Member Spotlight

Todd Froysa—Lakeview Electric, Burnsville

This September marks 15 years that Todd Froysa and his company, Lakeview Electric, have been members of the Electrical Association! Lakeview Electric is a family-owned business that’s been around for almost 50 years helping with any residential, commercial, or industrial work needed in Burnsville and the surrounding areas.

Todd accomplished a lot in his life before becoming the owner of Lakeview Electric. From 1988-1992, Todd was an E4 Third Class Petty Officer Interior Communications Electrician in the United States Navy. During his time in the military, Todd was a part of Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Once he got out of the Navy, Todd worked for a year as a laborer for the Soo Line Railroad before deciding to join his dad in the electrical industry. Todd got his electrical license in 1999 and started working with his dad, Lester (Les) Froysa. Les retired in 2005 and Todd became the new owner of Lakeview Electric.

Todd attributes his company’s longevity for their success. Being able to get through the highs and lows of business is no easy feat. Todd finds it very important for a business to save as much money as you can to be able to get through any situation. He also thinks that having three in the field is the right amount to get the job done.

To those who are just getting started in the industry, Todd has some financial advice for you. Try not to borrow money. It might seem easy to have someone help you out financially, but Todd suggests not to do it. Stay out of debt. It is better to grow your business slowly and pay as you go instead of taking out loans that might hinder your company’s growth.

Todd finds that some of the unglamorous electrical jobs can be the most rewarding. Paybacks on lighting retrofits may not seem like a big deal for the homeowner right away, but the benefits will be seen pretty quickly. Todd enjoys showing the owners what their return on investment will be by making the switch. Todd also likes starting jobs on small spaces. A lot of times a business will ask him and his team to do a small task and it will ultimately lead to more jobs after they see the work they have completed.

It wasn’t until a few years in of Todd owning Lakeview Electric before they became a member of the Electrical Association. Lakeview was a union shop, but Todd felt that they and other small shops were not being represented well. In 2008, Lakeview Electric became a member of the Association!

The benefit that Todd refers to the most from the association is the legislative work that Michelle Dreier does. Todd is very thankful for all of the work that Dreier does for the members. He enjoys being kept up to date on her legislative efforts by reading about them in the newsletter. Todd recognizes that a lot of work is done by Michelle behind the scenes to give the members a voice which he appreciates very much.

Todd knows how to stay busy when he’s out of the office. This summer he dropped off his oldest to begin her freshman year at Mankato. Todd’s youngest will still keep him busy at home by attending his sporting events. Like most Minnesotans, Todd likes to spend a lot of his free time outdoors. In the summer you can find Todd on his boat or riding UTVs or ATVS while in the winter he will be riding the trails on his snowmobile.

Thank you, Todd and Lakeview Electric, for being a member of the association for the past 15 years. We appreciate you!