W.C. Benton & Associates

Regional EDI

Dr. Benton’s innovative pedagogy and program delivery model transformed the mission of EDI to business development.

Since its inception in 1983, the United States Department of Transportation’s program for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) has kindled the entrepreneurial spirit in many minority and women with backgrounds in the construction industry.  A study conducted by W. C. Benton & Associates in 1994 for the Federal Highway Administration’s Regional EDI found that DBE certification contributed to the success of some minority and female firms in terms of increased revenues, more employees, and profitable financial statements. Despite a public works market with substantial DBE participation goals, W. C. Benton & Associates’ findings further showed that for the most part DBEs were not viable because they lacked the vision to seek out profitable market segments, hire the right management, and plan for the required financial resources.  They also had inadequate knowledge of the competitive, complex, regulatory driven heavy highway industry.  Put another way, W. C. Benton & Associates found that many DBEs failed because they did not have replicable systems in place that generate sustainable business growth.

Even before the more than 1 million dollar two-year Regional EDI initiative, as early as 1986, W.C. Benton & Associates was already addressing these obstacles to DBE development through management and engineering education programs sponsored by the Ohio Department of Transportation.  Based on the seminal study of 1,000 DBEs in Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida referenced above, W.C. Benton & Associates designed and presented a uniform curriculum to improve the competency of contractors in a wide range of business and technical skills. Prior to the Regional EDI, EDI’s scope was limited to rudimentary aspects of contract compliance. DBEs should have their own workforce and equipment.  

Dr. Benton’s innovative pedagogy and program delivery model transformed the mission of EDI to business development.  In addition, the Regional EDI served as a watershed in the maturation of the DBE program because of the successful partnerships created between W. C. Benton & Associates, Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the state DOTs. The Regional EDI established new EDI centers and expanded existing programs at the following HBCUs: Albany State College; Bethune-Cookman College; Fayetteville State University; Jackson State University; Tennessee State University; South Carolina State University; Stillman College; and EDI program administrator, Kentucky State University. More than 250 construction and professional services firms participated in the actual EDI classroom training led by Dr. Benton and the faculty of W. C. Benton & Associates.