How R&S Automation and Electric began
Joe Seeman and Chris Riebsomer...
...always dreamt that one day they would open their very own electrical company, they just didn’t know it would be as a team.
Both had worked as electricians for at least 10 years in and around their home towns—Chris from Idaho and Joe from Alaska. They learned the trade and worked their respective ways up the ladder, becoming journeymen electricians, foremen, and eventually superintendents.
Enter the great oil boom...
...of North Dakota where Chris and Joe took new job offers from colleagues met during their tenure as electricians. The jobs came with good pay, and all the hours they could work.
Joe and Chris eventually found employment with the same large, investor-owned electrical company in 2015—both as superintendents of their own divisions. By the spring of 2016, the general manager came up for retirement and needed to find a replacement. Initially, the decision was between the two, however, management took note of how well the pair worked as a team and decided that they should co-manage the company.
After about a year...
...working side by side and becoming great friends, they became aware of many drawbacks within the environment of such a large, investor-owned company. Pay was below average in their field and healthcare or retirement benefits were either subpar or nonexistent. There was a disconnect from management in regards to the technical expertise required for the jobs at hand, and also the harsh environment of the region. The bottom line seemed to be the only thing that mattered; and Joe and Chris would decide to either coast along or do something better.
In retrospect, the decision was simple—they and others took a risk and started their own company. Joe and Chris would work side by side and take care of their employees by providing honest wages, benefits, and a family-first atmosphere focused on safety and integrity.