From left to right: Glenn Strouse, General Manager; Kim Vail, Vice President; and Dave S. Strouse III, Project Manager/Estimator of Strouse Electric Co. Inc.

Recently, Strouse Electric Co. Inc. completed the design/build for the manufacturing plant of a point of purchase display company in South Amboy, New Jersey.

A 40-year anniversary is a milestone worth celebration, reflection and renewal. For Strouse Electric Co. Inc., it’s all those descriptors and much more for the employees of this family-owned operation.

The company was founded in 1978 by David Strouse, an electrician with an entrepreneurial spirit. He grew the company one customer, one project at a time, with skill, focus and character. Since the early days, the company has become a fixture in the South Amboy community, playing an integral role in powering many of the commercial, industrial and manufacturing companies throughout New Jersey and surrounding states.

For those charged with carrying on a beloved founder’s legacy, success has been a study in triumph, tragedy, survival and resilience.

Wired for Independence

As a teenager, Strouse saw himself as an electrical engineer. While the high cost of university education was more than he could afford, trade school proved to be a reasonable alternative. He completed his training and went to work for an electrical contractor in Northern New Jersey, where he specialized in industrial and commercial work. Along with the hands-on electrical installations, the owner taught him all the aspects of running a business.

After 18 years, Strouse was ready to work closer to home in South Amboy, closer to his wife and children. He set up an office in the basement of his home and established Strouse Electric Co. Inc. For the first few years, he worked largely on his own, finding clients in the industrial and commercial sector and building a reputation for quality work at a good price. Over time, he hired a few employees and added a complement of tools and trucks. By the late 1980s, the company was firmly established in South Amboy and surrounding communities.

He moved out of the basement and bought a one-story office building not far from the family home where he and his staff could work and store the growing fleet of tools, supplies and vans. Meanwhile, long familiar with the inner workings of the company, three of his four children—David, Kim and Glenn—had plans of their own that would soon coincide with their father’s vision.

Conduits to Growth

With a lifelong interest in all things electrical, Strouse’s son, David, was the first to join the company full time in 1990 after completing his trade school requirements. He’s currently the head project manager for the company. Not long after, Strouse’s daughter, Kim, joined. She’d earned an associate’s degree in business management and merchandising. With an eye on becoming a professional jeweler, she talked to her dad, who offered an alternative career path.

Kim recalls, “His company was growing, and he needed someone he trusted to handle the financial books, so he could stay focused on getting work, estimating and operations.”

She agreed to join the company to handle billing. Over time, she’s taken on all financial aspects of the business, including insurance, payroll, receivables and employee 401K management. She’s now Vice President of Strouse Electric Co.

In 1996, after studying electrical engineering in college while working summers for Strouse Electric, Glenn came to work full time for his dad’s company. Glenn, now General Manager, adds, “I believe electricity is in our DNA. One of the stories passed down in the family is that my grandfather built his own strings of Christmas lights. I was always interested in power concepts and wanted to be an electrician. Dad believed in trial by fire. As a 20-year-old, he’d send me out with experienced electricians where I learned necessary skills and then when I was back in the office, he’d have me price and sell services.”

By 2000, the family owned, family operated company had grown to 15 employees.

Glenn adds, “Over the years, Dad trained us to conduct business with the same care, quality and integrity as he did—that way, if he was not available, work would continue as if he was there beside us.”

Turns out, Strouse’s high expectations would prove essential for the company and his children in the coming years.

“[Dad] taught us that if we work hard and do quality work, we will succeed. He built this company from nothing, and we feel it’s our responsibility to carry on and continue his work.” Kim Vail, Vice President, Strouse Electric Co. Inc.

Loss of a Leader

In 2004, Strouse was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Through specialized treatment, the cancer was eradicated. Unfortunately, by 2007, the cancer returned and not long after, Strouse passed, leaving his children behind to run the company.

Glenn recalls, “We never asked, but we knew Dad was proud that we all chose to work in the company. He was my superhero—mostly because of the way he balanced his personal and professional life.”

“That was a very difficult, stressful time for all of us,” says Kim. “My father was a great guy and I had the dream job working here with him. The economy was so bad that I remember asking our accountant in 2008, if we were going to make it. But we pushed on because of Dad. He taught us that if we work hard and do quality work, we will succeed. He built this company from nothing, and we feel it’s our responsibility to carry on and continue his work.”

Carrying on the Legacy

The challenge for the Strouse family in the wake of the recession was to continue to build and expand relationships. Their father had been the face of the company. He had the direct relationship with most clients.

David adds, “One thing we learned is that you have to earn respect. We had to almost reinvent ourselves as a business to build a new backlog of works.”

All three relied on their father’s oft-repeated words about the importance of making and building relationships. Glenn adds, “He’d tell us that our customers are not just clients, they’re our friends and they trust us to do the job right—and he was right.”

Today, Strouse Electric has grown stronger, building on its design, build and installation of distribution, power and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems services for the industrial, commercial and manufacturing sectors—all thanks in large part to their focus on quality work and customer care, just like their father advocated.

They’ve continued and built on relationships with companies like L’Oréal USA, a client of Strouse Electric for 30+ years. Another long-time customer is Metaline Products Company Inc. In fact, Strouse Electric just completed the design/build electrical rehabilitation of a 75,000-square-foot building built in the early 1900s. The project scope included engineering, fabrication and installation. They’ve built similar relationships with pharmaceutical companies, the food industry, and other industrial, commercial and manufacturing operations.

The three Strouse siblings are confident in the ever-growing reputation of their company. And while the patriarch of the Strouse family may be gone, his memory and, more importantly, his character, strength and integrity live on with them.

Glenn concludes, “We want to be the company that installs a structure’s first wires and then provides services as needed for the life of the building. That’s what dad taught us—deliver quality solutions and treat your customers like you would your friends. It’s how we’ve done it for the last 40 years, and how we’ll do it for the next 40 years.”