Two firms. One project team.
Some programs are too large, too specialized or too local for one builder to carry alone. We form joint ventures where combined strength gives the owner a better project, and we put the terms in writing before the pursuit begins.
Partners who add something real.
- J1
Complementary capability
A specialty we do not self-perform, a delivery model you know deeply, or design and engineering strength that sharpens the pursuit.
- J2
Local knowledge and relationships
A workforce, subcontractor base and permitting experience in the region where the project will be built.
- J3
Balance sheet and bonding
Enough financial capacity to carry your share of the work, the bonding and the risk. Mentor-protégé teaming can bridge the gap for growing firms.
- J4
Shared standards
A safety culture, quality program and project controls that can run side by side with ours from day one.
The teaming agreement comes first.
Most joint venture trouble starts with terms that were never settled. We agree the important ones before we write a single proposal page.
Each party’s scope, self-perform packages and percentage interest, set out clearly enough that an estimator could price from it.
How cost overruns, schedule delay, warranty and design liability are shared, and how losses or profits follow the participation split.
A management committee, the authority of the project director, and a clear path for decisions that need both partners to agree.
Which partner provides key roles, and which accounting, scheduling, document control and safety systems the project uses.
Joint and several obligations to the owner, indemnity between partners, and the insurance program that covers the work.
Escalation steps, dispute resolution and what happens if a partner cannot perform. Better written down than argued about later.
From pursuit to closeout.
A joint venture works only if it runs as one project. Here is how we take one from first conversation to final accounting.
We compare the opportunity, each firm’s strengths and the owner’s selection criteria. If it is not a fit, we say so early.
Scope split, risk allocation, governance and pursuit costs agreed and signed before proposal work begins.
One proposal team, one price and one schedule. Interviews staffed by the people who will run the work.
A single project organization under one project director, with partner staff mixed through every team.
Final completion, warranty handoff and a transparent final accounting that settles the venture cleanly.
What co-venturers can expect.
The same commitments on every project, in every market, whatever the size of your firm.
- Payment
- Clear terms, agreed at awardDistributions, cost reimbursements and partner billing rates are defined in the joint venture agreement, and project accounts are open to both partners.
- Safety
- One standard on every siteSite-specific safety plans, daily pre-task planning and stop-work authority for every worker on the job, including yours.
- Communication
- Straight answers, earlyRegular management committee meetings, shared cost and schedule reports, and no surprises at month end.
- Growth
- Mentoring for emerging firmsFor emerging firms, a mentor-protégé joint venture can be a route to larger work, supported by the Rising Trade Partners program.
Joint venture questions.
What kinds of projects do you pursue as a joint venture?
Usually large or complex programs: transportation corridors, airports, water and energy facilities, and major public buildings, where combined capacity or local presence strengthens the team.
Do you form joint ventures with smaller or emerging firms?
Yes. Mentor-protégé and small business teaming can give growing firms a real role on larger projects. We size the share to the firm’s capacity and support it through the work.
Who leads the joint venture?
It 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 shared?
Usually in line with each partner’s participation interest, adjusted for scopes one partner performs alone. Both partners are typically jointly and severally liable to the owner, so the agreement between partners matters.
How do I start a conversation?
Email partners@markwester.com with the opportunity you have in mind and what your firm brings. A member of our leadership team will follow up.
Stronger together on the big ones.
Have a pursuit in mind? Tell us the project, the timing and what your firm brings, and we will tell you plainly whether we fit.