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Philadelphia Business Journal: A call to action for inclusive economic recovery in 2021

A call to action for inclusive economic recovery in 2021 (Opinion)

By Malik Majeed, Guest Columnist

December 1, 2020

As we approach the end of the year, many of us are still wondering if 2021 will bring the reprieve we all so desperately need with respect to our businesses and the local economy, even with a potential blockbuster vaccine on its way.

I am optimistic and believe that it can, but it will take a couple of different measures on both the federal and local level. First, we need the United States government to unite over a second stimulus package. Second, all Philadelphia business leaders must commit to working collaboratively toward a true inclusive recovery. The latter is something that I and my fellow members of the Philadelphia Regional Recharge and Recovery Taskforce of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia will be focused on in the New Year.

Sue Jacobson, newly appointed chair of the Chamber, said it best in her remarks at the annual meeting when she noted that accomplishing a transformational agenda at scale demands an unprecedented level of partnership and commitment. That level of partnership and commitment will not just come from the business community, but from us working with local government, civic organizations, and our local colleges, universities, and research centers.

Most importantly, though, it will require us to invite people to the decision-making table, who previously did not have a seat at the table, or whose voices were not always heard.

As the CEO of PRWT Services Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary U.S. Facilities Inc. (PRWT/USF), I lead one of the area’s largest minority-owned business, a designation we do not take lightly. As a company, we work to provide opportunities to disenfranchised people from all walks of life. In addition to offering entry-level jobs to Philadelphians who live in diverse, economically-challenged neighborhoods across the city, we look to partner with smaller minority-owned firms whenever PRWT/USF is the lead contractor on a project and needs additional support.

The experiences that many of our employees and fellow minority-owned business leaders have had over the past eight months have been different from others – that is undeniable. We have had to watch as our family members were impacted by the novel coronavirus at rates higher than caucasian groups, while witnessing how unchecked systemic racism has played out in the tragic deaths of multiple Black men and women, most recently here in our hometown with the death of Walter Wallace Jr. In addition, Black-owned businesses nationwide are closing at twice the rate as other companies.

In order to truly make this recovery inclusive and ensure minority businesses and individuals do not fall even further behind, we need to listen to these experiences, and then create policies and programs that will actually meet the needs of this group while also benefiting the broader business community.

We should look at expanding policies that incentivize working with local minority-owned businesses. This needs to include working together to educate and assist minority business communities to seek all government funding opportunities. A Center City District report recently found that 41% of Black-owned firms did not apply for financing because they did not think they would receive it. This is clear evidence that we all need to be doing more if we are going to truly help minority businesses succeed and be part of moving our city forward.

So, let’s close the disconnect. Let’s bring these business owners into the conversation with the broader business community and work together to ensure that the recovery and rebuilding from Covid-19 includes solutions for every working-class person in Philadelphia, regardless of race or the zip code they live in.

If we step out of our comfort zones, expand our circles and, do the hard work now, then we can have a real chance of improving the livelihood of all Philadelphians.

Malik Majeed is CEO of PRWT Services Inc. and U.S. Facilities in Philadelphia.

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Malik Majeed, CEO of PRWT Services, Inc./U.S. Facilities, Inc., to serve as Executive Committee Member of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia

Malik Majeed, CEO of PRWT Services, Inc./U.S. Facilities, Inc., to serve as Executive Committee Member of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia

On October 29, 2020, Malik Majeed, CEO of PRWT Services, Inc./U.S. Facilities, Inc. was named to the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia’s (“the Chamber”) Executive Board. In this role, Majeed, who leads the area’s largest minority-owned business, will help to shape the Chamber’s positions on critical issues and influence how they work to improve the business environment in the region.

“I am thrilled to be expanding my advisory role to the Chamber in an executive position and have the chance to bring my perspective to the decision-making table,” said Majeed. “More than ever, the Chamber and its members must work with local government to ensure that the recovery and rebuilding from Covid-19 includes solutions for every working-class person in Philadelphia, regardless of race or the zip code they live in.”

