A century-long commitment to the electrical trade.

Company History

Henry Electric Company is built on a generational legacy that began more than 100 years ago.

In the early 1900s, Henry Joseph Erhardt Sr., John Henry Flood’s great-grandfather, worked as an electrical lineman during the first wave of overhead power line installation across the United States. Beginning in Iowa and moving east, he helped bring electricity to communities experiencing it for the first time.

He later became an electrician in Cleveland, Ohio and was one of the founding members of IBEW Local 38.

These were the electricians who installed the first electrical systems in new buildings and converted homes and businesses from gas lamps to electric light. The trade was new. The risks were real. The standards were being written in real time.

That responsibility shaped the family.

Vintage worker's identification card issued to Henry J. Erhardt, from Cleveland, Ohio, dated October 6, 1938. It includes personal details such as height, weight, sex, eye color, age, and hair color, with classification as electrician.

Henry Senior’s worker’s identification card from the New Deal era

A Defining Moment

In 1998, when John Henry was 13 years old, his grandfather came to live with his family. During that time, John began working alongside his uncle to install wiring for therapy equipment in their home.

It was not a formal apprenticeship. It was exposure to responsibility.

That experience led to a decision.

In 2003, John entered a pre-apprenticeship with IBEW Local 38 in Cleveland — the same local his great-grandfather had joined nearly a century earlier. He completed his apprenticeship in 2006 and later earned a degree in Construction Management in 2010.

He expanded his experience working in electrical construction and alongside large-scale general contractors, deepening his understanding of project coordination, scheduling, budgeting and multi-trade leadership.

A torn and aged receipt with the emblem of the Brotherhood of Electric Workers, featuring a raised fist and the words 'Organized Nov 28' and '1891,' on a dark red surface.

An IBEW ‘calling card’ belonging to my great-grandfather, Henry Joseph Erhardt Sr.

The Trade Passed Down

In 1915, Henry Sr.’s son, Henry Joseph Erhardt Jr., was born. The knowledge of the trade moved from father to son — not simply as instruction, but as expectation.

Craftsmanship was not optional. Discipline was not negotiable.

That same mindset carried forward to the next generation, including Michael Joseph, John Henry’s uncle, who served six years in the United States Navy before building a 35-year career as an industrial electrician.

The tools evolved. The systems advanced. The standards remained.

Two males, one older with glasses and gray hair, in a gray turtleneck and blazer, and a younger male with short brown hair, in a blue shirt and black tie, standing in front of a wooden wall with a circular emblem that reads "Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers".

John Henry and his father, Robert, at IBEW Local 38 in Cleveland, OH

Why Henry Electric Was Founded

By 2025, it became clear that the next step was not simply career advancement — it was ownership.

Henry Electric Company was founded to:

  • Continue generational craftsmanship

  • Build structured systems for predictable execution

  • Elevate communication standards in electrical contracting

  • Create long-term opportunity within the trade

  • Serve communities with consistency and integrity

The formation of Henry Electric is not a departure from history. It is its continuation — modernized, organized, and positioned for responsible growth.

We believe the work installed today should serve families and businesses for decades. That belief influences how we plan, how we execute, and how we grow.