WHEELER ELECTRIC, LLC
VENICE, FLORIDA

When John Richard ("Dick") Wheeler founded his electrical contracting company in 1962, perhaps he didn't think about 2012. But his business philosophies were transmitted to his children. One was, basically: "We're in Idaho Falls. We can't afford to look away from any particular kind of electrical work." Perhaps another thing he didn't speculate about was Wheeler's national standing. Based on 2010 sales, Engineering News-Record ranked the company as Number 567 on its list of the Top 600 Specialty Contractors (includes electrical, mechanical, roofing, plumbing, and other types of contractors). That probably puts Wheeler among the top 150 electrical contractors, in terms of sales - out of perhaps 70,000 nationwide. Today, Wheeler Electric does all kinds of work - from 15 kV cable terminations to fiber optic installation, and just about any voltage or type of work that falls in between. Another legacy from the founder is that today, with perhaps 80-plus employees (a dozen in the office), there are four Wheeler children and three of Dick's grandchildren at work in the company. How does this union electrical contractor compete in what, in 2011, is a difficult environment for most? VP Jeff Wheeler explained that the company loves to do design-build work, and to come back and provide more services to existing clients. "But we live in a part of the world where there are not a lot of people, and not a lot of customers," he said. "We will try to take advantage of competitive bid opportunities - and right now that's most of what we do." Note that the electrical business in Idaho is not necessarily like that elsewhere. The Lab is far from Wheeler's backyard - a 60-mile one-way drive from company HQ. Wheeler Electric will also travel elsewhere for other good opportunities! However, they obviously are not the whole story. In terms of people (as well as types of work), Wheeler Electric pursues what you might call a wonderful mix. On the one hand, Jeff said, there are at least 15 employees who have been with the company for 20 years. "And we have maybe 25 more who have been here at least 10 years," he added. "That's a lot of the reason we're successful - our people know how we operate, and they make our company go. That's why we really don't like to see people retire." On the other hand, according to Josh, perhaps 15 of the 70 field workers Wheeler now employs are . . . apprentices. So the company's people mix ranges from those with lots of experience and savvy to electricians-in-training who are, literally, "wet behind the ears." "We pride ourselves on using apprentices, and training them well," explained Josh. "Of course, that helps keep our labor cost down. But we are fortunate that our journeymen have demonstrated their willingness to help these new people in the training effort." Another angle of employing so many apprentices, of course, is that Wheeler Electric is helping to shape the future of electrical construction in the Idaho Falls area. This is completely within character, as the company philosophy is to give back to the industry via active participation. At Wheeler Electric we pledge to provide prompt, friendly service from highly trained technicians that don't waste your time or money. Wheeler Electric has experience in a broad range of electrical services. Our work includes shopping centers, schools, manufacturing and processing facilities, highway lighting and signalization, runway lighting. There's no substitute for experience. Wheeler Electric's reputation has been earned by the work it does, and the companies for whom it does that work. In this day, when many factors in the electrical contracting field are equal, it's the work on a project that counts...quality work by concerned and skilled craftsmen that is completed on time and within budget. Wheeler Electric has been involved with industrial electrical projects since the early days of its incorporation. Our firm has successfully completed work on high-voltage substations, nuclear installations, malting plants, food processing & packaging plants, mining facilities, and various other projects.