Finalist
Construction & Industrial Services
Cecil Bell Jr. founded Tejas Underground Utilities in 1997 with $12,000, a bank line of credit and subterranean work coursing through his veins.
His father, Cecil Bell Sr., brought him into the business in 1972 and taught him all facets of the utility construction industry. So when Cecil Jr. founded his own firm 25 years later and quickly began racking up contracts with municipalities and builders, it was the culmination of decades of groundwork.
Bell’s main selling point, beyond experience, was his team’s ability to approach the industry with a more critical eye than others and a focus on doing underground better.
To ensure the company had the capital it needed to fuel its growth, Bell skipped a salary in the early days and funneled revenue back into operations. And his approach paid off.
Over the past 12 years, Tejas has grown significantly and distinguished itself from competitors in four key areas: the use of technology to scope projects; development of underground solutions for complex requirements; ability to deliver projects on time and on budget; and maintaining safety under any circumstances.
Safety is an area of pride for Bell as he and his team have recorded no OSHA safety incidents.
Bell has also turned Tejas into a technology leader in the field. He built his first custom application to effectively scope project requirements in 1984 and continues to leverage commercially available technologies to drive greater efficiencies in the project life cycle.
Bell has put an emphasis on developing customized solutions for each project and implementing them systematically. By doing so, he’s built a reputation for Tejas as a go-to firm.
How to reach: Tejas Underground Utilities LLC, (281) 356-3640 or www.tejasundergroundutilities.reliabilitymall.com
