History

A brief retrospective of the evolution of Premier Electric:

Premier Electrical Corporation, formerly Premier Electric Company, was founded by William J. Templeman, Sr. in 1902. The company started out repairing vacuum cleaners and rewinding and rebuilding old fashioned electric motors at 1124 South Wabash Street in Chicago. It wasn't long, however, before Premier gained a reputation for taking on large and unique projects.

The "PECoptic" film viewer
trademarked by Premier Electric
for the Chicago World's Fair
1933

In 1933, the city of Chicago enlisted Premier Electric to build a unique souvenir for the 1933 World’s Fair that would commemorate the city's centennial. Premier’s answer was the trademarked "PECoptic" film viewer (at left) which was distributed to nearly 40 million fair goers during the fair's 11-month run. Emblazoned with the fair's theme and gilt in the Art Deco style of the day, the "PECoptic" film viewer is a collector's item today.

During the 1960s the company expanded, opening offices in Minneapolis, New York, Puerto Rico and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Ownership was held by Templeman until 1986 when Fred Jahnke and Doug Olson, both of Minneapolis, became sole owners, opening Premier Electrical Corporation.

Significant projects during the 90s included the installation of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport's first total co-ordinated state of the art security system, the 18-story Minneapolis Federal Courthouse, and a $200 million dollar renovation of the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Today, Jahnke and Olson agree that the company's success is due to the talented people that have served it. Several team members have been with us for over 30 years including many father/son teams.

We're proud of our family-oriented approach that provides a unique and rewarding experience for all involved. Knowledge of the industry and premier craftsmanship is what keeps customers coming back to us. Over 50 per cent of our work is based on repeat business, which is a true testament to the efforts of everyone on staff.

A century ago, Bill Templeman set a precedent for ambition and growth that has been firmly rooted in the hearts and minds of the current owners, Fred Jahnke and Doug Olson. Under their leadership, we demands and seek growth from our employees and aggressively look for unique and unusual projects that will distinguish our company for years to come.