Combine strengths. Win the pursuit.
Some programs need more capacity, more local reach or a specialty neither firm has alone. We form joint ventures when the combination gives the owner a stronger team, and we settle the terms before anyone writes a proposal page.
Bring something we do not have.
- J1
A capability that fills a gap
A specialty scope, deep experience in a delivery model, or design and engineering strength that sharpens the technical approach.
- J2
Roots in the region
A workforce, a trade base and permitting know-how where the project will be built.
- J3
Capacity to carry your share
Financial strength and bonding to match your participation. Mentor-protégé teaming can help a growing firm get there.
- J4
Controls that can merge with ours
Safety, quality, scheduling and cost reporting disciplined enough to run as one system from the first day.
Settle the terms before the pursuit.
Joint ventures rarely fail on the job site. They fail on questions nobody answered at the start. These are the ones we answer first.
Each partner’s scope, self-perform packages and percentage interest, defined clearly enough to estimate from.
How overruns, delay, warranty and design liability are shared, and how profit or loss follows the participation split.
A management committee, the project director’s authority and the short list of decisions that need both partners.
Which partner fills each key role, and which scheduling, cost, document and safety systems the project runs on.
Obligations to the owner, indemnity between partners and the insurance program that covers the work.
Escalation steps, resolution methods and what happens if a partner cannot perform. Agreed in calm weather.
One venture, one schedule.
A joint venture works only when owners see a single team. This is how we take one from first call to final accounting.
We test the opportunity against both firms’ strengths and the owner’s selection criteria. If the fit is weak, we say so early.
Work share, risk, governance and pursuit costs signed before proposal work starts.
One proposal, one price and one integrated schedule, presented by the people who will run the job.
A single project organization under one project director, with staff from both partners in every team.
Final completion, warranty handoff and an open final accounting that settles the venture cleanly.
What co-venturers can expect.
Four commitments we make to every partner, on every job, whether your firm has five people or five hundred.
- Payment
- Terms in writing before you mobilizeDistributions, cost reimbursement and partner billing rates are set in the joint venture agreement, and project books are open to both partners.
- Safety
- The same rules for every crewA site-specific safety plan, pre-task planning every shift and the authority for any worker, yours or ours, to stop a task that looks wrong.
- Communication
- A schedule you can plan aroundRegular management committee meetings, one shared cost report and one shared schedule, with no surprises at month end.
- Growth
- A path to bigger scopesFor emerging firms, a mentor-protégé venture can open the door to larger work, backed by Rising Trade Partners.
Joint venture questions.
What kinds of projects suit a joint venture?
Large or complex programs such as highway and transit work, airports, water and energy facilities and major public buildings, where combined capacity or local presence makes the team stronger.
Will you team with a smaller or emerging firm?
Yes. Mentor-protégé and small business teaming can give a growing firm a real role on a larger project. We size the share to the firm’s capacity and support it through delivery.
Who leads the venture?
That depends on the project and the owner’s requirements. The teaming agreement names the managing partner, the project director and the decisions that need both partners.
How is risk divided?
Usually in line with each partner’s participation interest, adjusted for scopes one partner performs alone. Because both partners usually answer to the owner together, the agreement between them matters a great deal.
How do I start the conversation?
Email partnership@gilbertlanham.com with the opportunity and what your firm brings. A member of our leadership team will follow up.
Big pursuit? Let us compare notes.
Share the project, the timing and your firm’s strengths. We will tell you plainly whether a joint venture with us makes sense.