Blog: Building for Growth (BFG)
How to Grow a Construction Business: Three Lessons From Massachusetts’ Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year
When a contractor took more than $20,000 from her mother and vanished, Vicki Gray built a company people could trust. New Chapter HI Services is now the SBA’s 2026 Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year for Massachusetts. The BFG alumna shares three lessons any contractor can use. Read More
From National Reach to Local Opportunity: Building for Growth Comes to Los Angeles
ICIC marked an exciting milestone on October 15 with the launch of its first Greater Los Angeles cohort of Building for Growth (BFG). The launch reflects BFG's continued evolution, connecting national expertise with regional opportunities to help local construction businesses grow and compete. With a focus on the region's wildfire recovery, infrastructure investments, and upcoming major events, the cohort brings together contractors and a strong network of community and industry partners. Made possible through funding from Kaiser Permanente, Intuit, and The Home Depot, and informed by a pro bono engagement with Deloitte, the initiative demonstrates the power of collaboration in strengthening businesses and communities. Read More
How a New Orleans Small Business Is Using AI to Manage Growth and Make More Room for People
After a 77 percent revenue jump stretched NOLA Wood Windows thin, BFG alumna Valerie Vides put AI to work on cash flow, production analysis, and estimating. Now her team prices jobs without waiting on her, and she has more time for the second-chance crew she’s building. Read More
From the Ground Up: How Barb Smith is Forging Change with Journey Steel
For Barb Smith, growth has always been a journey. Through Building for Growth, Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses, ICAN, and other ICIC opportunities, she has gained the knowledge, connections, and confidence to continue building Journey Steel. Today, she is paying that support forward by creating career pathways and supporting the next generation of leaders. Read More
Rebuilding For Record Growth
After Leon Davis’s veteran-owned business nearly collapsed in 2020, he turned to ICIC’s Building for Growth program for a lifeline. Through mentorship, strategy, and renewed leadership, Leon rebuilt CheckMate Communications & Electric and launched it into its strongest era yet. His story shows how ICIC empowers construction entrepreneurs to transform setbacks into sustainable growth and lasting success. Read More