Skeels Electric Has Grown With Bismarck for More Than a Century

Skeels Electric has provided essential electric services to the region for 112 years and has been a Bismarck-Mandan Chamber EDC member for 75 years. Today, Skeel’s Electric still operates in Bismarck, with offices at 217 N 23rd St – less than two miles away from its original location.

“Our two consistencies are that ownership has stayed the same and the Bismarck-Mandan community has always supported us,” says Drew Flurer, one of the owners at Skeels Electric. “The region continues to trust us to meet their electrical needs.”

Skeels Electric currently has a team of 75 to 100 employees and tackles a variety of electrical projects, big and small. It’s just as likely that a new resident in North Dakota will call the company for help as a major enterprise in the area will. The presence of Skeels Electric is felt throughout Bismarck-Mandan, wherever power is needed. 

Skeels Started as a Light Electric Company

In 1910, only one in seven (14%) of American households had electricity. By 1930, 70% of homes had electrical connections. This highlights just how important Skeels Electric was to the community during its first 20 years in operation. Founded in 1914, the company helped many residents and businesses get electrified.

Skeels Electric's history is closely intertwined with Bismarck's growth. The company was selected to provide the electrical infrastructure for the construction of Bismarck High School (BHS) in 1934. More than eight decades later, Skeels Electric again played a key role in shaping the community's educational landscape by completing the electrical work for Legacy High School in 2015, following its work on Century High School nearly 40 years earlier.

Today, Skeels Electric continues its longstanding partnership with Bismarck Public Schools, contributing to projects that support the region's expanding population and sustained economic growth. As the community continues to evolve, the company remains committed to helping build the infrastructure that serves future generations.

Skeels Electric started as a company that handled a wide range of electrical work, including the sale of washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and other small appliances. It then expanded into larger projects, such as the BHS partnership, and began accepting commercial and large-scale industrial work. Its largest projects include $30 million contracts, but even its smallest projects make a difference in residents' lives.

“We have been called to change 9-volt batteries in smoke detectors on multiple occasions,” says Flurer. “We mean it when we say no project is too small.” 

It’s Multi-Generational Ownership Brings Stability 

Skeels Electric is established within the Bismarck-Mandan community, and so is its senior leadership. Drew Flurer, Zac Flurer, Matt Wetsch, and Thomas Wolf represent second, third, and fourth generations of families involved in Skeels Electric.

“It’s a generational company,” says Flurer. His great-grandfather started as a master electrician, and his grandfather and father eventually worked there as well.

Skeels has a good relationship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) chapters in the area, specifically Local 714 in Bismarck and Local 1426 in Fargo. It is also part of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). These organizations work together to develop apprenticeship programs and on-the-job training opportunities so people can become electricians.

“Right now, there’s a large shortage of electrical workers,” says Flurer. “With these programs, you don’t have to go to school. Instead, you can work with us, get on-site training, work toward your certification, and become a journeyman electrician.”

Flurer adds that the majority of Skeels employees are local to the community or hired from the surrounding areas. 

When Bismarck Grows, So Does Skeels Electric  

The Skeels Electric ownership sees value in participating in Chamber events and supporting economic development. As more businesses move to the area, the electric company gets more work. When Doosan Bobcat opened its Bismarck factory in the 1970s, it called Skeels Electric to get the facility up and running.

“We’ve been on-site at the manufacturing facility daily ever since for nearly 50 years,” says Flurer. “We’re partners.”    

Business recruitment has a snowball effect: new opportunities attract more people, and a growing population attracts businesses and entrepreneurs. The investments made to grow Bismarck-Mandan over the past century have shaped it into the community it is today.

While Skeels Electric has worked to grow Bismarck and expand its business to 100-plus employees, Flurer acknowledges that none of this would be possible without community buy-in.

“Without community support, we wouldn’t be 112 years old,” he says. “We never take our connection to Bismarck-Mandan residents for granted and have been happy to see this city grow.”  

Learn About Other Partners in Bismarck-Mandan

Economic development is a team effort involving several utility partners, real estate professionals, and infrastructure experts. The Bismarck-Mandan Chamber EDC is successful because of the community's other members. Learn more about the organizations we work with and the resources available to businesses. There’s a whole ecosystem ready to support business investment in the region.

Want to meet some of these partners and discuss your future in Bismarck-Mandan? Let’s talk. We’re happy to help your organization create a path forward.