Lee Contracting Expands Into Florida with Acquisition of Cathcart Construction Company
Michigan-based employee-owned industrial and civil contractor enters the Florida municipal water market with its third acquisition in three years.
Pontiac, MI, June 11, 2026 --(PR.com)-- Lee Contracting, Inc. today announced that Cathcart Construction Company (CCC), a central Florida infrastructure contractor specializing in municipal water systems, has become a wholly owned subsidiary. The acquisition is Lee Contracting's first outside Michigan and its third since 2023 — extending the company's regional footprint, strengthening its municipal water capabilities, and diversifying its revenue base into one of the country's most active public infrastructure markets.
CCC is headquartered in Winter Park, Florida, with a branch office in the Tampa Bay area. The company employs 290 people and has delivered high-quality public water infrastructure projects across central Florida since its founding in 1991. CCC will continue to operate under its own name, out of its existing locations, with no changes to its leadership or workforce.
“As an employee-owned company, reinvesting our profits to drive long-term value is a top priority. CCC has built a strong business in a high-demand market, and this acquisition diversifies our revenue, extends our geographic reach, and positions both organizations to grow together. We're glad to have them with us.”
— Frederick E. Cauley, President and CEO, Lee Contracting, Inc.
Florida's municipal water infrastructure market has seen sustained public investment in recent years, driven by state and federal funding directed at water system upgrades. CCC's established position in that market — built over three decades of project delivery and deep client relationships — made it a natural fit for Lee Contracting's disciplined growth strategy.
The acquisition follows Lee Contracting's 2023 acquisition of Johnston Contracting Inc. (JCI), a mid-Michigan earthwork and underground utilities contractor with nearly seven decades of experience, and its 2025 acquisition of Midwest Power Systems Inc. (MPS), a water and wastewater contractor with more than 150 treatment plant projects across Michigan, northern Ohio, and Indiana. Together, Lee Contracting and its subsidiaries now employ more than 890 people across Michigan & Florida.
For Lee Contracting's employee owners, the acquisition represents a meaningful step in building long-term enterprise value. Lee's employee-owned structure means the people doing the work share directly in the value they create — a model that now extends to CCC's team and to the Florida market they serve.
The focus going forward is long-term capability building: investing in people, expanding capacity in Florida's growing infrastructure market, and identifying opportunities where the combined organizations can contribute to each other's growth over time.
About Lee Contracting, Inc.
Lee Contracting, Inc. is an employee-owned industrial and civil contractor headquartered in Pontiac, Michigan. The company serves manufacturers, municipalities, and other customers with complex construction, machine repair and maintenance needs, bringing together 13+ in-house trades under a single point of accountability. With subsidiaries including Johnston Contracting Inc. (JCI), Midwest Power Systems Inc. (MPS), and Cathcart Construction Company (CCC), Lee Contracting and its affiliates employ more than 890 people across Michigan and Florida. leecontracting.com
About Cathcart Construction Company
Cathcart Construction Company is a Florida-based infrastructure contractor specializing in municipal water systems. With a primary office in Winter Park, Florida, and a branch in Tampa, CCC delivers public water infrastructure projects across central Florida. cathcartconstructioncompany.com
CCC is headquartered in Winter Park, Florida, with a branch office in the Tampa Bay area. The company employs 290 people and has delivered high-quality public water infrastructure projects across central Florida since its founding in 1991. CCC will continue to operate under its own name, out of its existing locations, with no changes to its leadership or workforce.
“As an employee-owned company, reinvesting our profits to drive long-term value is a top priority. CCC has built a strong business in a high-demand market, and this acquisition diversifies our revenue, extends our geographic reach, and positions both organizations to grow together. We're glad to have them with us.”
— Frederick E. Cauley, President and CEO, Lee Contracting, Inc.
Florida's municipal water infrastructure market has seen sustained public investment in recent years, driven by state and federal funding directed at water system upgrades. CCC's established position in that market — built over three decades of project delivery and deep client relationships — made it a natural fit for Lee Contracting's disciplined growth strategy.
The acquisition follows Lee Contracting's 2023 acquisition of Johnston Contracting Inc. (JCI), a mid-Michigan earthwork and underground utilities contractor with nearly seven decades of experience, and its 2025 acquisition of Midwest Power Systems Inc. (MPS), a water and wastewater contractor with more than 150 treatment plant projects across Michigan, northern Ohio, and Indiana. Together, Lee Contracting and its subsidiaries now employ more than 890 people across Michigan & Florida.
For Lee Contracting's employee owners, the acquisition represents a meaningful step in building long-term enterprise value. Lee's employee-owned structure means the people doing the work share directly in the value they create — a model that now extends to CCC's team and to the Florida market they serve.
The focus going forward is long-term capability building: investing in people, expanding capacity in Florida's growing infrastructure market, and identifying opportunities where the combined organizations can contribute to each other's growth over time.
About Lee Contracting, Inc.
Lee Contracting, Inc. is an employee-owned industrial and civil contractor headquartered in Pontiac, Michigan. The company serves manufacturers, municipalities, and other customers with complex construction, machine repair and maintenance needs, bringing together 13+ in-house trades under a single point of accountability. With subsidiaries including Johnston Contracting Inc. (JCI), Midwest Power Systems Inc. (MPS), and Cathcart Construction Company (CCC), Lee Contracting and its affiliates employ more than 890 people across Michigan and Florida. leecontracting.com
About Cathcart Construction Company
Cathcart Construction Company is a Florida-based infrastructure contractor specializing in municipal water systems. With a primary office in Winter Park, Florida, and a branch in Tampa, CCC delivers public water infrastructure projects across central Florida. cathcartconstructioncompany.com
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Lee Contracting
Dana Drew
248-332-4646
leecontracting.com
Dana Drew
248-332-4646
leecontracting.com
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