Jayson Oswald—Landmark Electric, Ramsey MN

This issue’s Member Spotlight features Jayson Oswald of Landmark Electric Inc. His passion for learning how things work and his detail-oriented personality made him a great fit for the electrical industry. Jayson worked for many years as a foreman, running work and in a service truck and gaining knowledge in the field. From this experience, he became an expert in electrical contracting and management, which ultimately led him to pursue his own business.

In 2011, he established Landmark Electric, Inc. with one main mission: provide great customer service to form lasting client relationships. During this time, Jayson was presented with an opportunity to design and install the electrical for a startup brewery in Northeast Minneapolis. The owners were so satisfied with the quality of his work, that one referral led to the next, allowing Jayson to quickly establish a niche for Landmark Electric as the go-to shop within the brewery and restaurant industry.

Landmark Electric now has numerous loyal and repeat customers around the Twin Cities. Jayson was nice enough to give us a moment of his time today...

Why you want to become an electrician?
It was my senior year of high school and I was sitting there in February with absolutely no clue as to where I was going. I sat back and remembered a time when I was about twelve years old. My uncle, who was an electrician, was over at our house wiring our basement. I remember putting his tool belt on and trying to help him, and that’s when it just popped into my mind that that’s what I wanted to do. I was already good at math.

So I sat down with my uncle, and he told me that if I wanted to go in that direction, he’d even buy me a set of tools!

I enrolled in Dunwoody College of Technology later that fall, not knowing anything about electrical, and went on to graduate with a degree in Electrical Construction and Maintenance in 1999. I spent the next decade apprenticing, getting my journeyman and master license, and eventually opening my own shop in 2011.

What do you value most about the Electrical Association?
As somebody who didn’t go to school to become an engineer or a business major, you need mentorship. The opportunities that I’ve had to learn from other members along the way has been invaluable. There have been times over the years when I’ve needed to bounce an idea off of someone, say, to review a contract. Knowing that I can pick up the phone and talk to another contractor that I trust, who is not my competitor, has helped me stay out of trouble in so many situations.

How do you enjoy spending downtime when you’re away from work?
My wife, Shelly, and I enjoy spending time with our family. We also love traveling and going places where there is a lot more sun than there is here! Florida and Las Vegas are favorites of ours and we hope to travel up the East Coast eventually to see Boston and New York.