Current Electrical | Following in a Father's Footsteps

Article by TYLER STRUNK & LISA LOEWEN | Photos by TYLER STRUNK

Current Electrical began its journey as a full-service electrical contractor in 1978 when Craig Cooper and Mark Bolley, both licensed electricians, founded the company with one goal in mind: to become a trusted name in the electrical construction industry.

Born and raised in Topeka, Craig never considered starting a business anywhere other than in his hometown. When the idea of working for someone else became untenable, Craig called Mark and pitched the idea of starting their own electrical company.

“I asked Mark, ‘what have we got to lose?’” Craig said. “The answer was ‘really nothing.’”

That night, they met at Craig’s house and put together an estimate for a job with a local waste contractor and builder. They won that bid and found themselves off and running.

A LOYAL SUPPORT SYSTEM

Starting a new business venture can be scary, but starting one when you need to provide for a young family is terrifying. Fortunately for Craig, his wife, Cindy, threw her full support into his business venture.

“Cindy had no idea what I was doing,” Craig said. “Heck, I am not sure I did either. But she believed in me. She took care of everything else in our life so I could focus on the business. I couldn’t have done this without her.”

Besides having a supportive family in his corner, Craig’s business received an additional boost from Reece Shirley, owner of Shirley Construction, who gave them their first commercial job at American Investors Life.

“I didn’t know Reece at the time, but that was the beginning of a working relationship that still exists today,” Craig said. “Only now it is between the next generation for both of our companies.”

THE ESSENCE OF A FAMILY BUSINESS

Current Electrical embodies the true spirit of a family business. Craig’s sons, Cory and Dan Cooper, both followed in their father’s footsteps. Sadly, Cory passed away from cancer in 1997 at just 25 years old.

Dan, who was a junior in high school when his brother died, decided during his third year at the University of Kansas that he wanted to join the family business.

“He asked me what he needed to do to make that happen, and I told him to get his electrician’s license. Two years later, he had done just that,” Craig said.

Dan began working in the field to gain the industry experience he would need to one day take over the business. But he learned more than just job skills.

When I started working for the company, I had a stereotypical view of construction and the guys who worked it,” Dan said. “I assumed they chose construction because they couldn’t handle college. But once I was around them, I found out I was wrong. They were some of the most intelligent people I had ever met. They just chose a different path.”

When Craig’s partner decided to retire from the company five years later, the time was right for Dan to move into the office and take on more responsibility.

BIG SHOES TO FILL

Dan finally took the reins and assumed the role of president of Current Electrical in 2016. Under his leadership, the company continues to thrive and grow. However, he is the first to admit that he was intimated by the shoes he was expected to fill.

“Dad built quite a business. I really didn’t want to screw that up,” Dan said.

While Craig served as a mentor, he didn’t micromanage every little detail Dan was involved with. He
let the group of talented experts throughout the organization teach Dan what he needed to know.

“Danny knew what lane he was supposed to be in and didn’t veer from that,” Craig said. “Of course,
he observed my leadership style, but that meant he watched me do things right, and he watched me make mistakes. Hopefully, he learned from both.”

While he didn’t want to make too many changes that might alter the trajectory of company, Dan also recognized that he needed to do some things differently to fit his personality.

“I have to lead with my own style and not try to mimic the way Dad did things,” Dan said.

EVOLUTION FOR GROWTH

Taking an honest and introspective look at itself in 2019, Current Electrical recognized a need to evolve in a few areas. Up to that point, the company had never had a website, nor had it done any type of marketing or advertising. Enlisting the help of a local branding agency, they underwent a rebrand, refreshing the logo to give it a cleaner look. But then the pandemic hit, and they shelved it.

“That was partly my fault,” Dan said. “It was a tough decision for me because I didn’t want to feel like I was erasing anything or taking away from the legacy my dad had built with the Cooper name.”

What Dan realized with a little reassurance from his father, was that even though the name was different, it was still the same company with the same values.

AN EYE ON THE FUTURE

Dan has been serving as president of the company since 2016, but with Craig’s official retirement at the end of 2022, it opened a new chapter for Dan as he forges new connections and shoulders the full responsibility of leadership at Current Electrical.

In June, he won’t be the only Cooper in the family business. Dan’s wife, Kristi, will join the business as the full-time office manager, taking their family “all-in” to keep the legacy alive.

Dan and Kristi’s two children aren’t old enough to decide if they want to take the business into the next generation, but } Dan will have a spot waiting for them if that is what they ultimately decide.

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