Member Spotlight
Christopher Boe, BOE Electrical Contractors, Nisswa
BOE Electrical Contractors will be celebrating 20 years of business this year! Founded in 2002 by Christopher Boe, they have been serving homeowners and businesses in the Twin Cities Metro and Brainerd Lakes Area ever since.
Chris grew up in southern Minnesota where his father was a business owner. There, he went to a local community college but soon decided to move to the Metro and pursue the a career in the electrical industry at Dunwoody Community College (with our very own Jeff Keljik). He enjoyed the variety of work that was involved with electrical. Staying busy, not working in the same place day in and day out, always learning new things is what he wanted in his career.
Chris started Boe Electrical Contractors in the Spring of 2002 and has been performing all types of work including residential, industrial a bit of solar and EV charging stations but primarily commercial work. They are always working on a variety of projects at a time such as business additions and remodels, new and remodeled homes as well as schools. COVID-19 encouraged their team to be extra cautious about safety and sanitation but it has not impacted their business in a significantly negative way. Being overly cautious and meeting their customers where they are has been the key.
Success for Chris and his business has been staying steady. Owning a large business was not the original thought when Boe Electrical Contractors began. Chris always assumed it would be him and maybe one apprentice. The shop grew upwards to 10 electricians. They are now down to 5, which is his sweet spot. This allows for good work-life balance and limited stress.
When asked what he would tell a newer electrical contractor just starting in the business Chris said to put in the hard work and do it right. Don’t take shortcuts. Once you get up and running, figure out what you want out of this business and then don’t get too ahead of yourself. The work will follow. The future of the electrical industry is looking prosperous. With renewable energy as well as the current housing market, the amount of
projects seems endless.
The biggest hurdles that Chris has faced in the business is retaining good employees. Chris has had 4 electricians who have branched off and started their own electrical contracting company. This is a huge testament to the training and leadership that Chris has provided his team. These individuals are still friends of his to this day, and they rely on each other as peers who give each other work when able and talk through business issues together.
Boe joined the Electrical Association in 2009 for the resources and connections. Chris finds value in having a community of people to reach out to who can make business that much easier. Boe also uses the Association’s apprenticeship program and continuing education courses, and they were an early adopter of the newly created Association Health Care Plan.
Chris and his wife Donna recently moved up to beautiful Nisswa. He enjoys golfing, fishing, hunting and just hanging out with his family. Donna and Chris have 2 children. Their son works in the business, and their daughter attends college at NDSU.
The Association is grateful to have Boe Electrical Contractors as a member!
Boe Electrical Contractors