Jhonny Levya is president of Heroica Construction Inc., growing what was a family business when he purchased it in 2009 into a multimillion-dollar company. He also heads the Black Contractors Association of Rhode Island, which advocates for equity and opportunities in state and local government contracting with minority business owners.
What have been the challenges faced by minority business owners during the pandemic and how have they affected your organization? Minority businesses are taking a big hit because of the pandemic. They have lost revenue and have had to lay off employees. The challenges facing Heroica during the pandemic have been a loss of revenue when we really needed it. Earlier in the year, half of our jobs were shut down due to COVID-19, forcing us into a difficult situation to figure out how not to layoff our key employees.
What’s your plan for recovery once the coronavirus crisis has passed? Coronavirus has not stopped us from bidding projects and working with our colleagues and clients in pursuit of contract work we can do given the restrictions for social distancing, wearing masks and practicing good hygiene.
What are the challenges getting to that recovery? The challenges … for some minority businesses are insurmountable and many will not survive. Heroica hopes to leverage the work we have on the books to get us on the other side of the pandemic, when we might resume the normal pursuit of business.
The Black Lives Matter movement has highlighted long-standing racism and discrimination faced by minority business owners. Do you think this is enough to prompt changes? Thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement, local and national leaders are starting to pay attention to the plight of Black and brown people. I sincerely hope that the Biden administration truly commits to addressing the lack of education, jobs, health and economic opportunities that we need and want for the improvement of our people.
What specific changes do you think are most needed? I would like to see the state and federal government carve out large portions of the budgets for work that Black and brown contractors can perform. The more successful we are as entrepreneurs, the more we hire and support the families of people of color. The wages and benefits are very attractive – setting the stage for families to buy homes, send their kids to good schools and enjoy the American middle-class way of life.
Have you personally faced racism and discrimination, and if so, what impact has that had on your ability to grow and maintain your business? Yes, I have personally faced racism and discrimination. Honestly, it is very hurtful because the intent is to make you feel less than the person discriminating and, in many cases, it is subtle and institutional. The impact … on minority business results in slow to no growth potential and creates barriers that are difficult ... to overcome.
More generally, what are the biggest ways racism hurts minority business owners? It attempts to destroy any motivation or drive to pursue opportunity. The barriers and impediments to meet underwriting requirements for loan and surety bonding alone is subjective and more difficult for minorities than their white counterparts.
You have also advocated on behalf of the Black Contractors Association for equity in government contracting. What improvements would you like to see? Government should construct a program to carve out work to be bid on and performed by Black contractors, be they primary or trade contractors. Another initiative would be to process payments according to the needs of the Black contractors; currently, it takes months to get paid by the government.
Why are these important to leveling the playing field for government contractors? Construction is a very old industry, and many of the companies we have to compete with are in their second, third and fourth generation in the business. They can leverage millions of dollars in surety bonding and finance payroll and meet the qualification requirements established by the industry, which Black contractors are just beginning to play a part in, but [they] cannot [compete] because the playing field is not level.
What long-term impacts do you think COVID-19 will have for minority business owners? The long-term impact is difficult to know. Many in the Black community have been victims of COVID-19 both health-wise and financially by being laid off.
Why is it important for the state to have a thriving, successful minority business community? [It] is an asset to the state and country. We are more likely to train and employ minority people. We are more likely to do business with other minority businesses and support initiatives in our community. A thriving minority business community pays ... all the essential fees and taxes that support our state and country.
