When Lloyd
Nelson started his company in 1972, it was located in his garage
and his wife, Patricia, was at his side. The couple started the
business alone and over the years built it into on of Reno/Sparks'
most successful operations.
Today, Nelson Electric Company is a thriving organization with nearly
200 employees and a constantly increasing business. The company
is an unrestricted electrical contractor and works in the areas
of commercial, industrial and large custom developments.
But, in those
early days it may have been hard to imagine such a prosperous future.
Nelson began his own apprenticeship in the electrical field in 1957
and worked for a local company 14 years. When he began his company,
he did all of the electrical work and Patricia managed the office
and the finances.
Those early
years were taxing. After working all day in the field, Nelson would
work all night bidding upcoming jobs. The next morning he would
be back out in the field. Patricia would answer the phones and sometimes
be called on to buy supplies and deliver them to Nelson on the job
site.
One of his
first jobs was with the local telephone company installing microwave
stations. The stations were located throughout Northern Nevada,
and he did all of the work himself. Nelson put about 100,000 miles
on his vehicle traveling to Washoe Hill, Lovelock, Austin, Eureka,
and Ely multiple times to complete the work.
After a year
Nelson was able to hire an apprentice and a journeyman as his first
two employees. Hiring the two individuals established a business
practice which has become a tradition for the company - hiring apprentices
and bringing them up through the ranks. It speaks well of the organization
that those first two employees are still with the company. In fact,
most of the apprentices that begin with Nelson Electric continue
working there after the training period ends.
First-year
apprentice electricians often are hired through the IBEW-approved
JATC Apprenticeship program. The company provides on-the-job training
throughout the fire-year course. At the end of their apprenticeship
training the then-qualified journeyman electricians are already
seasoned employees familiar with the company and its customers.
By the time the company was three years old, the garage location
was history and there were nine employees on staff, including Nelson's
brother Carl. Part of the company's early success was due to Holiday
Inn Corporation, which hired Nelson Electric to work on its motel
facilities. The work ultimately lasted for 12 years and involved
jobs with the motel group throughout the West.
One of the
most difficult jobs in terms of time frame involved work on a geothermal
plant in Empire, Nevada. The contractor came to Nelson Electric
during Thanksgiving week and wanted the work completed by the end
of that year. Nelson made it clear that the work could be done but
not without a cost. The contract was awarded, the work was completed
and the plant was turned on two days before Christmas.
In 1984 the
company expanded to open a new division, Nelson Electronics. The
division's function is to design and install all types of electronic
systems: fire alarm, surveillance, door access, security, music,
paging, telephone, data and fiber optics. With the addition of the
systems division, Nelson Electric has become a "one-stop shopping"
electrical contractor.
As the company
grew, a decision was made to limit its operation to Northern Nevada
and Northern California. Nelson Electric's client list is a who's
who of those geographic regions. The company has been active with
Boomtown for several years in its many development projects. Nelson
Electric has worked with the Reno Hilton in room and casino renovation
and to install its large, outdoor electrical sign.
Other casino/hotel
projects for the company include: Harrah's, Peppermill, Circus Circus,
Fitzgeralds, Eldorado and Caesar's Tahoe. In fact, the casino business
is so constant and demanding, the company has employees stationed
in many casinos on a permanent, daily basis.
Nelson Electric
has been involved in many commercial projects including Western
Nevada Community College, Fallon and Carson City; Nevada Supreme
Court, Carson City; Washoe Medical Center; University of Nevada,
Reno; R.R. Donnelley & Sons; Reno-Tahoe International Airport;
and U.S. Bank. Some of the company's industrial clients include:
United Parcel Service Distribution Center, Kaiser Sierra Micro Mill,
Carson City Water Treatment Facility, and Kal Kan Western Distribution
Facility.
In the area
of custom homes, Nelson Electric has worked on some of Lake Tahoe's
most impressive estates. Those jobs include homes of more than 20,000
square feet for Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn and Middle Eastern
oil tycoon Khashoggi.
With technology
continuing to develop and growing more sophisticated, the electrical
and electronics fields are good fields to be in for the future.
Nelson Electric is particularly strong and ready for the future
because of the strength of its family foundation and the tenure
of many of its employees.
Many of the
company's foremen have never worked anywhere else and began with
Nelson Electric as apprentices. In fact, Nelson estimates at least
half of the company's current employees began at the apprentice
level and have grown with the organization.
The two original
apprentices hired by Nelson are Tom Pourchot and Terry Hawkinson.
The two now work as project managers, which makes them part of the
company's senior management staff. Family members are a significant
part including Justin Nelson, nephew, systems manager; Lisa Teglia,
daughter, office manager; and Carl Nelson, brother, head estimator.
With all the
family members and longtime employees capable of taking over, Nelson
is confident the business will be active for years to come. As for
Lloyd and Patricia Nelson, retirement will take them to a ranch
they have built in Oregon, and the only thing they will be doing
in the garage is leaving from it to pursue fun and relaxation.
SERVICES
OFFERED BY NELSON ELECTRIC |
| Design Build
– New Construction and Remodel |
| Residential
– New Construction, Remodel and Trouble Calls
|
| Commercial
– New Construction and Remodel |
| Industrial
– New Construction and Remodel |
| Systems
– Fire and Security Alarm, Temperature Control, Data,
Sound, Telephone, Door Access, CCTV Systems and Temperature
HVAC Controls. |
| Testing
– Infrared Scanning, High Pot Testing, Ground Meggar
Testing, and Voltage and Amperage Chart Recording. |
