Ever since he was young, Chris Paquette had a passion for “working on the water,” as he puts it. Above all else, he grew up with an aspiration to work for himself rather than having a boss tell him what to do for the rest of his life. It was out of these passions and aspirations that he, initially, worked for “a competitor” before deciding to ‘go on his own’ launching a new company in 1997. He continued his growth in 2015 – founding Grosse Ile Marine Works.
Grosse Ile Marine Works specializes in everything associated with marine construction. Which includes, but isn’t limited to – dock building, sea walls, boat hoists, dredging, consulting for permits, mobile welding, and salvage. For non-Grosse Ile residents reading this and may need this kind of work done, Paquette’s business doesn’t work exclusively on the island – they travel out as far as Monroe and Detroit.
In Marine Works’ first six years, he and his team have become renowned for being one of the best dock building teams in the Grosse Ile area.
Also in those six years, Paquette and co. have continued to embrace and improve modern innovations in their field. “We get better every day… we learn new stuff every day,” he explains. “After you do things so many times, you get better [and] find better ways to do them. Technology is always changing, and there are new designs coming out – different types of sea walls. Technology changes too, so when it does – we embrace it and change for the better.”
The Grosse Ile native opted to start his business on the island because, “I just wanted to stay and work in my hometown, make a name for myself here.” Even though he realized his ambition to work on and around the Grosse Ile area – the biggest reason he loves it is because of the local community.
“All of the people who live here, the families, how they all come together,” Paquette says. “The people make it special. There’s a lot of ‘word of mouth’ advertisement for us. It’s a small community – everybody seems to know everybody. And it’s just a great place to raise a family.”
The biggest takeaway for readers should be that both Chris Paquette and Marine Works represent the hard working, core values, that Grosse Ile was built on. “We’re honest, reliable, and communicate well with customers – that’s what keeps us thriving – because we do excellent work,” says Paquette. “We stand by all the work we do. And we do from scratch – making all of our own parts, our own brackets.”
So while you’re imagining summer days with a new pier or dock for your boat(s), among many other services, make sure to contact Grosse Ile Marine Works with any questions or for consultation.
For more info please call 734-231-9413 or visit grosseilemarineworks.com
