CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025


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