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RALEIGH – State transportation officials encouraged small businesses and minority- and women-owned businesses to apply for state transportation contracts. They say contracts with those businesses will help stimulate the economy.

Hundreds of business owners were represented in Raleigh Wednesday at the 2010 Transportation Conference.

“As small businesses, sometimes we don't have some of the financial resources as larger businesses will have,” said David Simpson, president of Simpson Engineers and Associates in Cary, North Carolina.

Simpson says the ability for his 15-person business to link up with the North Carolina Department of Transportation on projects could be very profitable. During the conference, Simpson was singled out for his engineering work on a federal stimulus project. He says he hopes for future opportunities like that.

“Especially when we look at the stimulus money for the rail division, the southeast high speed rail may be receiving,” said Simpson. “There will be an opportunity, I feel, for my firm to be an assistance as we partner with N.C. DOT.”

That is exactly the attitude DOT is hoping all the conference attendees will have. Officials say by awarding contracts to small and minority-owned businesses that are available because of recovery money will help to stimulate the economy.

“Out of the money that we got, $838 million for the state, over $44 million was committed to smaller business,” said N.C. Secretary of Transportation Gene Conti.

By concentrating that money on small businesses, small businesses have been able to put some people to work even during this past year's economic downturn.

“I have actually been able to hire some employees that did not have a job,” said Simpson. “That as a result of the stimulus monies made available, I have been able to employ them.”

The Department of Transportation estimates 27,000 jobs have been created in our state through the use of federal recovery money.