Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is in the midst of major construction totaling in the billions of dollars. They need quality contractors to do the work.
So, in 2024, LAWA issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) document that would be used to create a list of pre-qualified prime contractors for over $5 billion in construction and design build services for airfield, terminal, and landside projects.
The plan was to issue a series of request for proposals (RFPs) for packages of work that the pre-qualified prime contractors could bid on. The packages, or task orders, were to be referred to as Multiple Award Task Order Contracts (MATOCs).
J-Squared General Contractors, a small business enterprise (SBE), had experience working at LAX as a subcontractor. For example, in 2021-2022, J-Squared was successful in completing work on the Bob Hope USO building and the Avis Rental Car station at LAX as a subcontractor to Meyers-Griffith JV. With this positive record, J-Squared was asked to respond to the RFQ by industry partner Meyers and Sons in April of 2024. With the help of Meyers and Sons and Mission Critical, an industry RFQ response expert firm, J-Squared prepared and submitted a response to the RFQ.
In late 2024, LAWA arrived at a list of 31 prime contractors, and J-Squared earned a spot on the list, now eligible to bid on upcoming MATOCs.
J-Squared had in the past obtained bonds — a requirement for public projects — for millions of dollars of infrastructure work. However, given the multiple projects it was working on, its current bonding capacity was nearing its limit.
Fortunately, J-Squared learned about the Los Angeles Regional Contractor Development and Bonding Program (CDABP) while working on a park project with the City of Los Angeles. The CDABP is administered by Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services (MWIS), a Hub International company, on behalf of the City of Los Angeles and LA Metro. The CDABP helps small and local contractors obtain infrastructure work by providing bonding assistance, financing, technical assistance, and networking opportunities, all at no cost to the contractors.
J-Squared enrolled in the CDABP prior to responding to the MATOC RFQ and started regular communications with the MWIS team.
When J-Squared bid on and won a $5.3 million LAWA project to install an emergency responder communications system, the CDABP provided support and $250,000 in collateral so that J-Squared could qualify for the $5.3 million bond on the MATOC.
“Merriwether and Williams doesn’t just offer bonding
help. They offer ways and means to improve
the experience for the contractor trying to navigate
the world of public bid construction.”
— Steven Ross, project executive,
J-Squared General Contractors
Steven Ross, a project executive at J-Squared, said “The guidance and assistance from Merriwether and Williams helped increase our bonding capacity, meet our inclusivity needs, and meet the MATOC contract requirements.”
J-Squared has actively engaged with MWIS and has taken advantage of the training and educational classes that it offers to small general contractors working at LAX and other locations. Steven said, “Merriwether and Williams doesn’t just offer bonding help. They offer ways and means to improve the experience for the contractor trying to navigate the world of public bid construction. J-Squared has completed and graduated from numerous classes provided by MWIS and this has given the firm confidence moving forward. MWIS has a proven method to make sure small contractors are doing what is needed to meet public agency requirements.”
In the later part of 2025, J-Squared won a $3.8 million landscaping maintenance contract through a LAWA MATOC. J-Squared, based in the City of Orange, is in the process of opening an office in Los Angeles close to LAX, and it has plans to respond to future MATOC RFPs from LAWA.
J-Squared COO Patrick Kay said “J-Squared worked hard to get on the pre-qualified list of primes and win MATOCs, and Merriwether and Williams is helping us continue to do business at LAX.”
How can other small and local contractors like J-Squared access these types of public works projects? Go online to www.LAConDev.com to learn more about the LA Regional Contractor Development and Bonding Program and enroll in the no-cost program!
Photo credit: J-Squared General Contractors
