Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA) Awards Related Midwest Senior Vice President Don Biernacki With The Sustainability and Community Development Award

Biernacki Honored For His Commitment to Creating Sustainable Opportunities for Local Laborers and Business Owners at HACIA’s Annual Banquet The Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA) honored Don Biernacki, Senior Vice President of Construction at Related Midwest, with the Sustainability and Community Development Award for his work on the 78, the 62-acre site bordered by Clark, Roosevelt and the Chicago River. The award, announced at HACIA’s Annual Banquet, celebrates those who display an unwavering commitment to uplifting communities throughout Chicago by creating sustainable job training and career opportunities to local residents and laborers.

"I am honored to receive such a meaningful award from an organization that champions diverse representation and equal opportunities for Hispanic and minority small business owners, laborers, and entrepreneurs daily," said Don Biernacki, Vice President of Construction. "At Related Midwest, we recognize that we are invited guests in the communities we work and live in. It has been our privilege to collaborate with HACIA unless every resident from every community has the chance to have a good job, a living wage, and an opportunity to participate in this city’s economic growth.”

The 78, the 62-acre site bordered by Clark, Roosevelt and the Chicago River, is a $7.2 billion project that will contribute more than $48 billion in economic activity to Chicago over the next 30 years and create more than 15,000 new construction jobs and 24,000 new, permanent jobs and economic opportunities that will directly benefit residents of the city’s South and West sides.

Related Midwest is committed to collaborating with local, small, minority and women-owned businesses to create job opportunities and foster growth in the communities that house its developments. Related Midwest organized a Community Inclusion Council of trusted business and community partners, including HACIA’s Executive Director Jorge Perez, to help implement programs, monitor progress and most importantly hold Related accountable to their community hiring goals.

“Don Biernacki and Related Midwest’s commitment to ensuring that every resident in every community has a chance at a good job has uplifted our communities and given Chicago’s residents hope,” says Jorge Perez, Executive Director of HACIA. “It has been a pleasure working with Don and Related to work towards a more inclusive, representative and equitable construction and development industry.”

Over that past ten years, Related Midwest awarded more than $228 million dollars of work to minority-and women-owned businesses ranging from landscaping to fencing to general construction. Related has hired more than 450 community residents and has awarded 15 local companies with their first ever contract. In addition to contracting with new and local minority and women owned businesses, Related Midwest also provides mentorship, business support and training to community entrepreneurs.