GS Fire Protection had never worked on a Public Works project until recently. However, when another contractor won a bid with the City of West Hollywood but was unable to provide the necessary bonding, opportunity came knocking for GS Fire Protection. Because GS Fire Protection was approved for bonding with the help of the Contractor Development And Bonding Program, the original contractor asked them to step in as the subcontractor on the project to install the fire sprinklers — essentially securing them the contract.
“Even though they are a larger contractor, they couldn’t even put up the bond,” said Richard Minasian, project manager. “The bonding program allowed us to get that job. Otherwise, we never would have gotten it.”
The whole process pleasantly surprised Minasian. “I always thought that bonding was impossible unless someone has 100 percent collateral,” he said. “ I never imagined that it would be that easy. It was unbelievable.”
Minasian has also been impressed by the program’s classes, where he has learned about topics such as certified payroll reporting. “For a small contractor, they offer very useful information. The classes are very important.”
His ability to get bonding has totally changed his business. “We are starting to do more public works,” he says. “These projects are becoming available to us and now we are starting to bid on public projects, all because of the Contractor Development And Bonding Program.”
GS Fire Protection
CDABP Contractor Feature