From the Washington State Convention Center Addition Website & Newsletter
Quality control is important for any large-scale job. When it comes to the Washington State Convention Center (WSCC) Addition project, which will create 6,000 jobs during construction, that project management assistance becomes even more critical. Luckily, Anthony Thompson and his team at KWAME Building Group are up to the task.
Thompson is CEO of KWAME, a St. Louis-based construction-management firm contracted with the Addition project. Thompson and his Seattle team augment quality control throughout the building process, working with Clark/Lewis to track the budget, assist with scheduling and provide inspection services. KWAME’s other local projects include reconstruction of a runway at Sea-Tac Airport.
Thompson is grateful for the opportunity to work on a project of this magnitude.
“Being involved with a project of this size creates opportunities for us to demonstrate our capabilities and experience, and hopefully, it’ll open the door and create opportunities for other minorities and women,” he says.
Thompson has already opened doors for many others. He’s especially proud that he has been able to create career paths for people who may not have had them under other circumstances. In fact, women and people of color comprise 80 percent of KWAME’s workforce. The work KWAME does is particularly significant to Thompson, as he says few minority project managers operate in this field.
“Project managers are the ones who typically select the architect and the contractors,” Thompson says. “They’re kind of the quarterback. It’s an opportunity to influence the entire project and have significant impact from beginning to end.”
Contributing to the benefits the Addition project will bring to Seattle inspires Thompson. He hopes KWAME’s work will serve as an example to other minority-owned businesses of what can be achieved in this market.
The Addition’s opening in 2022 will be a historic event for our region, Thompson notes. “Everyone is going to be looking at Seattle, if they weren’t already,” he says.