Majeed has previously served as a Board Member with the Chamber since 2018.

The announcement was made during the Chamber’s Annual Meeting. Usually heralded as one of the largest networking events in Philadelphia for business, civic, and governmental leaders to connect, as with most events this year, the program was held remotely. However, the event was still able to reach over a thousand members of Philadelphia’s business community and discuss the priorities for the coming year, with recovery and rebuilding at the top of the list.

“This is a very critical time for our city, and I’m stepping into this role with a unique background, both professionally and personally. I will do everything I can to ensure the experiences and perspectives of Black and Brown communities are considered and incorporated as we forge ahead with recovery efforts.”

In addition to serving on the Executive Committee for the Chamber, Majeed also sits on the Executive Committee of the Board of the Urban League of Philadelphia, the Facilities Management Committee for the Board of Trustees at Virtua Hospital, the Finance Committee for the Board of Trustees at Neumann University in Aston, PA., a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the Satell Institute.

 

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Vanguard Law: Malik Majeed — PRWT Services Inc. and U.S. Facilities Inc.

Vanguard Law: Malik Majeed — PRWT Services Inc. and U.S. Facilities Inc.

Rising the Riding Tide

March 27, 2020

One of the things Malik Majeed loves hearing from employees, both past and present, is that PRWT Services Inc. “feels like family.”

For Majeed, the president, CEO and general counsel for two Philadelphia-based companies—PRWT Services Inc. (PRWT) and its wholly owned subsidiary, U.S. Facilities Inc. (USF)—it’s a sentiment that’s both heartwarming and validating. One of the goals of both companies, Majeed says, is to provide opportunities to disenfranchised people from all walks of life with the steadfast belief that “a rising tide lifts all boats.”

Malik Majeed — PRWT Services Inc. (parent) and U.S. Facilities (wholly owned subsidiary)

“At the end of the day it’s all about the people,” says Majeed, who served as general counsel at PRWT for eight years before assuming his dual role as head of PRWT and USF in 2015.

“Seeing an individual grow with the company and later leave to go work for another company and achieve success is very rewarding. We’ve created a powerful network of family, who support each other, personally and professionally no matter where they are.”

Spectrum of solutions

Founded in 1988, PRWT is a nationally recognized minority-owned enterprise that provides business process outsourcing services to state and local government agencies and corporate clients. A second spoke of the business is USF, after it was acquired from Halifax Technical Services in 2000.

PRWT/USF operates throughout the United States and maintains more than 60 million square feet of commercial and industrial space, as well as bridges, tunnels and waterways.

PRWT handles business process solutions or what Majeed calls “soft services.” These services include a variety of back office functions such as clerical support, data entry, call-center operations, handling payments and operating mailrooms.

Malik Majeed — PRWT Services Inc. (parent) and U.S. Facilities (wholly owned subsidiary)

Through USF. the company provides facility management and infrastructure support services to federal, state and local government institutions and corporate clients. USF maintains buildings; provides security; repairs HVAC systems; and carries out infrastructure support services including the operations of bridges, tunnels, locks and dams.

“Our success is driven by our exceptional team of 1,100 direct employees at both companies and 400 contractors,” Majeed says.

Delivering a dashboard

And while building the company, teams have always loomed large, Majeed’s responsibilities go well beyond matters of HR.

To better monitor and manage their nationwide projects, Majeed is in the process of rolling out an internal dashboard at PRWT to provide his national team with real-time updates of contract and asset performance. The dashboard will eventually be used by both companies.

Developed internally, the software will provide Majeed with a real-time snapshot of what’s taking place at every project within the company. It will also measure performance and arm him with predictive analytics that the company can use when it goes out to bid for work.

“We launched a partial rollout and will be adding to its functionality,” Majeed says. “Once completed, it will allow us to know—down to the person—what is taking place so we can take a proactive step to make any adjustments to become more efficient.”

