Flintco: Understanding the Value of Diversity

Flintco, a construction company based in Tulsa, Okla., embraces the differences in its workforce and looks for the best in each employee.

 

“We are an American-Indian owned company and understand the value of diversity. That is why our management group is focused on development a diverse workforce,” said Tom Maxwell, CEO.

 

Flintco has received numerous awards for its efforts in diversity. In 2006, Flintco was named Minority Construction Firm of the Year by the Minority Business Development Agency and ranked as one of the top minority owned businesses in the nation by DiversityBusiness.com.

 

“To be a minority entrepreneur today is to be in a position of great potential power,” said Robin Flint Ballenger, Cherokee Indian and Chairperson of Flintco. “This is both a privilege and a responsibility, and minorities must use this power wisely. We have an obligation to help, to mentor and to encourage smaller minority companies.”

 

Flintco understands not only the importance, but also the impact diversity has on a company.

 

“We make an effort to seek out minority projects, specifically American Indian projects, and we strive to have our staff compliment our client base,” Maxwell said.

 

Flintco’s combination of talent, experiences and opinions makes for superior end results. This can be seen in the structures the company has built all over the country, including projects for many American Indian tribes, including health-care facilities, dialysis clinics, schools and community centers, child-care centers, and casinos.

 

“Diversity is good for the morale of employees and it’s good for business,” Maxwell said. “Having people from different backgrounds and ethnic groups makes our mix at Flintco so creative and successful.”

 

Diversity has become an extremely significant issue in today’s workplace. If more organizations were like Flintco, a company that embraces its employees’ differences, diversity would become something to celebrate within the corporate cultures of all organizations.

 

The Flintco Companies, Inc. is the parent company of two construction operating divisions: Flintco, Inc. and Oakridge Builders, Inc. Founded in 1908 and in its third generation of private ownership, The Flintco Companies is the largest American Indian-owned construction company and is one of the largest commercial contractors in the nation. The Flintco Companies’ operating divisions provide a full range of construction services, including pre-construction, construction management, design/build, project and program management, as well as general contracting from nine offices in: Albuquerque, N.M.; Austin, Tex.; Memphis, Tenn.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Sacramento, Calif.; Springdale, Ark.; Springfield, Mo.; and two offices in Tulsa, Okla.

 

With a well-deserved reputation as a provider of “constructive solutions,” The Flintco Companies is consistently selected as the contractor of choice by clients with construction needs in the areas of healthcare, corporate, education, office, sports, corrections, hospitality, utilities, governmental, and not-for-profit facilities. For more information, see www.flintco.com.

 

Risha Grant