One of the St. Louis area’s oldest electrical contractors – Guarantee Electrical Co. – has new leadership and a succession plan energized for future growth.  Rich Ledbetter, who rejoined Guarantee in 2020 as chief operating officer, becomes CEO of the employee-owned, $300 million electrical design and construction firm, employing a team of 1,000 nationally. Rick Oertli, formerly CEO and chairman, continues in his role as chairman of the Guarantee board of directors. Emily Martin, previously executive vice president, is now chief operating officer. Dave Gralike, who joined Guarantee as an electrician apprentice in 1983, remains president. Rounding out the leadership team are Josh Voegtli, executive vice president and chief financial officer; Jason Wiegand, executive vice president-preconstruction; and Jeremy Wilson, 49, senior vice president-Western region.

The Guarantee Electrical leadership team includes (from left) Josh Voegtli, executive vice president and chief financial officer; Jeremy Wilson, senior vice president-Western region; Chairman Rick Oertli; CEO Rich Ledbetter; President Dave Gralike; Chief Operating Officer Emily Martin; and Jason Wiegand, executive vice president-preconstruction.

Guarantee employs about 200 staff and 800 team members in the field. It has offices in Missouri, Illinois, Colorado and California. Guarantee’s annual revenue has grown from $180 million in 2020 to $300 million in 2022, achieved through organic growth and two acquisitions completed in 2021. Those include Aschinger Electric, a four-generation electrical contractor based in St. Louis, and Berwick Electrical Co., a three-generation contractor based in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Aschinger and Berwick teams have integrated onto the Guarantee platform, bringing new markets, new clients and expanded talent.

NECA Contractor JF Electric is part of the building team expanding the rebar fabrication capabilities of Nu Way Companies.  In a project led by Contegra Construction, JF Electric is performing electrical work in the highly automated 35,000-square-foot fabrication facility for the 67-year-old, family owned, business in Troy, Ill.  The facility will feature three overhead cranes and will ultimately quadruple Nu Way’s production to 15,000 tons of fabricated rebar a year. Learn more about the project.

Have you been considering adding a generator to your home? Our NECA contractors take a deep dive into all the considerations for homeowners including types of generators, ideal locations and code requirements in Electrical Contractor magazine.