Custom Electric
About Us
Founded in Calgary. Built Over 55 Years.
Our Story
Custom Electric was officially founded in Calgary in 1970 by electricians Vern Kemble and Heinz Weiss — two ambitious tradesmen who began contracting independently in 1967 with little more than a truck, a set of tools, and the determination to build an enterprise of their own. What began as a small residential contracting business grew steadily through the 1970s and 1980s as the company expanded into commercial and industrial work, earning a reputation across Calgary’s construction community for quality, reliability, and integrity.
Over the decades, the business evolved through deliberate, principled ownership transitions. Rather than pursuing outside employees or abrupt changes in strategic direction, each generation of leadership developed the next from within. This philosophy continues today and reflects the long-term thinking that has defined the company since its founding. Since 2001, Custom Electric has been an employee-owned company, with members of the field supervision and management team holding ownership stakes in the business. That structure creates direct alignment between the company’s success and the quality of work delivered on every project.
From the early residential jobs, Custom Electric has grown into one of southern Alberta’s largest independent electrical contractors, with offices in Calgary, Red Deer, and Yellowknife, and a workforce of approximately 375 tradespeople and office staff. We are currently active on projects across Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and the Northwest Territories.
Our projects have grown in scale and complexity, but the founding principles — quality, service, and integrity — remain unchanged.
What Drives Us
Purpose & Values
Custom Electric’s purpose is straightforward: to empower people to succeed. That applies to our clients, our project partners, and our own team members. Everything we do, from the way we engage in preconstruction to the way we develop and retain our people, is shaped by this purpose.
Further, our work is guided by our four core values:
Relationships
Relationships are the foundation of our success. We invest in long-term partnerships with clients, general contractors, developers, and consultants — and we measure our performance not just by project outcomes, but by the trust we build along the way. Many of our client relationships span decades and multiple projects.
Integrity
We do what we say we are going to do. Our clients and project partners can rely on us to be transparent, accountable, and consistent — in our estimates, our commitments, and our execution. When challenges arise, we communicate promptly and collaborate on solutions.
Commitment
We are committed to providing best-in-class leadership, safety, and expertise on every project we take on. That commitment extends from the preconstruction team developing the initial budget through to the last electrician completing the final installation before leaving the site.
Innovation
We pursue continuous improvement across every aspect of our business. Through regular post-project reviews and a culture of learning, we apply the lessons of each project to the benefit of our clients on the next. Our goal is not simply to meet expectations but to consistently exceed them.
Collaborative, Accountable, and Prepared
Our Approach
Custom Electric approaches each project as a partner, not simply a trade contractor. We engage early, contribute actively to design assistance and preconstruction planning, and integrate directly into the project team. By working seamlessly alongside owners, developers, general contractors, and consultants, we maintain alignment from early design through to project closeout.
Our role on a project is defined by consistency and accountability. We show up prepared, anticipate challenges before they affect the schedule or budget, and communicate proactively with all stakeholders. Our project management approach draws on proven tools, structured processes, and decades of field experience, combining software platforms including Autodesk Revit, Navisworks, Trimble RTS, and Jonas Construction Software with experienced personnel to ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to specification.
We are also committed to continuous improvement. After every project, our team conducts structured post-project reviews to capture learnings and apply them to future work. For over fifty-five years, this discipline has been one of the reasons our clients return to us on project after project.
We are selective about the work we pursue, not because we limit ourselves to a narrow project type, but because we commit fully to every project we take on. From straightforward warehouses to some of Canada’s most complex institutional developments, our standard of execution remains the same.
Experience, Ownership, and Longevity
Our People
Custom Electric’s greatest asset is the depth and stability of its workforce. With over 375 tradespeople and staff, we have the capacity to support large-scale, multi-phase projects while maintaining the quality and coordination that complex builds demand.
