First of Three Bechtel Road Shows For Iraqi Subcontractors Draws SRO Crowd
To educate potential subcontractors about qualifications and matters pertinent to working in the region, Bechtel held the first of three program supplier conferences in Washington, D.C. on May 21. Roughly 1,800 representatives of contracting and supplier firms, foreign governments and others attended the meeting which had to be split into two sessions. Another meeting is scheduled May 23 in London and a session will be held in Kuwait City on May 28.
Bechtel says that 4,348 firms had registered as potential subcontractors on its Website as of May 16. About 35% of those firms are based in the U.S.; another 25% are based in the U.K. Bechtels designated supplier portal Website for prospective suppliers and subcontractors had recorded nearly 87,000 visits in its first month. The "intense interest will translate into intense competition," says Tom Elkins, Bechtels acquisition services manager.