COLUMBUS, MS – Courtesy of WCBI
Tolbert Burford, a Memphis native, began learning to repair electrical motors in the 1920’s. By the late ’50s, he had struck out on his own and landed in Columbus, where he founded Burford Electric Service, Inc.
Today, three generations later, the business is still thriving in family hands and preparing to expand. Jonathan and Amaris Robinson are the current owner-operators of this venerable shop that services clients all across the country.
They plan to add about fifteen jobs over the next three or four years in order to keep up with demand for their services: “Frankly, we’re just running out of floor space,” Jonathan said. “The assets that we work on here get larger and larger. We’re currently bringing in assets that weigh up to 100 thousand pounds. So, when you work on something like that, you need a lot of space to work on it.” They also plan to expand their property by 15 thousand square feet, and add lifting equipment capable of easily handling 120-thousand-pound motors and other equipment.
Meryl Fisackerly with the GTD LINK commented on the need for services such as these: “Their need to grow is a response to be able to better serve their customers which are those larger industries,” she said. “You know, without these, and the services and the things they do to support those larger businesses, those businesses wouldn’t be able to operate the way they do.”
“When a small business thrives and expands, it creates opportunities for other businesses in the community to thrive and expand as well,” Amaris said. “The neat thing about small businesses is, they come back – the jobs, the revenue, goes right back into the community.”
The Robinsons credit their workers over many decades for making the business a rousing success.
Please click here for the original article and video: https://www.wcbi.com/local-company-to-expand-in-columbus-creating-new-jobs/
