Now Reading
Business Profile: Midway Electric success grounded in people power

Business Profile: Midway Electric success grounded in people power

Midway’s Fleet has grown to 13 vehicles.

Midway Electric owners Brandon and Michele Spry say the success of their rapidly expanding company is grounded in people power—treating employees like family and providing swift and high-quality service.

The seven-year-old company is among the five finalists for the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award. The winner will be announced during the chamber’s Small Business Week in May.
Hickman High School sweethearts, the Sprys married in 1997.

The couple reached a crossroads in 2001 when SKC Electric, where Brandon Spry worked, closed its Columbia branch. Spry had to either find a new job or start his own electrical contracting company.

Midways Electricians Darren Black and Levi Benne.

The couple chose the route of independence and opened Midway Electric Inc. with two employees and a van.

Midway now employs 12 people and has a fleet of 13 vehicles.
Two years ago the company moved into a new building the Sprys own. At about the same time, Michele Spry joined the business as office manager.

The husband-and-wife partnership has worked well for the Sprys. “Not many couples can work together, let alone share an office together,” Michele Spry said. “It actually works out pretty good between us since I am stubborn and he is laid back.”

The couple has no regrets about the decision to start their own company. “We have a great time, and honestly, we try to see the good in every situation,” Michelle Spry said. “Owning our business has been tough but very rewarding.”
A 1994 Hickman graduate, Spry is a licensed master electrician.

The company offers electrical services for new construction and commercial remodeling; project management; service contracts; and voice, data and video installation.

Midway Electric provides residential services as well, including wiring in new dwellings; rewiring in older homes; service upgrades; and voice, video, audio, data and home security installation.

Midway offers system troubleshooting and repair of aerial and parking lot lighting. Staffers are available 24/7 to service emergency electrical needs. The firm also provides system troubleshooting, standby generators, parking lot and aerial lighting installation and repair, trenching, underground electrical installation and service contracts.

Midway has stretched its reach throughout mid-Missouri, and an example of that is a project recently completed in Sedalia.

The Sprys and their staff concentrate on customer service, Michele Spry emphasized, and consistently work to fulfill the company’s motto, “Powered By People With Pride.” They offer free estimates and try to provide customers options that will meet their project goals and fit their budgets. As employers, the Sprys strive to live the motto in their relationship to their staff. For example, Spry pairs a new employee with a seasoned professional to help the new person adjust to Midway’s routine before being sent out to a site.

They also try to create a family atmosphere, providing spring and summertime barbecues and dinner get-togethers in colder months.

To help pay for activities, the Sprys try to work green.

They recycle whenever possible, including picking up trash and scrap around each worksite. They strip scrap wire and recycle ballast and metals.

They also host apprentices through the Association of Builders and Contractors’ indentured apprenticeship program. Students learn fundamentals of the trade in classes held at the Career Center and get on-the-job training by working at Midway.

Brandon and Michele Spry own Midway Electric, which has been nominated for Small Business of the Year award.

In addition to a strong work ethic, the pair contributes to the community through the Columbia Chamber of Commerce and a few additional activities. Michele Spry is involved in the chamber’s Women’s Network and serves on the Changing the Odds committee.

“I have had a blast with these wonderful women I have met and become friends with and hope to gain much more knowledge and friendship in the near future,” she said. Because their business is still relatively young, the couple has limited time to spend in community activities.

Michele Spry participated in the 2007 Muscular Dystrophy Association “Passport for a Cure” lock-up event, raising the most money in Columbia. She sees more of that happening in the coming years.

“Brandon and I are very involved in our business, and my hope is in the near future to allow more time to be able to involve myself more in the community,” she said.
Midway Electric Inc.
7301 W. Henderson Road | Columbia, MO 65

What's Your Reaction?
Excited
0
Happy
0
Love
0
Not Sure
0
Silly
0

404 Portland St, Ste C | Columbia, MO 65201 | 573-499-1830
© 2023 COMO Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
Website Design by Columbia Marketing Group

Scroll To Top