A Legacy of Service

From the beginning, Gregory Electric Company has focused on service excellence. That enduring commitment is one reason Gregory has enjoyed such longstanding success and growth. Customers — whether a residential customer with a malfunctioning outlet or a multi-state integrated energy utility — have always found a trustworthy, reliable partner in Gregory.

A Foundation for Growth

In the early 1990s, as a firmly established commercial and industrial electrical contractor, Gregory saw tremendous potential in utility work. According to President Bob Livingston, Jr., local providers like South Carolina Electric and Gas (SCE&G) had not been well served in the past. With good performance, Gregory leadership surmised, a company could thrive both locally and regionally.

Even better, that utility work would further benefit the company’s established customers. “Our industrial customers could work with a company that can provide utility service as well as the interface between — the inside wiring. We could assist in troubleshooting places like the distribution system and the system inside a plant,” explains Bob.

Around 1993, Gregory’s capabilities began an era of unprecedented growth. Utility, overhead and underground joined established industrial, commercial and service markets. On that success, Gregory pursued new opportunities in communications such as outside plant and fiber placement. Later, the company added mechanical and water feature divisions.

In 2012, as renewable energy became more widely adopted, Gregory expanded into commercial solar projects. Gregory installed South Carolina’s first privately owned solar farm that sold power to a state utility. In Georgia, Gregory and a development partner vied for Georgia Power’s first utility scale RFP, capturing 40 percent of the program’s total allotment.

Telecom Project Manager Randy Taylor, who has been part of Gregory since 1983, has frequently been on the front line of Gregory’s growth. He’s seen many years of specific expertise come together in a single jobsite — Columbia’s once-in-a-lifetime BullStreet District redevelopment, where Gregory has delivered everything from underground utility systems to digital communications infrastructure to thoroughfare lighting.

An Expanding Footprint

Over decades, Gregory expanded from its Midlands origin, opening offices in the Aiken, Charleston, Florence, Greenville, Spartanburg and Raleigh areas. Sometimes the places where Gregory works is a story in itself.

Paul Sturgill is an underground foreman based in the Charleston, South Carolina area. With so much tourism, he notes, city planners have been very focused on enhancing the city’s aesthetic and beauty by burying power and communications infrastructure underground. “They don’t want to see the wires, but there’s another big purpose” says Paul. “During storms, poles are knocked down and the power goes out. Underground is prettier but also more efficient.”

Going underground isn’t easy in South Carolina’s oldest and largest city. Unforeseen obstacles like centuries-old underground sea walls require onsite improvisation. The benefit of all that ingenuity and extra work? “We see everything from tunnels to cannonballs and old bottles,” he laughs. “I found things I’ve dated back to the 1850s.”

Improvement Minded

As Gregory has grown, ever advancing technology has smoothed the way. Tablets in the field provide an instant connection between offices, jobsite personnel and data. Portals allow for the speedy completion of tasks like billing and file transfers once trapped in paper or manual processes.

The company’s apprentice program, which began in 1968, helps people learn a trade that offers advancement and opportunity. Available for youth and adults, the apprentice program trains electricians and linemen. “One of the best ways to make sure you have great people is to train them, so they understand how to work the right way from the very beginning,” says Lisa Phillips, Chief Operating Officer.

Gregory’s apprentice program is a remarkable opportunity for those looking outside the high school to college pipeline or those ready to turn a GED into a rewarding and fulfilling career. High school students taking part in the four-year program can progress to lead electrician, foreman, superintendent or project manager by the time they receive their high school diploma. One of the reasons the program is so successful, according to Bob, is that it develops core skills, plus leadership and communications training.

Whether attracted to the company’s decades of expertise or reliable, well-trained professionals, Gregory is the go-to for many businesses and companies in sectors ranging from energy and communications to water features and solar. “They know they can call us when a project is hard and complicated,” says Lisa. “We have innovative solutions and the people who have the experience to get it done — the right way.”