CC Foundation Repair owner learns trade from the ground up

Home foundations are made from concrete or wood. CC Foundation Repair, which keeps your home’s underpinnings strong, was founded on family, another strong base material.
“The CC in our name not only stands for our beloved town of Corpus Christi, but also reflects the initials of the original founders— two brothers, Cornwell and Cornwell— the original owners and my personal mentors who took me in as family,” said business owner Victor Licon.
Growing up in Corpus Christi, Licon dreamed of owning his own business. While a student at Carroll High School, one of Licon’s teachers inspired him to participate in a work-study program. As a result, he began working part time with brothers Clarence and Theodore “Ted” Cornwell, the original owners of CC Foundation Repair.
“I learned so much from them,” Licon said. “And while I worked part time with them, I was also taking basic classes at Del Mar College, not sure yet what my future would be.”
Eventually, he became interested in working with CC Foundation Repair, where he started as a laborer on job sites. He literally learned the business from the ground up.
“Later, I was given more responsibilities and went through the ranks, from leveling houses to working as a foreman,” Licon told Corpus Christi Business News. “Then, I got promoted into the sales aspect of the job. By this time, I felt so inspired, I wanted to own my own business.”
When Clarence Cornwell died, his brother, Ted, offered Licon a partnership. Licon worked with the Cornwells, including Ted’s wife, Roberta, and son, Vince Deckard, until Ted died in 2000.
“I still worked with Roberta until she retired in 2006,” Licon said. “Vince wanted to pursue a different career path and left the company to work in chemical engineering. He is presently a safety inspector for Flint Hills, but we still keep in touch often. Both of us have sons interested in following their father’s footsteps.”
Licon’s wife, Annie, left her job at a local credit union to take over for Roberta in 2006. The company was then completely under the care of the Licon family.
Annie works out of the couple’s home, while Victor has a separate shop and warehouse off Holly Road.
Son Justin Licon, a business management major at the University of Incarnate Work, inherited his father’s sense of entrepreneurship. At age 13, he was already helping in the family business.
“During my breaks from school or on weekends, I like to help out my dad,” he said. “Sometimes, I’ll be at the job site helping the other crew to drill piers; other times, I’ll go with my dad to oversee renovations, go on sales calls or interact with customers. It’s always interesting.”
Each house presents a different challenge, he said. Learning how to work around those challenges has brought him an awareness that most people don’t have about the importance of foundation work.
“If I were to buy my own house, I would have awareness about the foundation condition,” he said.
As for working for his dad in the future, Justin sees many possibilities, one of which is owning his own business.
“My dad instilled in me his great drive,” Justin said. “I love telling my dad’s humble beginning story. He was at the bottom and made his way to the top. It’s the American dream — the opportunity to achieve success. I look up to my dad as my biggest hero.”
His father wants his son to pursue his own dreams, whatever they may be.
“I want my son to do whatever he wants to do,” Victor said. “He helped me a lot since he was young, but he needs to live his own life and make his own choices. If he is going to take over the business, he needs to want it. You have to have that drive and that passion to make it successful.”
With spring in the air, Licon offers the following advice for keeping an eye out for foundation issues.
Foundations based on a concrete slab need moisture for stability.
A common practice for people who don’t have time to water the perimeter of their home is to set soaker hoses around the house with timed drip-lines.
Keeping a wet/dry balance is important. Both too much water and not enough can cause a house to move, cracking the foundation.
Signs of foundation problems include fractures in walls, doors that don’t close properly or are misaligned, and plumbing and sewer line problems. Fractures in brick veneer homes are early signs of foundation problems.
Pier and beam foundations, however, should not be watered. Instead, they  should have proper drainage to prevent water from migrating under the house.
Anyone with questions about the integrity of their home’s foundation can call on CC Foundation Repair to come take a look and offer advice on maintenance and repair. CC Foundation Repair offers a lifetime warranty on slab foundation repair. All work and repairs are engineer-certified and have an A+ Rating on the Better Business Bureau.
“Just as this company was based on family values, our employees are all like family,” Licon said. “In fact, they consist of fathers and sons, brothers, cousins and it’s because of their hard work, passion and expertise that we make an excellent team and are ready to face any foundation challenges.”
For more information about CC Foundation Repair call (361) 994-1151 or visit cc-foundationrepair.com or Facebook/ccfoundationrepair/.