What sets our team apart is tenure. Long-term employment is a deliberate part of our culture — we invest in our people, develop them over time, and work to retain them across projects rather than cycling through workers as project demands fluctuate. The result is a workforce with deep institutional knowledge, strong trade skills, and a genuine investment in the company’s reputation. Service milestones of 10, 20, 30, and 35+ years are not uncommon at Custom Electric.
A significant portion of our field supervision and management team are shareholders in the company. That ownership stake reinforces accountability at every level — foremen and project managers with a stake in the business have a vested interest in delivering work that reflects well on the company and protects its long-term reputation.
We invest continuously in training and professional development, from apprenticeship programs and trade certifications to leadership development for field supervisors and project management teams. Custom Electric also operates its own in-house prefabrication facility — recently expanded to meet growing project demand — where our tradespeople fabricate and assemble electrical components in a controlled environment before delivery to the site. This capability reflects the level of investment we make in our people, our infrastructure, and the quality of our work.
A Culture of Safety, Not a Compliance Exercise
Safety & Standards
Safety at Custom Electric is core to our culture, not a regulatory obligation. With approximately 500,000 field hours worked annually across some of Canada’s most complex and demanding project environments, our safety record reflects a genuine organizational commitment to protecting our people and the sites we work on.
Custom Electric holds a Certificate of Recognition (COR) certification and maintains a comprehensive safety program administered by our dedicated Safety Officer, who reports directly to the Vice President of Operations. Our program is supported by ongoing field training covering first aid, fall arrest, lift operations, H2S awareness, confined space entry, and leadership and safety excellence training for field supervisors and foremen. Site-specific safety plans are developed and implemented for every complex project, tailored to the unique hazards of each environment — including occupied facilities, live infrastructure, and remote or northern sites.
Our safety culture is built on the belief that safe sites are more productive sites, and that attitude is demonstrated consistently across every project, every site, and every shift.
Responsible Construction. Measurable Outcomes.
Sustainability
Custom Electric has an extensive and established track record in sustainable construction, having contributed to some of Alberta’s most recognized green building projects across the commercial, institutional, healthcare, education, and aviation sectors.
Our sustainable project portfolio includes numerous LEED-certified developments at the Gold and Silver levels, as well as Canada’s first Net Zero-targeted university building — the MacKimmie Library Tower and Block Redevelopment at the University of Calgary. We have also contributed to AZA Green Practices-certified zoo projects and a range of energy-efficient institutional facilities across the province.
In a Design-Assist or collaborative delivery context, our team integrates sustainability goals when required by the project, and our team works with design teams and owners to ensure that energy-efficient technologies, lighting control systems, renewable energy integration, and sustainable materials are incorporated effectively and in alignment with the project’s certification targets. We treat sustainability not as a separate workstream, but as an integral part of delivering a well-designed, high-performance electrical system.
Consistency That Builds Confidence
Community & Industry Involvement
Custom Electric has been part of the Calgary business and construction community for over 55 years, and that connection runs deeper than geography. We are active supporters of community organizations including Habitat for Humanity and the Calgary Drop-In Centre, and our team participates in numerous charitable events and industry initiatives throughout the year.
We are committed to developing the next generation of tradespeople. Our apprenticeship program provides structured training and mentorship that develops skilled electricians while building the long-tenured workforce our company depends on. We view investment in the trades as an investment in the industry and the communities we serve.
Custom Electric is also an active participant in the construction industry associations and professional organizations that shape the standards and practices of our trade. We believe a strong industry benefits our clients, our people, and the broader communities in which we work.
55 Years of Consistent Delivery
Why Custom Electric
In over five and a half decades of operation, Custom Electric has navigated economic cycles, industry shifts, and the full range of challenges that come with large-scale construction in Western Canada and beyond. Through it all, the company has grown — not by chasing volume, but by earning the trust of clients, partners, and the people who make up the construction communities we serve.
We are proud of what we have accomplished, and equally proud of how we have accomplished it — through quality work, honest relationships, and a team of people who take genuine pride in their craft. That is who Custom Electric is, and it is what we bring to every project.