In 1995, Robert L. Garcia pursued his lifelong dream of starting a business. Robert founded Commercial Welding & Maintenance with one welding truck performing specialized welding and repair work while also working his day job as a Union 1102 Millwright. Through hard work and perseverance, Robert received his first automotive contract installing machinery and tooling at the Ford Flatrock Plant. It was through his extensive experience and reputation for leading successful projects that he was able to secure the contract.
The tooling installation opportunity Robert secured is a story of both grit and guts. At the time, Robert’s welding business had taken off to the point where enough work was coming in to continue as a full-time business. Within a couple months, Robert received a phone call from Clyde Jones, who at the time was the President & CEO of Centerline Electric. When Clyde Jones heard that Robert left his job, he contacted Robert to convince him to work for him. Centerline Electric is a well-known electrical contractor located in southeast, Michigan. Mr. Jones explained to Robert that they have a sizable tooling installation project at Ford Flatrock and he would really like Robert to manage the project.
Respectfully, Robert explained that he started his own business and was not interested since he had enough work. Mr. Jones was determined to get Robert on his project and did not accept no. Finally, Robert said the only way we will do the job is if it’s through his business. Mr. Jones accepted and Robert’s first major contract in the automotive sector was secured. Robert was filled with mixed emotions. He knew he could manage the project. However, there was a commercial and financial capacity concern based on the size of the project. Preceding the award, Mr. Jones contacted Robert to talk through details. Mr. Jones knew Robert was in the early stages of his business. And he knew cash flow was going to be a concern without Robert even mentioning it. Mr. Jones told Robert he was going to pay him weekly to cover payroll. All he asked from Robert was to send in daily timesheets, give him daily updates and communicate any issues.
With the financial burden resolved, a weight was lifted off Robert’s shoulders. The project was executed as planned and on schedule. This will always be a monumental stepping stone for Robert’s career and he often reminds others of Mr. Jones decision to give Robert a chance. Later in life, Mr. Jones would become one of Robert’s mentors as he navigated through the early stages of his business career. Robert has a deep respect for Mr. Jones and will never forget what he did for him.
During the first few years of operation, Robert rebranded the company to Commercial Construction Incorporated (CCI) to better represent the services and brand. As CCI was expanding, more than half of the company’s revenue was related to the manufacturing industry. Specifically, within the automotive tier sector working for companies such as, Gonzalez, Dominion, Paslin, Autorama and Detroit Diesel to name a few. As the Motor City expanded throughout various regions, CCI continued to invest in equipment and infrastructure as well.
The mid-2000’s marked a significant decade of growth for CCI with the acquisition of our first building in Milford, Michigan and the successful completion of 100’s of projects throughout Michigan and surrounding states. The projects supported Ford, GM and Stellantis (Previously Chrysler & FCA) with new tooling upgrades and re-tools throughout assembly, powertrain, bodyshop and paint shops.
“In the early years of CCI’s development, the relationships built were monumental to our growth and brand recognition,” explains Robert L. Garcia, Founder and Executive Chair. As we set new strategic plans for the future, it’s imperative to remember how significant the manufacturing sector is for our business and how these projects have shaped us into who we are today.”
The expansion into the power & energy, steel manufacturing & water infrastructure industries was a key milestone in our efforts to diversify our capabilities. These specific industries are a driving force for the Michigan economy and we’re honored to apart of so many challenging and dynamic projects across the state.
To this day, CCI continues to evolve as a trusted contractor delivering complex maintenance and capital projects that support Michigan’s critical infrastructure. From ongoing facility upgrades to large-scale expansions, CCI’s expertise has been instrumental in helping owners achieve its operational and sustainability goals. See how we’ve earned our reputation for taking on complex projects in the case studies below:
In 2005, CCI completed our first wastewater treatment project. As part of the solid’s complex renovations at the Downriver Wastewater Treatment Facility, CCI was contracted by Centerline Piping to provide installation services for various process equipment.
