Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

93 Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce www.greatfallschamber.org Wilson as manager and, through the following years, the two gentlemen became trusted friends as well as business partners. During the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, Great Falls was Montana's thriving metropolitan area. The Lewis family had other operations besides Cascade Electric Company; Lewis Construction Company, which was established in 1942, was a General Contractor and Line Contractor. Mr. Lewis had two sons who would eventually follow in their father's footsteps. William B. Lewis became president of Lewis Construction and Gary A. Lewis became president of another Lewis enterprise, Western Sign Corporation, the old sign division of Cascade Electric. My grandfather retired in 1967. My father, Rob R. Wilson, was lead estimator at that time and was promoted to general manager of Cascade Electric Company. He had started working for the company along with his older brother, Bill in the 1940s, both working as helpers, which is a step under an apprentice electrician. During this time, World War II had erupted with the involvement of the United States. My uncle enlisted in the Army Air Corps after his graduation from Montana State College and decided to make a career within the United States Air Force. My father joined the ranks of the United States Army and shortly after his tour of duty in 1953, attended Montana State University of Missoula, where he graduated with a degree in Business Administration. Later that spring he relocated back to Great Falls and married Marion Rodger. In 1954, Rob Roy Wilson joined his father and his younger brother, Delano D. Wilson at Cascade Electric. During this period, Rob became an estimator, while Del was attending Montana State College, majoring in Electrical Engineering, and working during his college breaks as an apprentice electrician. Upon graduation, Del Wilson would seek employment with General Electric Company and would eventually retire as President of Power Technologies, Inc. In August of 2002, Del Wilson returned to the Cascade Electric Company as one of the board members. In 1984, our family had the opportunity to purchase Cascade Electric Company from the Lewis Family. On October 1, 1984, Rob R. Wilson became owner and president with my mother, Marion as secretary/treasurer. My brother Rob D. Wilson joined the business later that same year as an estimator. Both my brother and I started working for the company in 1974 as janitors and later as stockmen; I was eight years old at the time when I gave up cartoons on Saturday mornings to vacuum and sweep the fl oors. In 1988, I graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in Business Administration. I returned to Great Falls and eventually went to work for Cascade Electric Company. In 1990, I married my high school sweetheart, Sandi Riley. Earlier that year, my grandfather, William Wilson had passed away. This was especially diffi cult for my father. The two of them were very close, not only as father and son, but as business partners. In 1993, my wife and I were blessed with our fi rst born, a son. However, life has a way of granting joy and despair at the same time. In June of that same year, my mother passed away, and again my father had to fi nd the courage to press on. The management of Cascade Electric Company has been the responsibility of the Wilson family since 1934. The owners during this time - the Smiths and later the Lewis family - entrusted my grandfather and later my father to properly manage the daily activities of their company. The constant trend over the past ninety years has been of one solid belief - the respect from management towards the employees and customers alike is directly responsible for the success and consistent growth of Cascade Electric. This creates a working environment based on mutual trust and one's own self-worth and responsibility in taking care of customers, either in the fi eld, shop or in the offi ce. The company's foundation was built on and continues to be based on the relationships built over time and those newly formed daily. Humanity can never be replaced with technology. These basic principles: modesty, honesty, and respect for other human beings, apply not only in business, but transcends to our family history. Cascade Electric has always been important and to this day is important, however over the course of my life, the special times spent as a family, either fi shing or hunting or during the holidays have become my fondest memories. It is my belief that any successful business starts at home. Time spent with your family is short. Both of my grandparents and parents are now deceased; however, their principles and lessons will be with me forever, and I will in turn pass these life lessons down to my children. I have been very fortunate to be able to live and work in my hometown. I am thankful for the many customers that have supported our employees and our family business over the years. I believe a person should never take that for granted. One must, through various means, support their community on a continuous basis. Scott Wilson, Owner B U S I N E S S F E AT U R E

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