Page 32 - IEC Insights Jan-Feb2019

FEATURE

now to President and small business owner, he takes pride in
CHRYSTAL ZACHER understanding all aspects of the trade and being able to relate to
Cox Electric, Inc. every one of his employees.
IEC of Oregon
Prior to stepping into his role as President of White’s, he was Vice
President and in charge of day-to-day operations. Since taking
The success of every electrical contractor is determined by over, the business has grown and now employs 30 people in
its leadership. Some people lead out loud, in front of the crowd, various positions. His goal is to help his team grow and achieve
vocal and colorful and very hard to miss. Some people lead by their full potential, as well as provide good working conditions
working harder, longer and smarter than anyone could ever and benefits so that everyone succeeds, fully believing that his
imagine. That’s Chrystal. team is the backbone of the company. As a sponsor of the IEC
Apprenticeship Program, he loves to hire apprentices and help
In 2012, Cox Electric was desperate for some help with their them learn the electrical trade, saying that they are the future of
small but growing business, a huge box of receipts in no order at our industry. He says that the most satisfying part of his job is to
all and a looming end of year in the very near horizon. Chrystal see an employee you’ve worked with and helped train up succeed
interviewed at a kitchen table, at the home office of Zandi Cox and take pride in what they’ve accomplished.
which served as the main office of a new little company called Cox
Electric. Cox recalls, “I remember having to sell myself and the
fact that what I was offering her was a “real job” harder than most
anything I have ever sold in my life. She reluctantly agreed to work DEREK GERDES
part time, around her other job hours, to help me out.” Metro Electric, Inc.
Rio Grande Valley IEC
For all practical purposes, she is half the reason Cox Electric
grew to be a recognized “real” commercial contracting firm now
in 2018. Chrystal has quietly worked beside Zandi Cox for years Derek Gerdes started out young in the electrical industry. In
now, and is the backbone of the company’s accounting and high school he took an electrical trade course his junior and
human resources structure. senior year and competed at State level in VICA (the Vocational
Industrial Clubs of America) which is now SkillsUSA. He worked
What makes Chrystal a leader? Well, she knows her stuff for summers and spring breaks at Metro Electric, where he started
one. She is the one making sure there are budgets and the cash out at the bottom. Learning the materials in the warehouse and
for their company to support both in-house efforts and the IEC working his way into the field; digging ditches, running conduit,
efforts at what she and Cox have developed into core standards: installing gear and light fixtures.
professionalism, government advancement, safe and ethical
business practices and industry leadership. Derek worked in the service department of Metro Electric, dealing
directly with customers and performing service calls.
Chrystal has gone a lot of years behind the scenes at IEC events,
quietly writing sponsorship and membership checks. She After about six years in the field he was moved into the office
encourages and constructively disciplines the apprentices all where he was the purchasing agent, handling all project material
while keeping the growing company compliant on all fronts. purchases and equipment rentals. He also managed and oversaw
the warehouse, which handled deliveries, returns and credits, and
In 2018, Chrystal officially made partner. repairs on equipment and vehicles.

After spending about six years in that department Derek is now in
the estimating department. He handles the overseeing of bids on
CLAY HAMILTON projects that range anywhere from a couple of thousand dollars
Whites Electrical to over a million dollars. Along with estimating he manages a fleet
Central Indiana IEC of vehicles and equipment, from purchasing new vehicles and
equipment to repairs.

Clay Hamilton recently took over as the hands-on owner/ This past year Derek celebrated 20 years with Metro. Derek’s goal
operator of Whites Electrical, a full-service electrical is to get his masters license and to one day oversee the operation
contracting company, as of January 1, 2018. A graduate of the for Metro Electric, Inc. as the company’s president.
IEC Apprenticeship Program in 2009, he has worked his way up
through the industry. Holding positions at all levels, beginning
as a laborer, to an apprentice, graduating to journeyman, to
project manager, operations manager, Vice President, and

30 Insights Magazine | January/February 2019 | www.ieci.org