This month we highlight the Montez Group Inc. (Montez), a DBE firm performing Quality Control inspection services on the Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project. Montez was created in 2011 by Oscar Zavaleta when he sensed a growing need for quality control inspection services on construction projects in the southern California region. Oscar had spent several years cutting his teeth as an employee of various consulting firms on light rail construction projects, but felt the time was right to begin the process of branching out on his own.
To help with the transition, Oscar kept working during the day for a consulting firm while at night he put the puzzle pieces in place for Montez. This included applying for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification in 2013. The year 2015 proved to be pivotal for Oscar. He decided the time was right to leave his day job and devote full attention to running Montez. Soon thereafter, he hired his first employee and submitted his first proposal. He was awarded the contract for Project Control Management on a Los Angeles area construction project.
Developing a solid reputation through their work, other opportunities began to present themselves to Montez. When MCTC hired RMA Group (RMA) to perform Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC) on the Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project, Montez was contracted by RMA to provide inspection support. (More details on QA/QC work in the next section below.) Montez's contribution also helped the MCTC team garner additional DBE participation.
Currently, Montez's role on the Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project is to perform Q.C. inspection and testing. This includes aggregate testing and sampling, concrete testing, and formwork and rebar inspections on the Cast-In-Drilled-Hole (CIDH) Foundations for the Elvira to Morena Double Track Bridges (learn more about MCTC's CIDH work on Nobel Drive in the Construction Update below).
Montez continues to grow by securing repeat clients and chasing new projects. In addition to the Mid-Coast Transit Corridor Project, they are also supporting the LA Rams Stadium in Inglewood, the Automated People Mover project in Los Angeles, and CalTrain/Airport projects in San Francisco. Montez's growth and success can be attributed to a good staff. Most of Montez's employees were discovered through networking, previous projects, or referrals from coworkers. Oscar feels that "good people know good people." Oscar also credited his DBE certification to opening a few doors of opportunity for Montez on large-scale projects.
Moving forward, the Montez Group has their sights set on San Diego Airport projects. Oscar hopes to continue expanding the business further along the West Coast, and in the future, bid as a prime for Construction Management contracts. Oscar emphasized that "really believing in what you want to do will place you on the path towards your goal... gaining as much knowledge from seasoned contractors and keeping an open mind will help you get there."
