THE HISTORY OF MCI
FOUNDING
Forged in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, the MCI Construction Group as it is known today was founded in 1946 under its original name, Sandy Creek Fuel Company. It was founded by Edward Patrick Boyle, who was born and raised in a small mining camp now called Everson, Pennsylvania, along with his son, John P. "Jack" Boyle, upon Jack's return from service in the South Pacific in World War II.
The Company started with one underground coal mine in Monongalia County, WV, hand-loading the Pittsburgh Coal Seam onto pony-driven rail cars. In retrospect, their collective beginnings did not come easily, but through the Grace of God, hard work, and the efforts of many people the companies have continued to this day – nearly 80 years later.
FAMILY
Edward Boyle began his career from meager and humble beginnings. The son of Irish immigrants from Armagh, Northern Ireland, he began working at a very young age. He and his family were faced with scrambling to earn a living during the Great Depression, like many others in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Work dried up and many mines closed around their home, so Edward migrated south to Morgantown, WV, with the hope of a better life for him and his family in the early 1930s.
PERSEVERANCE
Given the trials and tribulations of everyone's hard work and dedication over the years, success has come at a price — in other words, it certainly has not come easily. Determination and diversification have remained at the forefront of the family's quest for success, with interests lying in real estate, timber, coal, utilities and construction.
GROWTH
Following decades of perseverance and a relentless commitment to diversification, the MCI Construction Group entered a period of major growth and structural organization. This growth phase brought together several specialized companies under one unified vision, expanding the Group's capabilities across many business sectors.
Preston Contractors became a cornerstone of the Group’s heavy civil and mining support operations, offering excavation, trucking, and coal support services with unmatched scale and reliability.
Mountaineer Contractors brought expertise in heavy highway construction, paving, and large-scale infrastructure, becoming one of the most recognized names in regional public works projects.
Kittanning Contractors expanded the company’s reach into additional utility and site development services, contributing to complex projects across Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Rock Forge Bridge Company further enhanced the Group’s offerings by providing specialized bridge construction and pile-driving services, anchoring the MCI Group as a full-service solution for vertical and horizontal infrastructure.
TODAY
Currently we are invested in heavy highway construction, quarry work, asphalt paving, trucking, airport construction, coal support work, contract labor, utility construction in the energy sector, real estate development, oil and natural gas development, bridge & piling work, and potential growth acquisitions.