Building Advantage sat down with Phil and Gabe Rose, Roman’s President and Vice President, to discuss their key to growing a third generation business, success in both the commercial and residential markets, and sustained legacy for almost 100 years.

Chris Mambu Rasch: How did Roman Electric start and when did you join the business?

Phil Rose: Roman Electric was founded in 1929 by my great-grandfather, Roman Rose. After passing his contractor exam, he launched the business in a small two-story building—formerly his father’s cigar factory—and managed to keep it operating through the Great Depression. Over the decades, the company grew under the leadership of his sons and is now operated by the third generation of the Rose family.

Gabe and I essentially grew up in the business, helping wherever we could. Gabe also delivered appliances when the company had an appliance division. We both went on to earn electrical engineering degrees and gained experience working for contractors in other states before joining Roman full-time in the 1990s. Since then, we’ve been able to expand both the commercial and residential divisions, helping Roman become one of the largest design-build electrical contractors in Wisconsin.

Chris: It’s rare to see a signatory contractor succeed in both commercial and residential markets for so many years. Tell me more about Roman Home Services.

Gabe Rose: Roman Electric began as a residential service operation, and we’ve continued that legacy through Roman Home Services. Today, our Home Services division provides electrical, plumbing, and HVAC service work with a team of around 45 skilled tradespeople. One of our greatest strengths as a company is the ability to move our workforce between the commercial and residential divisions as needs change. That flexibility helps us meet project and customer timelines while stabilizing our overall growth. The fast pace of residential service work is also a major advantage as it provides a steady revenue stream that complements the longer timelines of commercial construction work.

Because the majority of our work is in Southeast Wisconsin, we’re able to keep our tradespeople local, which gives us even more agility in managing staffing needs across both sides of the business. We’ll be speaking about our company’s success in the residential market at an upcoming international NECA conference. We hope to see more signatory contractors grow their presence in the local residential market.

Chris: What kind of upcoming projects do you see in the pipeline?

Phil: Our goal is to continue to grow. In the past five years we’ve seen immense growth and that’s going to continue into the foreseeable future. We have work lined up in data centers, logistics facilities, multi-family housing, and educational institutions.

The demand for skilled electricians in Southeastern Wisconsin remains incredibly high, and both our commercial and residential teams are well-positioned to meet that need. As the region continues to grow and evolve, we’re proud to partner with NECA and IBEW to expand our workforce and prepare for the next generation of projects across Wisconsin.

Chris: Nearly 100 years in business is an important milestone. What do you think has propelled Roman to thrive for so many decades?

Phil: At our core, we’ve always believed in reinvention. We’ve never been afraid to embrace new technologies, evolve our processes, and reinvest in the business. Whether it’s expanding our service offerings or adopting modern project delivery methods, we’re committed to doing things better, faster and smarter.

When Gabe and I joined the company, we brought electrical engineering degrees, outside construction experience, and my MBA, to help sharpen our strategic focus. Keeping in mind that only three percent of family businesses make it beyond the third generation, we shifted toward controlled growth in targeted markets and placed equal emphasis on cash flow, revenue, and profitability.

Gabe: Our success also comes down to our people. Our team is our greatest asset. When you treat your employees well, they extend that same care to our customers. We’re proud that so many of our employees spend a majority of their careers with us. It’s the combination of innovation, adaptability, and a people-first culture that has allowed Roman Electric to thrive for nearly a century and positions us for continued success well into the future.

Learn more about Roman Electric Co: https://www.romanelectric.com/