Ruben Mercado Jr, president and owner of Ipsum General Contractors, LLC has over 30 years of experience in construction with specialized focus on civil construction. With a “boots on the ground” management style, Mr. Mercado has a proven track record of business development including the safety of his employees, planning, scheduling and management of day-to-day operations for Ipsum GC His expertise in project management and staying on budget allows him to lead both employees and clients in maintaining expectations and providing smooth operations thru the challenges that often arise in large construction projects.

Mr. Mercado has been a trainer of OSHA-10 and OSHA-30 for over 12 years. He has been the “go to trainer” for Houston METRO’s subcontractors for the OSHA-30 class. In the past 10 years, he has trained hundreds of sub-contractors for them.

Under his leadership and continued education in the industry, Ipsum GC has evolved from exclusively civil construction to full turn-key solutions from A to Z in the commercial and public sectors.

Since 2012, Mr. Mercado has held several leadership positions with the Greater Houston chapter of the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC), including chairman from 2018 thru 2021). He currently serves as a the executive chairman of the local chapter and is also a board member of the National chapter in Washington D.C.

After serving in the U.S. Army for seven years, Mr. Mercado was honorably discharges as an E-5 Sergeant in 1991. He and his wife, Ana, have been married for 32 years and have two beautiful daughters which both are working in the construction industry.

An advocate for the community, Mr. Mercado has mentored many individuals in their professional pursuits. His dedication to quality building extends from construction to the community.