Electricians learn to split commercial-residential work

CEDAR RAPIDS - One of Munson Electric's first big projects after Robert Munson founded the company in 1964 was the development of the Collins Radio complex in northeast Cedar Rapids.

Fifty years later, the Hiawatha-based company still does about 75 percent of its work at what has become Rockwell Collins, the international avionics company, including all aspects of electrical construction and maintenance at the facility, according to general manager John Henecke.

Henecke started with Munson as an electrician apprentice nearly 30 years ago and worked his way up through the company ranks. Today he leads a work force that includes approximately 75 electricians.

Henecke said one big change for the company came in 1997, when current owners Erik and Becky Munson purchased the business from Erik's father.

'Not only were they maintaining the relationship with Rockwell Collins, they made an effort to expand to expand the service and construction business,” he said.

Today, in addition to the company's continuing work at the nearby Rockwell Collins complex, Munson Electric crews travel all around the country for jobs. Henecke said one recent project involved the construction of soup factories in Washington.

'One of the things about our business is we don't actively solicit other companies for work, they come to us,” he noted.

Although its primary focuses are commercial and industrial work, Munson Electric does some work in the residential maintenance and new construction markets.

'Our relationships with our industrial and commercial clients often lead to residential work,” Henecke said.

‘Equal split'

In contrast to Munson Electric's industrial focus, residential electrical work was long the backbone of Duball Electric Inc., founded in 1987 by Jerry Duball and his father.

'We started out small doing residential work and then branched out into commercial,” Duball said. 'Right now it's a pretty equal split, along with a couple of industrial accounts.”

Duball Electric's established relationships with several area homebuilders have led to much of the company's residential work, which includes new home construction, kitchen remodels and home additions.

While the bulk of the work is subcontracted, Duball said the company does get calls directly from homeowners who need electrical assistance with home improvement projects. With about 15 electricians, scheduling those smaller jobs can be a challenge.

'We'll go out for one outlet if someone wants,” he said. 'But, frankly, the contractors that hire me daily have priority in my schedule.”

Duball said the company has broadened its business over the years by actively seeking out and bidding on commercial projects. While most of this work has been in and around the Cedar Rapids area, Duball Electric crews have traveled to Madison and Des Moines to work on hotel projects for one contractor.

'We'll go as far as someone wants to pay us to go,” Duball said.

Design-build

Justice Electric's current president and owner, Joe Justice, said his grandfather, Vyrl, launched the company in 1961 in Cedar Rapids with four journeymen electricians and a goal to make $100,000 in his first year of operations. Within six months, he grossed over $125,000.

Today, Justice Electric has more than 40 electricians and electrician apprentices. Justice said the mix of industrial and residential work has remained relatively constant throughout the company's 53-year history and includes electrical system design in addition to installation and maintenance.

'We were doing design-build work before they even called it design-build,” Justice said.

Justice noted it has become increasingly common for projects to be done on a negotiated basis, in which the electrical contractor has a role in the design, as opposed to a competitive bid process based on existing design specifications.

'Most of what we deal with is making sure we are communicating well with the customer in terms of what we're doing and what's available to them in the market,” he said.