Jimmy founded UJAMAA Construction in 2002. His vision was to create a company that would provide exceptional construction services in a socially responsible manner, to “rebuild our community one block at a time.” UJAMAA has grown dramatically under his leadership and is now the premier diversity general contractor and construction management firm in the city of Chicago.

Jimmy earned a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology and completed numerous MBA courses at Purdue University. He graduated from the Entrepreneurship Center program at Purdue University Calumet and is a member of the inaugural NextOne entrepreneurial program with the Chicago Urban League and Northwestern University’s Kellogg Business School. He also successfully completed the Executive Education program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He is a past Chair of the Builders’ Association and the Illinois Chapter of the Association of General Contractors.

Jimmy has been honored with several distinguished community and professional awards. He and his wife and family live in the community where UJAMAA was founded.

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President’s Message

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“When I founded UJAMAA in 2002, I wanted to build an organization that paid an equal amount of attention to social responsibility, profitability and citizenship.”

“While weathering the storm of this economic downturn, I am proud to say that we never lost sight of our core values. UJAMAA continues to operate as a compassionate, customer-oriented business that believes that the size of the project should not determine the quality of the construction service.

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An integral component of our business can be explained simply by our name, UJAMAA. UJAMAA loosely translates into “the need to give back to those who support you.” As a minority-owned construction firm, we maintain deep roots within our community and we share a commitment to social responsibility within the communities where we live and work. We continue to provide cost-effective, quality general construction and construction management services to urban projects.

Over the past decade, we have earned a reputation for successfully completing commercial, institutional, and healthcare assignments in sensitive work environments. Despite often constructing in occupied workspaces and operating on a fast-track schedule, we have the expertise to close out a project within the established budget. This steadfast commitment has earned our firm a positive reputation within the industry and repeat business from more than 70% of our Owners.

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These lasting client relationships can be directly attributed to the men and women working by my side. I personally ensure that the UJAMAA work environment is safe, fun, supportive, and creative for everyone involved with our organization. We surround our team with the best tools, resources, and experiences to ensure a successful career within the construction industry.

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Our commitment to “rebuild our community one block at a time” will continue to be self-evident in our work, our project management style, and unsurpassed customer satisfaction. Thank you for taking the time to visit our website and we look forward to partnering with you on your next project…”