Malik Majeed — PRWT Services Inc. (parent) and U.S. Facilities (wholly owned subsidiary)

With the most up-to-date decision-making information available, Majeed will be poised to offer clients streamlined services while maximizing his workforce’s effectiveness. The services provided are governed by SLAs and PRWT’s system will allow the company to quickly measure KPIs, diagnose issues and preempt any necessary corrective actions before issues arise.

“Those KPIs also allow us to spot trends and take steps that produce better outcomes for our clients,” Majeed says. “Our clients have come to expect nothing but the best from us, and that means constantly evolving and incorporating new technology into our operations to make sure we are offering clients the best services.”

Multitasking

Given his gamut-spanning duties, Majeed is no stranger to the importance of process efficiency. Serving as the president, CEO and general counsel, he splits his time “judiciously” between the three roles, handling everything from business development, contract negotiations, IT integration, PCI compliance, employment litigation and serving on several boards.

“No two days are ever the same for me, and I have a lot of responsibility as the president, CEO and general counsel of a national company,” says Majeed. “But all of my day-to-day tasks are made manageable by my fantastic leadership team and employees who come to work every day excited to roll up their sleeves and dive into the work that needs to be done.”

Malik Majeed — PRWT Services Inc. (parent) and U.S. Facilities (wholly owned subsidiary)

Looking ahead, Majeed sees considerable growth opportunities, particularly where U.S. entities that once took business overseas are looking to re-configure their customer service structure back in this country.

“We’re a unique company doing a lot of things and offering business opportunities to a variety of people in a lot of places,” he says. “We also  support and serve our clients in a socially responsible way.”

Indeed, it’s a role—and a perspective—that Majeed has spent decades working to hone.

Hitting the books

Those skills, he says, were forged through his education in New Jersey and work experiences in Philadelphia—a path that prepped him well for the career to come.

It began with a pair of degrees from Rutgers University-Newark: a bachelor’s in political science in 1987 and an MBA in finance in 1988 from Rutgers Business School (he would later earn his J.D. from Rutgers Law School in 1995).

Fresh off his MBA, he says he learned the nitty gritty of business from being a commercial banker at Philadelphia National Bank (PNB)/CoreStates (now Wells Fargo) for five years. He also learned operations from his time working as an IT consultant and in HR and payroll-related work at Bristol Myers Squibb, a Fortune 500 company, before becoming CEO of PRWT in 2015.

When Majeed first came into the company in 2007 as an attorney, he helped lay the framework for legal processes. Now he’s involved with multiple aspects of the business: hiring new employees; signing contracts with agencies and businesses; establishing service level agreements; and monitoring key performance indicators set forth in the contracts.

“I want to make sure in my role that we review contracts in a balanced way and evaluate the risk profile. I look at each document through the lens of what is in the best interest of the company from both a legal and business perspective,” he says. “I’m also not afraid to get another set of legal eyes on it, to provide some insight as well.”

Mentorship

In an effort to honor the company’s origins as a socially responsible minority-owned business, Majeed has maintained his goal of continuing to grow while supporting and mentoring other minority-owned businesses. Whenever PRWT is the lead contractor on a project and needs additional support, Majeed looks to smaller minority-owned firms to hire as subcontractors.

Outside of work, he and members of his management team volunteer for organizations like the Urban League of Philadelphia, seeking to aid on the front line of issues affecting urban areas. He also sits on the finance and facilities boards of Virtua Health System and has been heavily involved with Martin Luther King High School in Philadelphia, providing students with mentorship and scholarship opportunities.

Malik Majeed — PRWT Services Inc. (parent) and U.S. Facilities (wholly owned subsidiary)

“These projects provide us with insight and have a tremendous impact on the kids,” he says.

Working with guidance counselors, he lets students know that there are myriad opportunities for them other than college. He can even help set students up with companies that offer tuition reimbursement programs for the future.

“They can come to a company like ours and work a respectable job while they are figuring it out. We’re here to help them on their path,” Majeed says. “We bring the real world down to community level. We are a company that cares.”

Malik Majeed — PRWT Services Inc. and U.S. Facilities Inc.