Special to Business Journal Growth Report
Submitted by:
Eric Carlson, president
330-549-3976
ecarlson@dickeyelectric.com
Dickey Electric
180 W. South Range Rd.
North Lima, OH 44452
Employees: 100+
Products/Services: electrical contractor
Joe Dickey Electric’s 2020 Revenue Surges to Historic Level
Pandemic disruptions notwithstanding, “Joe” Dickey Electric President Eric Carlson said 2020 was a record-setting year in the company’s 63-year history. Revenue was up 150 percent over the previous year.
“We were blessed and fortunate to have contracts in place for some large commercial-industrial projects that were set pre-COVID, and while we slowed down significantly in March and April, work rebounded quickly with what was already in place,” Carlson said.
Dickey Electric is based in North Lima and serves the entire Mahoning Valley and beyond with commercial, industrial and residential electrical contracting work.
The company employed 100 electricians before COVID, and after a short downturn in work that brought them down to 68 in the early Spring, it ramped back up to 170 at its Summer peak.
Driving that growth was commercial-industrial projects at TJX in Lordstown, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Youngstown, Haltec in Leetonia and the Youngstown Waste Water Treatment facility.
“COVID presented its share of challenges, including the extra measures and costs required to keep everyone safe,” Carlson said. “But we adapted like we needed to and were able to continue working our customers’ projects safely and productively.”
Three other growth drivers that Carlson expects to continue to build on are residential services, the preventative maintenance division and the expansion of pre-fabrication capabilities.
“On the residential side, our straightforward pricing model and responsiveness are resonating with consumers,” Carlson said. “We’ve got five vans on the road each day servicing homeowners and we think we can grow it significantly higher.”
Dickey Electric hired a new resource to lead the CurrentSafe preventative maintenance offering just before COVID hit. After re-imagining that role to account for a new, virtual selling environment business grew over the summer to become a whole new customer base for the company, Carlson said.
“There’s been tremendous growth in pre-fab, as well,” Carlson said. “That department has become a key part of our business, allowing us to perform more layouts and parts building in a controlled environment at the shop ahead of time and sending it to the field. Doing that improves both efficiency and safety.”
On the horizon, Carlson doesn’t expect to repeat the level of revenue growth of 2020, but did cite that the company is excited to be part of the Ultium Battery Plant project in Lordstown and the emergency room renovation at Akron Children’s Hospital’s Beeghly campus, among others.
Dickey Electric remained a significant contributor to the community in 2020, as well. Not only is it extremely proud of the electrical work being performed at the Rescue Mission downtown, some of it at cost or as a donation, the company’s United Way workplace campaign grew significantly in terms of both money raised and employee participation.
South Range schools and On Target were other beneficiaries of company giving.