OUR STORY
As in the words of the late Isaac Duncan, "A man develops his business on rendering a service to his fellow man. If he develops a good service, and is recognized as a trustworthy dealer of that service, then he will prosper."
This can be said for Duncan Electric Corp. of North Wilkesboro, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary of doing business in Wilkes this year.
In the October 1991 edition of “CEE News,” Chief Editor Stuart M. Lewis saluted Duncan Electric as one of the oldest electrical contracting companies in the country. Lewis counted it among pioneers in the electrical contracting industry and said its contributions raised the standard and quality of life in the 20th century.
John Battle, president of Duncan Electric, attributed the continued success of the company to a very stable workforce of highly skilled electricians in Wilkes County. He said the corporation has had very little turnover among its 25-30 employees and that he always makes a special effort to find and develop each employee’s individual strengths.
Founded as Duncan Electric Co., in 1906 by Ralph Duncan, it is one of the oldest businesses in Northwest North Carolina. Duncan at that time was a manager at Horton Telephone Company (now Sprint). The electrical business was a sideline for Duncan, who stayed with Horton 37 years.
The Wilkesboros were just fledgling towns in 1906 when Duncan Electric began wiring, usually open wiring with porcelain knobs at that time. By 1946, important changes had arrived in the electrical business. Ralph Duncan formed a partnership with son, Isaac, who took over the presidency of the company when Ralph died in 1956.
Isaac incorporated Duncan Electric in 1962, which by that time had outgrown its headquarters on Ninth Street, North Wilkesboro, and had acquired a new building at the intersection on N.C. 18 and N.C. 268 East. Duncan Electric was divided into two separate businesses, with the commercial and industrial business located at the Ninth Street address and the residential wiring business located in the new facility.
Duncan Electric has been a family business from the beginning. John Battle, a native of Swain County, met and later married Annette Duncan, daughter of Isaac, when both were students at Western Carolina University. The couple returned to Wilkes in 1971 and John began working with Duncan Electric. He became president after the death of Isaac Duncan in 1978. Annette Battle represents the third generation of family ownership, serving the company as secretary and treasurer.
Upon taking over the presidency in 1978, Battle made a number of new contributions to the company. He combined the two businesses into one and remodeled the N.C. 268 location. He enlarged the light fixture showroom and built a new warehouse to store the commercial material and equipment.
In October 1997, Duncan Electric Corp. was relocated to 1415 Willow Lane in North Wilkesboro. Duncan Electric now concentrates primarily on commercial and industrial installation in northwest North Carolina.
Battle preserved historical aspects of the business. Photographs of the company and its employees from the early years to the present are on display, along with the gold-lettered glass sign from the original Ninth Street location. Th ere is a showcase displaying electrical materials from the early 20th century that were originally installed by Duncan Electric.
As old buildings are renovated, items are put in the showcase. The company has a framed statement sent to Clara Finley for wiring her new house in 1915. It's a $15.90 bill.
The future of Duncan Electric Corp. is set for many years to come. John Isaac Battle serves as the executive vice president and brings over 20 years of industry experience to the corporation. Jeffery Battle serves as the assistant corporate secretary and treasurer and has been with Duncan Electric for over 10 years. Both plan to continue the success of Duncan Electric well into the 21st century.
A key to Duncan Electric’s success has always been to maintain a high standard of quality electrical installation. The business achieves this due to experience and hard work from dedicated employees. “Being a small contractor doing work in a small region, you have to do a quality job for a reasonable price because you can’t afford not to, says Battle. Many of the customers that we do work for are people we see and interact with everyday. Customer satisfaction is what keeps them coming back. We are grateful for and appreciate their support over the last 100 years.”