GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) -- Piedmont Triad Minority/Women Enterprise Development Week is underway. One of the sessions wants to connect Triad business owners with contracts to help repair and rebuild western North Carolina. It's going to take a village to help restore and rebuild western North Carolina, and that means a lot of different experts are needed. "We had lots of folks here that have questions about whether or not their business can actually help with the recovery efforts," Guilford County's Minority Women in Business Enterprise Department Director Shaunne Thomas said. They can help. he North Carolina Department of Transportation says there are more than 7,000 damaged sites in western North Carolina. That repair work comes along with a big price tag. The NCDPT anticipates awarding $1 billion in contracts to pay for repairs after Helene.   “Helping North Carolina DOT. We don't want them to just use the 12 or 15 major contractors that they have, but we want to be helping,” Fine Line Striping Services Chief Operations Officer and President Bo Parker said. Parker was one of the many local contractors to attend a session during Piedmont Triad Minority/Women Enterprise Development Week to find out how he could land one of these contracts.  “We do asphalt and concrete repairs. So they're going to have to start rebuilding, and we're looking at next year ... after the damage has been assessed,” Parker said. It's not too late to get in on the repair work.  “We know that we have so much work coming in. We'll have a medium-term effort, and then we'll have a long term to rebuild. So we're talking about years’ worth of contracting that is needed. So each month, we're assessing where we are. This past month, one division issued 100 contracts,” NCDOT Office of Civil Rights Director Tunya Smith said. Local business leaders were able to learn about prequalification and when it is necessary to work for the NCDOT and also the type of work needed. Virgil Cobb is the owner of Cinda, which is a subcontractor/general contractor based in Guilford County specializing in concrete, drywall, water and sewer and has been in business for 40 years. His company has been involved with the NCDOT for 30 years. “It's an excellent way of starting small and growing your business accordingly," Cobb said. Many want to help and do their part to rebuild and restore western North Carolina.  The NCDOT’s Office of Civil Rights director said the state is working to identify the funding resources that will help pay contractors.