Skoflek Electric is a Merritt-based electrical company which offers both residential and commercial services.
Company owner Bela Skoflek and Head Electrician Bryan Tolmie tackle electrical projects big and small in the Nicola Valley, providing quality workmanship at a price that won’t break the bank.
Already a working electrician, Skoflek found himself feeling unfulfilled with the direction his life and career were taking. When he suddenly faced a huge personal hurdle, he decided it was time to make a change.
“My goal in the trade was always to get to the point of having my own company,” said Skoflek.
“The catalyst that actually made me follow through was getting sick. I was diagnosed with lymphoma a few years ago. At that point I re-evaluated where I was at and where I wanted to be.”
Although Skoflek made a decent wage as a certified tradesman, he felt that there was more to life than punching a clock for someone else.
“I was at a pretty good point in my career, had full time work with a local contractor, but still didn’t feel fulfilled,” explained Skoflek.
“Working long hours, making good money, but sacrificing time with my son and family. I was off work for nearly a year doing treatment and used that time to plan the company. I didn’t have much money, but I had time. So, I got the extra education I needed, came up with a company logo and design, learned about bookkeeping, taxes, etc.”
Skoflek beat lymphoma and was able to return to work after finishing his treatment period. It was at this time that Skoflek launched his company in Sept. 2019.
“It was terrifying and exciting all at once,” said Skoflek.
“It was a slow start but I had enough to make overhead. I had learned to live a bare bones lifestyle while sick. My first jobs were from friends and family who were supporting me, something I will forever be thankful for, and my focus was to provide quality work without price gouging.”
Through word of mouth from satisfied clients and the use of social media marketing and advertising, Skoflek began to see requests for his services increase and his business become busier.
“Word of mouth and Facebook marketing helped me start getting new clients and my mission stayed the same, quality work, reasonable rates. Everything snowballed from there, but I maintained the low overhead lifestyle,” said Skoflek.
“This allowed me to pour all the income back into the company. Getting better tools and equipment to streamline work. Radio ads and better marketing to bring in more customers. Soon it became bigger than I could handle alone.”
Suddenly, Skoflek Electric saw its first expansion, bringing in Bryan Tolmie to help shoulder the workload.
“Bryan joined the team, and he was a perfect fit,” said Skoflek.
“He had ample experience in the trade and is great with client interaction. We were very like-minded.”
Both were of the same opinion that they should be a solid company providing reliable work at reasonable rates, and that family should always come first even alongside business responsibilities.
“We are able to achieve this by streamlining workflow and keeping overhead low,” explained Skoflek.
“The end goal of every job is to have the customer satisfied with the work performed, it has never been about money. I am able to take my son to school and pick him up every day. That’s what it is all about. Going forward we want to sustain the same mindset and grow it. We want to help Merritt grow and give back to the community that fostered our company.”
When it comes time to relax and blow off steam, the lifelong Merrittonian still keeps up with his favourite hobby – skateboarding.
“I usually go around two times a week in the summer,” said Skoflek.
“The non-competitive aspect is what drew me to it, I was never big on team sports. Skateboarding was a way to do something together with friends while everyone is doing completely independent things.”
That ability to be successful and have fun independent of others has helped Skoflek build a business others have already come to trust in the less than two years since he started.
If you are in need of an electrician, you can contact Skoflek Electric at 250-315-3507, or find them on Facebook at ‘Skoflek Electric’.
