Celebrating the McGuirk's family legacy
The McGuirk family will be recognized as this year’s Grand Marshals for the 2025 Central Michigan Homecoming. This comes after generations of economic ties to the Mount Pleasant and the Central Michigan University community through a number of their businesses.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” Rick McGuirk said. “A true honor to be part of this celebration for Central Michigan University.”
In 1963, the late Jim McGuirk started his family’s legacy by establishing United Apartments. These properties became a popular option for students looking to live off campus.
“CMU contributes a lot to our family’s success, and so we just give back all that we can for them,” Lexi McGuirk, Rick’s niece, said.
As Central Michigan Life previously reported, Jim first purchased a few homes that were converted into apartments in the 60s, and then the number of properties grew in the 1980s.
Property owned by the McGuirks has grown to include 32 locations comprising 1,500 apartment units, the Baymont Inn in Mount Pleasant and an excavating business called McGuirk Sand and Gravel. That’s according to Rick, the nephew of Jim.
As time went on, Jim’s nephews, Rick and Chuck McGuirk, and Jim’s niece, Sandy Dean, continued on with his legacy of giving back to CMU.
Rick is an alumnus and is an active member of CMU’s Advancement Board, and has been for around 20 years. After graduating from CMU with a bachelor’s degree in science and business administration with a double major in management and marketing, Rick assists with raising money to help support students on campus.
Chuck contributes to many construction projects throughout campus and follows the football team, Lexi said, while Dean manages family gifts that go to scholarships, CMU Athletics and the university’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
CMU has been considered a home for Rick since he was younger, and he chooses to continue supporting the university because of this.
“Between the apartments and the hotel and the excavating business, it’s home to me,” Rick said. “You care about your home and your surroundings. … CMU is part of those surroundings, and I love doing my part to make sure CMU is welcomed in the community and … watch it succeed through the next generations.”
Many of the McGuirks have chosen to stick around and help support CMU because of the university’s support for the family.
“Being born and raised in Mount Pleasant, ... CMU is the backdrop to our lives,” Lexi said. “It’s like Mount Pleasant would not be here without CMU. … We were all born and raised in Mount Pleasant, and we wanted to make sure that CMU was taken care of, too.”
Lexi is the next generation of the McGuirk family. As she is finishing college at Northwood University, Lexi is working at McGuirk Sand and Gravel, and said she will continue to work and support her family’s legacy once she graduates.
“I would like to do something with McGuirk Sand when I get out of school and continue our legacy with CMU,” she said. “I think it’s still really important. CMU is not going anywhere anytime soon, so there’s no point in not continuing what we already have done so much for.”
On October 25, 14 members of the McGuirk family will be representing their family in the Homecoming parade at 11 am.