The major scope of work included the installation of sluice gates, motors & drives, screw conveyors and sludge mixers. CCI served at the turnkey equipment installation contractor providing all heavy rigging, equipment setting and precision alignments.
As a fast-track schedule, the equipment installation was on the critical path for the overall project. CCI’s ability to provide detailed coordination and a precise execution was paramount to the overall success of the project. In addition, the project team pulled in the installation ahead of schedule allowing the other trades to capitalize on the additional time.
In a proactive effort to upgrade multiple existing dry dust collection systems to wet dust collection systems, CCI partnered with DTE to provide general contracting and self-perform services at three power plants located in Monroe, St. Clair & Belle River. The Environmental Protection Agency identifies water dust collection as a Best Available Control Technology (BACT). The system also met National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards for combustible dust.
The capital improvements were coordinated over a 4-year phasing plan where CCI was single-sourced for all but one unit. Serving as the general contractor, CCI self-performed all the demolition, rigging & machinery installation activities. In addition, CCI managed six subcontractors providing electrical, piping, abatement, scaffolding, ventilation and specialty cleaning services. To achieve the overall outage schedule, the majority of the work was performed on two shifts working around the clock.
Our industrial maintenance team has supported several shutdowns and outages for Cleveland Cliffs (Previously Severstal & AK Steel) over the years. The majority of the work performed took place at Dearborn Works in the Hot-Dipped Galvanizing Line (HDGL) and Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) sections of the plant.
CCI was awarded multiple scope packages on the HDGL, which included removal and replacement of furnace rolls, inspection, removal and replacement of bearings, replacement of down chute baffles, replacement of heat shields and fluid refill.
In addition, our team was awarded the Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) conveyor repairs and upgrades. The scope included removal and replacement of the drive motor, inspection, removal and replacement of bearings, removal and replacement of rollers and structural steel weld repairs. With specialty equipment, tools, and conveyor specialists, we offered our client a turnkey solution and responsive services.
Precision leveling and alignments were a critical component for the projects. CCI’s precision millwrights performed the leveling and aligning with our specialty precision instruments along with our senior millwright leadership.
The outages were all completed on schedule allowing plant operations to resume production as planned. In addition, all crew members performed the work without any near misses, incidents, or rework.
CCI partnered with DTE to construct a stand-by power system for the four main Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Units at the Monroe plant. The FGD consists of 4 Babcock Wilcox wet FGD absorbers which is designed to remove 97% of entering sulfur dioxide.
The scope of work included site excavation, underground mechanical piping & duct banks, new foundations and equipment setting of four (4) 1500KW diesel generators. Due to underground interferences & utilities, hydro-excavation was required in order to locate and preserve existing utilities. The foundation consisted of 48 deep foundation helical piles, 40 tons of rebar and 800 yards of concrete. Each generator set weighed in at approximately 60,000 lbs. Due to the location of underground utilities, site constraints and the weight of the units, an engineered rigging & lifting plan was required to execute the lifts. Our team safely & precisely coordinated & executed the lifts utilizing a 350-ton crane.
The Renaissance Power Plant required engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services to replace the Units 1-4 turbine exhaust baffles. Over time, the internal fill materials degraded and the structural supports had cracked. Renaissance operates four simple-cycle natural gas Westinghouse W501D combustion turbines, generating 732 megawatts of electricity.
Serving as the prime EPC contractor, CCI was responsible for the conceptual design, final engineering, procurement and fabrication, removal and installation of a complete baffle system. Due to schedule demands, the majority of the outage was performed working two shifts to reduce downtime for plant operations. On Unit 2, a forced outage occurred requesting from our client that our team pull ahead and expedite the upgrades two months earlier than the planned outage. Our team was able to answer the call and adapt to the situation by expediting fabrication and mobilization.
