{"id":13759,"date":"2021-03-12T05:45:33","date_gmt":"2021-03-12T10:45:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/jim-james-santee-construction-giant\/"},"modified":"2021-03-12T05:45:37","modified_gmt":"2021-03-12T10:45:37","slug":"jim-james-santee-construction-giant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/jim-james-santee-construction-giant\/","title":{"rendered":"Jim James \u2013 Santee Construction Giant"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Jim James<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

PART II
\nAs introduced in Part I of this series, Henry \u201cJim\u201d James, Santee Sioux of Nebraska through dint of tenacity became one of the largest Indian contractors in America, his career spanning decades (the late 1970\u2019s through the 90\u2019s). This continues his story.
\nWhile serving the Santee Sioux Tribe for about six years in the Community Action Program. EDA Director and Tribal Chairman (he wasn\u2019t compensated for that), Jim helped that abjectly poor Tribe gain some sorely needed employment, the crown jewel an Industrial Park where a pharmaceutical plant was built, hiring and training 55 tribal members. \u201cThey were all good workers\u201d, Jim noted. \u201cGiven an opportunity most are. Every reservation has a skilled workforce, especially in the trades: carpenters, electricians, roofers, plumbers, masons, etc. It\u2019s just that many don\u2019t like to travel for work and leave their families.\u201d
\nAlong the way, he made many valuable contacts in federal and state agencies, always ready to pick someone\u2019s brain. During the time, several agencies such as Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Indian Health Service (IHS), Department of Education (DOE) and Economic Development Administration (EDA) were in a mini-construction boom: Money was suddenly available to address the critical housing shortages on Reservations and long overdue; hospitals, clinics and schools were also being built and there were many contacts for BIA roads, IHS utilities, office buildings and community structures.
\nMore critically Indian preference for contracting was instituted and being used \u2013 the goal to provide opportunity to Indian businesses. Rightfully so, for the projects were for the benefit of Indian people and on the reservations where they lived. Observing this, Jim was disappointed to see the development of \u201cfront\u201d companies, whereby a white construction company would take an Indian person into partnership, creating 51% Indian and 49% white ownership of companies (on paper that is) in order to take advantage of Indian preference and gain jobs and what were often very lucrative profits on Indian reservations. \u201cI\u2019m not saying there weren\u2019t some good companies like that,\u201d he remarked, \u201cand I don\u2019t blame people who got caught up in it. But overall, in these \u2018front\u2019 operations, the Indian was only a liaison to get the contracts, had little to do with the actual day-to-day work and in the end, walked away with only a few coins in their pockets. I always thought there was a way to do it legitimately.\u201d
\nAt Santee, he also had first-hand problems with non-Indian contractors who would not hire local tribal help. Then he decided they could a better job by hiring local people, even training if necessary, an early proponent of the Tribal Employment Rights Offices (TERO) concept who work to that end. \u201cI always had good luck with TERO,\u201d he said. \u201cThey know the local work force on their reservations. Big white contractors usually only want to fill a \u2018quota\u2019, but I wanted the whole crew to be local, except for my superintendents who were Indian too.\u201d
\nLater, with many construction projects under his belt, James received an award from TERO for consistently hiring and using Indian subcontractors.
\nAfter years of working with federal agencies, Jim used his contacts. \u201cI was networking before they had a word for it,\u201d he chuckles. Furthermore, he became well regarded in his field, once invited as keynote speaker at a national EDA conference to share the Santee success story. \u201cSuddenly, looking out at a sea of faces. I realized I didn\u2019t have any notes,\u201d he laughs. However, as plain-spoken man he delivered the main point plainly \u201cIndians can do this kind of work just as good as anybody. All we need is little leg up.\u201d
\nSo, with that in 1977, Jim plunged into the hurly-burly, highly competitive and sometimes cutthroat world of construction contracting. He proudly named his new company Isanti Construction, in honor of the Santee Sioux. Though it was a major and somewhat risky move with no guarantee, his wife Elaine and family backed him to the hilt. They knew that Jim was like a bulldog, sinking his teeth into whatever he tackled.
\nA barrier to many would-be minority contractors is financing. Jim solved that by getting a bank loan for startup, putting all of his personal assets on the line. He then secured a BIA 90% loan guarantee inching toward the financial capacity to get sizeable contracts.
\nHis first big contract was on the Fort Peck Reservation, MT a HUD 25-unit housing development scattered across that large tribal territory. He developed a close working relationship with then Tribal Chairman, Norman Hollow (also a legend in Indian Country) and with tribal and HUD approval, built Boise Cascade modular units. The Fort Peck Tribes were lavish with recommendations which greatly helped Isanti leapfrog to numerous other projects clear across Indian country.
\nOver the years Isanti construction completed projects in Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Florida, Wyoming, Nevada, California and Arizona. Along the way, the company under James\u2019 leadership was faithfully committed to local labor. The goal was to use at least 60% local labor on every tribal project and often they exceeded those goals; at one Pine Ridge project they utilized 100% local labor, completing 284 roofings in 100 days. For that, Isanti received the HUD Minority Contractor Utilization Award and was featured in many newspaper articles for participating in local training programs.
\nIsanti Construction was on a roll, employing hundreds of Native people. Jim says that during those times, they routinely issued more than 300 W-2s each year. Yet, to him, it was never about the numbers, he knew and worked alongside these people personally, making life-long friends in the process across the span of Indian Country. One for example was Joe Genese, Pine Ridge \u201cone of the best concrete guys in the industry\u2019. Later James helped Genese get financing for his own business. He also mentioned many others, but this article is too limited to name them all. Suffice it to say that James left his mark not only in buildings but in people\u2019s lives.
\nNext week, James looks back at this amazing ride to glean some advice for other aspiring Indian businesspeople.<\/p>\n

(Clara Caufield can be reached at acheyennevoice@gmail.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The post Jim James \u2013 Santee Construction Giant<\/a> first appeared on Native Sun News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Jim James PART II As introduced in Part I of this series, Henry \u201cJim\u201d James, Santee Sioux of Nebraska through dint of tenacity became one of the largest Indian contractors in America, his career spanning decades (the late 1970\u2019s through the 90\u2019s). This continues his story. While serving the Santee <\/p>\n

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