Page 23 - WRMSDC Construction Day 2020 - Digital Brochure

Small & Disadvantaged Business Depot – October 2020 Newsletter

Small Business Success Story:
ITech Solution, Miguel Plascencia, Owner

ITech Solution, a general building contractor, specializes in electrical, fiber optics, security cameras,
concrete framing, trenching and grading. Miguel Plascencia, a Hispanic American owner, has been
in business since 2005 and was certified as a DBE in 2014.

Plascencia started the business by himself, but once he got a VTA contract, he had to hire a part time
employee. He now has four full time employees. “We are doing our first BART project where we are
replacing a dust collector and installing pressure washers,” said Plascencia.

His greatest startup challenges were getting clients and performing “all of the job functions, including
payroll, estimating and accounts receivable.” He maintains that even now he continues performing all roles
except payroll.

When asked about DBE/SBE certification, Plascencia says he would recommend certification to
anyone, “just don’t become my competition,” he said with a laugh. He expressed that “getting certified
has enabled me to secure more contracts and as a subcontractor, it helps get me more projects.”
Plascencia said that he had no difficulties obtaining certification with the help of VTA’s OBDP, “it was
all pretty easy.”

Plascencia says to date, ITech’s greatest victories have been securing “great contracts with VTA. We
now have work for the next four years to maintain all the lights in the facilities. We just finished the bus
stop shelter installation project and this job also got us our third employee.”

“Be ready for all of the emails and calls; you’ll get calls from people you never imagined. A lot of
contractors will find you on the database then reach out to you,” Plascencia said. “As an uncertified prime
contractor, it’s easier to hire certified subcontractors than prove you met the contractual DBE/SBE goals
through a required good faith effort. And, because of my DBE status, I was able to get the BART job as
the prime contractor.”

When asked about how ITech Solutions is weathering the COVID 19 pandemic, Plascencia commented,
“We actually have more work than we can handle right now. All the schools are closed and are getting
things done, the same with the BART project. We only stopped working for a week in April!”

3 Steps to Success …

1. Register as a supplier at
vta.org/business-center
2. Review opportunities to bid on
new work

3. Contact VTA at OBDP@vta.org
for information about becoming
SBE and DBE

4