Behind every successful company is an origin story. For A Comer Electrical Services Inc (ACES), it all started in a hot tub. At least that’s how the wife-and-husband team Alecia and Dan Comer like to tell the story. It’s the beginning of how their combined experience and shared vision gave birth to a union electrical contracting firm delivering complex commercial and public-sector projects across Greater Boston.
During a 2019 vacation in Aruba, the couple realized it was time for their next chapter. Alecia recalls, “We were just relaxing and talking when it hit us: Why not start our own business? We’ve always wanted this. Why are we making money for others?”
These were not idle questions. Alecia is a UMass Boston graduate from the College of Management with a concentration in accounting and is CPA certified. With more than 25 years of experience in construction accounting and financial management, she was well prepared for the leap to ownership. Meanwhile, Dan was raised in the field, spending his childhood visiting job sites with his father, an electrical contractor. After serving in the Air Force, the younger Comer spent the next 30 years in the trade, moving from journeyman to foreman, estimator, project manager, and overseeing major commercial projects.
“With Dan’s electrical knowledge and my construction industry/financial knowledge combined, it just made sense to form our own contracting business,” Alecia said. Six and a half years later, ACES is a growing, highly reputable firm known for its professionalism, flexibility, and expertise. Alecia, founder and CEO, runs the business side, overseeing office operations, contracts, legal structure, and financial strategy. Dan leads field operations, estimating, and project execution. He ensures that projects are delivered safely, on schedule, and to specification.
“Our talents combined make us a great husband-wife duo,” Alecia said, noting this advantage from day one. “Many founders lack knowledge in accounting or contracts and incur large startup costs. I was able to take on the corporate formation and legal aspects, along with the financial setup required to establish and operate the business. We opened the doors with a couple of laptops in a home office. Low overhead costs helped us build our business rapidly.”
Their first project was a modest $20,000 retail job for Reebok in Boston.
"That was just me," Dan said. "I went in, put the tools on, and got it done. And it opened the door. From there, connecting with old industry contacts and networking got us off the ground. Small projects grew into larger ones, and successful jobs led to repeat clients. To date, ACES has completed 25 MBTA projects, from small service jobs to contracts over $200,000, and 11 U.S. Post Office projects ranging from $10,000 to $1.7 million."
The company continued to build relationships with contractors, including Consigli Construction. Landing a two-phase lighting upgrade at UMass Amherst in 2022 with Consigli was a turning point. "Phase one was around $350,000—we were comfortable with that," Alecia said. "Then phase two, increasing the contract to over $610,000. When you jump from $100,000-$200,000 average jobs to $600,000, you start thinking—maybe we can do a million."
That confidence paid off. Today, ACES manages its largest projects yet: a $3.5 million lighting retrofit at the 10 Park Plaza DOT State Transportation Building. A major energy upgrade at Suffolk County Jail is expected to set an all-time high contract value for the company.
Scaling up is rarely smooth for contractors, especially amid recent uncertainty in the construction market. For Alecia and Dan, this meant facing cash flow challenges on their first seven-figure jobs. As Dan explained, "We had to talk to our vendors and say, listen—this will work when we get paid. Generally, they want to get paid within 30 days of delivering that material. So we had to really work out some deals there. And that’s where relationships come in."
Unexpected mishaps happen. Dan recalls a job in which thousands of fixtures arrived with defective drivers. With a hard deadline looming, ACES quickly collaborated with the distributor, vendors, and GC to resolve the issue.
"We had meeting after meeting," Dan said. "It was time-consuming and a little daunting, to be honest with you—but we handled it and met the schedule."
ACES’s ability to roll with the unexpected proved crucial to winning bigger regional contracts. "We weren’t just in it for ourselves," Alecia said. "We showed professionalism, flexibility, and a team approach. Our clients know they can rely on us."
That professionalism is evident in other areas, especially safety. ACES has had zero injury incidents since its founding, earning NECA Excellence in Safety recognition in 2023-2025. Alecia says the company has been lucky, but Dan says they both know that luck has little to do with it.
Safety is reinforced through toolbox talks, clear expectations, and a strict no-live-work policy.
“I’ve had guys say, ‘Dan, do you want me to do this? I can take this off real quick,’” Dan said. “And I’m like, no—trust me. It’s not worth it. You could get hurt. We have a policy. It’s not going to happen. Go do it the right way. Confidence is what kills you every time. You get overconfident, and that’s when something bad happens.”
Dan and Alecia’s approach to worker safety reflects the company’s overall culture.
“Our guys tell us they don’t want to work for anyone else – that means something,” Alecia said. Such company loyalty stems from the culture the couple has intentionally built—team outings, annual parties, family events, and a rare construction benefit: a monthly fitness stipend.
“I provide a fitness stipend to my employees because I want to promote both mental and physical well-being. It’s important to make time for yourself and have an exercise routine,” Alecia said. “All of our employees appreciate the benefit and take advantage of it. Small, purposeful investments can go a long way.”
Dan says one foreman had never joined a gym before. “Now he says he’s in the best shape of his life.”
“When you really get to know your employees, and they feel like a valued part of the team, it makes a difference on the job,” Alecia said. “That’s how we’re proving ourselves to customers.”
At the end of the day, the story of ACES’s growth and performance - and its capacity to meet challenges – boils down to an unshakable partnership. Alecia and Dan have been married for 30 years and have been business partners for almost seven. They’ve succeeded by matching their skills and forging their respective lanes.
“It’s not tension-free being husband and wife, running a company together” Alecia readily admits. “We try to keep our distance, so we don’t combat each other too much—but we complement each other, and that’s what made us successful from the beginning. We have all the skills we need between the two of us. We will continue to strive to live up to our motto- Nothing Beats an ACE!”
