At the age of nine, Bill Groves was orphaned after the untimely death of his mother. Alongside his brother Ed, the two found farm work during tough times while staying with different family members. Separated from their other three siblings, Bill and Ed were young but steadfast, quickly adapting to their ever-changing situation with a strength clearly well beyond their years.
Due to the circumstances, Bill only achieved an 8th grade education. Yet, his hard work and determination was enough to land a job with Kentucky Utilities in 1955, then with wife Sue by his side.
For seventeen years he honed his craft working for Kentucky Utilities, eventually working himself up to the position of foreman. Then, opportunity knocked. Well, called, actually. On the other end of the line was his brother Ed asking if he’d like to partner with him in buying a local construction firm. Starting with only four employees and three trucks, the brothers quickly turned to their roots, establishing the family business you now know as Groves Electrical Services.
Bill took over the business two years later and operated it out of his basement while his wife Sue took care of the books. Sticking to those core values: hard work, determination and ingenuity, Bill continued to grow the business. As time passed, he found himself with a new crop of talent to help grow the company, as by this time their children were grown and ready to invest themselves into the family business.
Sticking to his core principles, Bill treated his children the same as he did the other employees he trusted and respected. “I wasn’t handed a silver spoon. I worked hard for everything I have. I wanted my children to earn it as well,” Bill said. And so they did. They washed trucks, cleaned offices, went out on jobs, and learned the business inside and out, from the bottom to the top.
Now, Groves Electrical Services sits firmly in the hands of that next generation. On the same foundation laid by their father Bill, the Groves family has now built a diverse company with hundreds of employees operating all across America. Yet, those humble beginnings and core values are still sewn into the fabric of the business: hard work, determination and ingenuity. That’s the foundation that Bill Groves built for Groves Electrical Services, and that’s the promise you can expect when you choose Groves for your job.
