As the old saying goes, “Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door.” Realizing there had to be a better, smarter, and safer way to serve America’s power industry and its municipal and private utility contractors, a team of veteran utility industry experts founded DC Power in December 2023.
In a very short time, the Kentucky-based company began making a name for itself in the utility sector, mainly through word of mouth. Initially hired by DC Power for sales, Jesse Tyree, out in the field and speaking to potential customers about their needs, quickly realized that many opportunities in products, services, and solutions were missing from the market. With an extensive background in running and managing businesses, Tyree soon developed hiring strategies, and, with DC Power’s owners, investigated new opportunities opening up and the many services the company could offer.
Hitting the ground running
DC Power started off small, providing industry-leading mobile dielectric testing and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) inspection services to power contractors across America.
“We travelled, interacted with our customers, and found a huge need for many services that we felt we could offer, and could do so in a way that catered to these companies and their hectic and unique schedules—because everybody is different,” says Tyree, DC Power’s Operations Manager.
Much of the company’s work started with clients having equipment breakdowns. While out on site performing dielectric testing, DC Power crews frequently saw clients experiencing various equipment stoppages that urgently needed the attention of a skilled mechanic. “Not only could we offer a certified mechanic to come to them in a fully equipped service truck, but we could rent a piece of equipment to them, and even fully tool that equipment with everything they needed to get the job done,” Tyree says. “That could include anything from light or heavy-duty utility trucks to earth-moving equipment in our shop or mobile.”
Soon, demand led to the establishment of a full equipment rental program alongside a range of other services, including repairs and a body shop. DC Power has materials on hand or will order as needed. Customers can rent a basic bucket truck, use customized tooling services, or purchase tools and personal protective equipment (PPE).
To meet all customer needs, DC Power has a full, well-stocked warehouse and a massive body shop accommodating several trucks. Investing in a state-of-the-art paint booth and paint-mixing system, DC Power can perform everything from entire paint jobs to touching up scratched fenders. And since the paint system is highly efficient, the team can mix just enough paint, with no waste.
Covering the entire United States, the company can also arrange shipping for clients. “That goes back to us being a one-stop shop,” says Tyree. “We will never say no to anything our customers run into.”
One-stop benefits
DC Power provides services that are wide-ranging and designed to meet all the needs of its customers, even during unexpected situations. Recognizing that equipment breakdowns can happen anywhere at any time, the company offers 24/7 Emergency Response Field Maintenance services to minimize downtime. Fast, friendly, and professional, DC Power’s highly skilled technicians address customer repair issues quickly to get them back on the road again.
The company’s Field Maintenance Service handles everything from repairs to inspections and maintenance, and is complemented by an extensive parts department stocking OEM parts as well as high-quality aftermarket parts. Along with being a leader in Utility Material, Tooling, & PPE, DC Power’s full-service Body Shop & Fabrication service takes care of everything from minor dents and dings to major collision repairs. Combined, these professional services fit well with the company’s mission statement.
“Our mission is to be a one-stop shop for anything in the utility industry that our customers may need,” says Tyree. “We’ve grown quickly by investing everything back into our company from the start to offer as many services as we can to our customers. From providing them with a piece of rental equipment to urgent testing and inspections, we have them covered all while offering safe, fast, and courteous services.”
In addition, anticipating customer needs saves them money and frustration, and makes life much easier by having just one invoice. “It cuts down on confusion for our customers and saves them a lot of time.”
Staying safe
To ensure everyone gets home safely at the end of the day, DC Power has a safety consultant with over 30 years of experience and in-depth knowledge of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
“Our biggest thing when it comes to safety—and this is how we’ve looked at it since day one—is we are all in it together,” says Tyree. “We don’t take shortcuts with anything. If a customer asks us to, we are very upfront in saying, ‘We’re not going to do that’ if it’s something we don’t consider safe ourselves.”
Even if a client calls for mobile repair, and DC Power technicians see something unrelated, like using conductive lines instead of non-conductive lines, they will let them know it is unsafe on the spot. “That’s not to sell our services; it’s a safety issue.”
Modern marketing
Now, DC Power is growing and is about to embark on a massive social media campaign. Along with traditional advertising tools like paper flyers and online videos, the company’s staff wear shirts with QR codes on them. “If somebody is in a picture with the shirt on, it’ll pop up and say, ‘DC Power services,’ and show them everything we offer,” Tyree explains. Back when he was in the automotive industry, he was the first to come up with using QR codes on vehicles so they could be scanned for information.
The company will also have a booth at the upcoming Utility Expo. The largest trade show and conference for the utility construction industry, the Utility Expo will be held this October 7th to 9th at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.
For DC Power, the Expo will be a valuable opportunity to connect with existing and potential customers. “We want to provide any meaningful solution we can for anything somebody might run into in the field,” says Tyree. The DC Power team plans to continue educating customers into the future on everything from the importance of keeping inspections and testing up to date to safety in the field.
“Our goal is to centralize many important services needed in this industry without having to contact and coordinate with many different companies, especially when you’re in a time crunch,” Tyree says. “This saves time and cuts down on communication breakdowns which can lead to delays, and in extreme cases, to unsafe situations out in the field for those working to keep important services online. We want to be the first company you think to call, no matter what your issue is, and we will offer a solution.”