The outage team completed the overhaul within the planned schedule with zero near misses or incidents. In addition, the overall far-field, A-weighted performance levels had improved by 4.0-5.0 dBA. This resulted in greater efficiency and lower noise levels for the nearby residential area.
In 2024, CCI was contracted to provide general contracting and self-perform construction services at the Blue Water Energy Center in East China, Michigan for two capital projects. The projects consisted of an administrative building and two independent structures designed to enclose the existing circulating water pumps and provide a wash down process station for the trash screens.
Serving as the general contractor, our team provided front-end design assist to take the project design from 60% to final design. With several project constraints presented, our team worked diligently to offer value engineering and cost competitive solutions. CCI’s civil/concrete and structural divisions lead the projects on the front-end by self-performing all sitework, foundations and structural steel erection. In addition to our self-perform activities, six specialty subcontractors were managed under CCI’s supervision.
Our ability to coordinate with internal resources allowed our project teams to better control safety, quality, and schedule, delivering our client the confidence and certainty critical milestones were achieved as planned.
During a routine scheduled outage, CCI’s millwright division was tasked with the Unit 1-1 Silencer Replacement and Unit 1-2 Compressor Overhaul at the St. Clair Compressor Station. The work was performed on the two main Solar turbine units that generate the power fueled by natural gas.
When removing the compressor, the main large bore piping shifted back approximately 3-4 inches resulting in an emergency repair scenario. CCI and our partners quickly developed a repair plan including a new spool piece custom fabricated to fit up to the existing gas line and compressor.
Although additional days were required to make the repairs, the overall outage schedule was not compromised. The compressor was re-installed and aligned, achieving operational run-off according to the OEM specifications.
Since 2014, CCI’s millwright division has maintained an onsite presence at the D.E. Karn Generating Complex. With a trailer, tools and manpower onsite, our teams have supported several critical maintenance and repair projects throughout the facility.
As one of the contractors of choice for plantwide maintenance, our teams provide responsive field services for various types of rotating and fixed machinery in the plant as well as fuel supply.
In 2016, our team responded to an emergency turbine outage on Unit 1B. In less than 24-hours, a crew was mobilized with the proper tools and equipment to start assessing the failure. For proper inspection, the shell was removed to gain access to the bearings. It was then revealed that multiple bearings had failed requiring replacement. The final inspection and overhaul of the bearings were completed in under three weeks.
“To date, our teams have completed projects in 11 different states and Mexico. It says a lot about who we are when our clients choose to bring us in for their critical projects across the country. We’re honored to be considered a reliable contractor of choice and look forward to building new partnerships”
Principal
As of 2024, company leadership has transitioned into the next generation of Garcia’s. All of Robert’s sons – Phillip, Robert Jr. and Gary have assumed full responsibility as executive leadership within the organization. “With strong backgrounds in construction, finance and business management Phillip, Robert Jr. and Gary are positioned to take our organization to the next level.” – Robert L. Garcia, Executive Chair.
“We’re honored and humbled to take over our fathers’ legacy. We’ve all worked extremely hard to continue delivering our excellent services that our brand is recognized for. All of us are excited to take advantage of this great opportunity and continue to grow our people, communities, and organization.” – Phillip M. Garcia, Principal.
Since Robert’s sons have taken leadership roles, CCI has seen substantial year-over-year growth surpassing 300% from 2020 to 2025. Through strategic investments in our people and equipment, CCI is in a strong position to scale to another level over the next five years.
With the chaos of scaling a younger company, one area our team ensures to never lose sight on is our community. Throughout the year, our teams are coordinating community events, participating in volunteering roles and sponsoring various initiatives. Whether it’s the Michigan Construction Career Days and Big Dig or simply volunteering at the local garden, our team is here to make a lasting impact for our communities.
Phillip said, “It’s important for our team to understand why we feel so strongly about our community.” We don’t want a culture where our team members feel forced to volunteer. We want them to connect with the community, foster relationships with other volunteers and feel the power behind helping others.”
