Commitment to Diversity Brings More Minority Business Enterprises into the Pharmaceutical Space

At Dome, we are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusion. This dedication stretches far beyond what we execute internally; Dome strives to implement diversity in partnership with our clients, design partners, trade partners, and vendors. We look to work with clients and partners who share that same determination to move the dial forward with diversity and inclusion.

We are pleased to highlight a partnership that aligned with our goal of creating a more diverse workplace. It is our pleasure to share highlights of the work we completed for a pharmaceutical client who played an instrumental role in strengthening Dome’s drive to improve diversity in the field.

Our partnership with this client began in 2018 when Dome was working on an Alexandria Real Estate (ARE) project in South San Francisco, building the first and second-floor lab. With Dome’s record of valuing its people, seeking to understand, and doing it right, ARE kindly recommended Dome to the pharmaceutical client for their upcoming project on the third and fourth floors of the same ARE building. Dome successfully won the labs project and created an impressive new facility, crafting the opportunity for Dome to take on their next project, 2.0.

In preparing for the 2.0 project; a 50,000 sf lab & office TI (Tenant Improvement) in South San Francisco, the client shared their diversity goals of increasing their partnership with MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) spending, focusing on supporting black-owned businesses. During the preconstruction phase for 2.0, we arrived at creative solutions that would allow for both the client and Dome to capture Tier 1 diverse spending to achieve their target of 25% diversity spending. With Dome’s experience working with diverse partners, this opportunity was a perfect fit.

"The commitment Dome has to work with diverse contractors allows MBE companies, like Palmer Electric, the opportunity to work on high-profile projects that we normally may not be given the chance to.”

-Ken Pirozzoli Palmer Electrics

Meet The Team

Dome Project Team

Spencer Dobbins, Project Manager

Kim Davidson, Superintendent 

Chris Costanza, Project Engineer

How would you describe this project to your friends or family?

A complex 50,000 sf lab & office tenant improvement in South San Francisco. This project had its challenges, but in the end, the client was happy, and hopefully we have more coming in the future.

What were the major challenges you had to face while working on this project?

The major challenges we ran into on this project were with existing conditions. We also had the hurdle of working through the pandemic which offered unique challenges for our team.

What is your favorite aspect of this project?

Coordinating the procurement and installation of the various high-end finishes specified by the design team. This aspect presented some interesting challenges that allowed us to come up with creative solutions to deliver a high-quality finished product to the owner.

What advice do you have for other project teams based on experience gained from this project?

I would share the value we found from holding a proper project kick off and the importance of establishing guidelines, workflows, communication & documentation protocols.

What was the most rewarding part of the project?

The most rewarding part of this project was the relationship we were able to maintain with our client. I also value the coordination and collaboration Dome had with and our trade partners, client and design team.

What do you attribute to the success of this project?

The success of this project came from the hard work of this project team. We were able to form a great working relationship and that echoed through the project to the owner, design team, trade partners, etc. and lead to productive and collaborative working environment.

People thrive in a culture of inclusion. We are proud to partner with teams that share our dedication to building diverse spaces.

To read more about Dome’s commitment to Diversity, explore our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page by visiting the link below:

Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Page