LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 17, 2026) — The University of Kentucky, in partnership with Turner Construction, welcomed 20 local construction-related businesses and five UK students to the fifth anniversary cohort of the Construction Business Accelerator (CBA) program during a kickoff reception and opening session held March 3 at the Cornerstone.
The 12-week Construction Business Accelerator program is designed to strengthen the capacity of local construction-related businesses by providing the skills and resources necessary to compete successfully in the industry. Participants receive training across a range of critical areas, including safety, site logistics, insurance, bonding, contracts, subcontracting, estimating, scheduling, construction accounting and bid preparation. The program concludes with a mock bid project in which teams engage in a mock post-bid review with a panel of industry experts.
“I was blown away by the enthusiasm for the program this year,” said Kristen Smitherman-Voltaire, community and citizenship director at Turner Construction. “We saw a significant increase in applications, with a staggering 66 applications for 25 spots. This was over double the number of applications from the previous year. Thanks to the support of our partners and program supporters, word is getting out about the CBA and the positive impact it is having in this region. It’s been an absolute pleasure to deepen our relationship with the University of Kentucky through this program and with all the community partners engaged. I am looking forward to all the positive enhancements we have in store for this year and beyond.”
This milestone year includes several new initiatives aimed at enhancing the program’s long-term impact. A CBA research project is currently underway to evaluate outcomes from the program’s first five years and gather feedback from participants and community partners, with the goal of continuous improvement. We are collecting data to measure the level of contracts and work secured by past participants. The program also welcomes two new community partners, Bullard and the Associated General Contractors.
One of the most notable additions to this year’s cohort is the inclusion of five current UK students, who will be embedded within participant teams and engage fully in the program alongside business owners. This experiential learning component is made possible through a partnership with Hala Nassereddine, Ph.D., associate professor of construction engineering and project management in the UK Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering.
“The integration of UK students alongside business participants creates a dynamic learning environment that benefits both students and emerging businesses. Our partnerships with Turner Construction and community partners make this program special. These relationships allow us to work as a team to reach our shared goal of growing sustainable small businesses,” said Marilyn Clark, economic engagement manager at the University of Kentucky. “As we celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Construction Business Accelerator, we are proud of the measurable impact this program continues to have on local construction businesses.”
The CBA also provides participants access to a private plan room through our partnership with Lynn Imaging. This gives each participant the opportunity to review project documents, addenda, drawings and plans as they would for any construction project. This year’s team project will focus on the construction of a teaching building adjacent to a new agricultural greenhouse, part of an ongoing Turner-led project on UK’s campus.
In addition to Turner Construction, Bullard and the Associated General Contractors and Lynn Imaging, other community partners include Blue Grass Airport, Commerce Lexington, Fayette County Public Schools, Kentucky APEX Accelerator, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Louisville Human Relations Commission,Messer Construction, the U.S. Small Business Administration Kentucky District, the University of Kentucky Federal Credit Union, the UK Economic Development Collaborative, UK Construction Procurement and UK Economic Engagement.
All classes are held at the UK Esports Theater and the Innovation Space. The fifth cohort’s graduation is May 12 at the Gray Design Building.