Metro Louisville hopes to contract more minority- and women-owned businesses on projects

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Metro Louisville wants to recruit more women- and minority-owned businesses for its latest construction projects to build the future of Louisville.

One of the city's major construction projects is renovations to the Louisville Metro Police Department's future headquarters in the former AT&T building on Chestnut Street downtown.

"It's very hard to have people believe in you," said Portia Shoulders, the owner of PLSix Port-a-Potty.

Her company offers an elevated portable restroom, emphasizing cleanliness and features like hooks for bags, LED lights, flushable toilets and sinks inside.

"The reason we exist, we try to make construction sites better with portable restrooms and sanitation," Shoulders said.

Shoulders' goal is to have her portable restrooms be on the construction site while LMPD's headquarters is under renovation.

She was one of dozens of minority and women business owners that attended Metro Louisville and 7PM's "Meet the Owners" event Wednesday evening.

Metro Louisville bids and contracts out the work. 7PM is a local group that helps with project management for minority-owned businesses.

The city has a goal to hire almost a quarter of its contracts for the project from minority- or women-owned businesses: 15% minority-owned, 5% women-owned, and 0.5% disabled-owned.

"The opportunities can sometimes get past you, and so what we’re trying to do is just make it as convenient as possible. Say, 'hey here’s the entire project team and if you’d like to be engaged in this project here’s how,'" said Vincel Anthony, 7PM group president.

LMPD's headquarters project has an estimated price tag of $25 million.

"Of every dollar the city has a goal of 15 cents being spent with a minority business owner," Anthony said.

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