Guarantee Electrical Company History
Legendary Innovation For More Than 120 Years
At the turn of the 20th century, Guarantee Electrical helped demonstrate the miraculous applications of electricity to a global audience when they illuminated the 1904 World's Fair and "guaranteed" that an almost impossible job would be done right and done on time. Today, we continue to build on that legacy as a national leader in electrical engineering, electrical preconstruction, electrical construction, intelligent building systems installation and quick response services. We’re consistently redefining the roles of electrical contractors in an age of ever-expanding technology and ever-evolving project delivery.
1902
Guarantee Electrical Company is founded to electrify the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. The name “Guarantee” resulted from the unprecedented one-year installation warranty the seven founders offered World’s Fair organizers.
1926
Fred Oertli Sr., father of Guarantee, joins Guarantee as a laborer.
1928
Fred Oertli Sr. learns the principles of electricity and the National Electrical Code and becomes Guarantee’s one and only estimator. He attends Washington University in St. Louis at night to earn his degree in electrical engineering.
1942
The Emerson Electric Manufacturing Company selects Guarantee to perform a $2 million installation at its new turret plant to support the war effort at 8100 Florissant Avenue in St. Louis.
1949
Guarantee moves its offices from downtown St. Louis to 4161 Gravois in South St. Louis.
1955
Guarantee is awarded the Weldon Springs Atomic Energy facility and Granite City Steel’s $16 million hot strip mill installation.
1962
Guarantee is selected to perform electrical work for the 800,000-square-foot facility for McDonnell Aircraft Corporation’s “Gemini” program.
1962
Guarantee is a founding member of the Federated Electrical Contractors (FEC).
1981
Guarantee moves its headquarters to Bent Avenue Industrial Park in South St. Louis.
2002
Guarantee celebrates its 100th anniversary.
2003
Guarantee acquires Denver-based Kimsey Electrical Contracting, including an industrial contract with Valero Oil Refinery in Benicia, California.
2004
Guarantee acquires St. Louis-based voice/data/video installer TEL-Vi Communications.
2005
Guarantee completes work on Alberici Constructors’ corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, and achieves LEED Platinum certification.
2005
Guarantee launches an employee ownership transfer plan, setting plans in motion for 100 percent transfer by 2015. It consists of two components – a Key Management Stock Purchase Program (KMSPP) and an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
2009
Guarantee achieves record revenues of 180 million dollars, the ESOP becomes the largest single shareholder and Gary M. Neal is elected Chairman of the Board.
2010
The performance of Guarantee Electrical Company at a Metallurgical Coke Manufacturing/Heat Energy Recovery Facility built by SunCoke Energy in Granite City, Ill. earned Guarantee a 2010 Project of the Year citation for the Construction Keystone Awards competition, sponsored by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of St. Louis.
2011
Guarantee Electrical wins AGC Construction Keystone Award Specialty Contractor of the Year (SCOTY) Award and wins two AGC Construction Keystone Project of the Year Awards for Local 36 Sheet Metal Workers Training Facility & Mercy Medical Center Patient Tower B projects
2012
Guarantee Electrical Company celebrates 110 year anniversary. Doug Mertzlufft is named President of Guarantee Electrical Company
2013
Guarantee Electrical Company is named Electrical Subcontractor of the Year (SCOTY) at AGC Construction Keystone Awards; also wins two Project of the Year Awards for Mississippi River Wastewater Treatment Plant and St. Louis Art Museum projects
2014
Guarantee Electrical Company becomes an official partner of Pedal the Cause, a charity bike ride to raise money for cancer research. GECO also named one of the "Top Places to Work" by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Additionally, GECO continued its streak of winning Keystone Awards with another Project of the Year award for its work on Ballpark Village in St. Louis.
2015
Employees at GECO complete 100% ESOP transfer and become fully employee-owned company. In addition to Pedal the Cause, Guarantee Electrical Company continues its commitment to community involvement and becomes a partner for Flags of Valor USA, a charity focused on remembering those who have fallen in service to the United States. GECO is named for a second straight year as one of the "Top Places to Work" by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. GECO also wins many awards in 2015 related to construction excellence and construction safety including, ASA Midwest Council-Specialty Contractor of the Year; AGC Construction Keystone Awards-Electrical Subcontractor of the Year & Project of the Year for Mercy Joplin Replacement Hospital; Xcel Energy Safety Award.
2016
Guarantee Electrical names Josh Voegtli, CFO and Jason Wiegand, Director of Preconstruction Services to its Executive Management team. GECO wins second consecutive ASA Midwest Council Specialty Contractor of the Year Award, third straight "Top Places to Work" award and 5th Specialty Contractor of the Year Award in previous 6 years at AGC Construction Keystone Awards. Additionally GECO wins Project of the Year award for Danforth Plant Sciences Expansion and Metropolitan Sewer District Flood Mitigation projects. For the first time in company history GECO wins the prestigous Willis Excellence in Construction Safety Award at the Willis CSEA Awards.
2017
Guarantee Electrical Company celebrates 115th anniversary. GECO wins third straight ASA Midwest Council Specialty Contractor of the Year Award.
2018
Guarantee Electrical Company names Doug Mertzlufft as Vice Chairman, David Gralike as President Missouri Branch, Steve Juan as President Colorado & Illinois Branches, Jason Wiegand as Senior Vice President Preconstruction Services.
2019
Guarantee Electrical Company tops $200 million in revenue for the first time in company history.
2020
Rich Ledbetter rejoins Guarantee as Chief Operating Officer. The company introduces a consolidated Foundation, Mission, Core Values and Strategic Anchors known as Our Guarantees.
2021
Guarantee Electrical Company continues its strategic growth plan with the acquisition of long-time peers Berwick Electric, located in Colorado Springs, CO, and Aschinger Electric in St. Louis, MO.
2022
Celebrating its 120th anniversary, Guarantee Electrical Company's leadership team evolves with Rich Ledbetter succeeding Rick Oerlti as CEO. Rick remains the Chairman of the Board while Emily Martin assumes the role of Chief Operating Officer, and Ron Bull joins Guarantee as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.