Draft:Taylor Electric Company (TEC)

Taylor Electric Company, founded in 1922 by electrician Sam Taylor[i], is one of the oldest Black-owned, family-owned, and (now female-owned), companies in Chicago, in Illinois, and in the United States.[ii] It is also one of the few hundred-year-old electrical contractors in the United States.[iii] Today, Taylor Electric is a multi-million-dollar company providing electrical services for new construction and the rehabilitation of multi-unit residential and special use facilities, as well as maintenance for facilities like Guaranteed Rate Field, Soldier Field, and Northerly Island.

History
Founder Sam Taylor came to Chicago from the coal mines of Alabama during the Great Migration. He began doing electrical work at the Pullman Company with a neighbor, Robert Patterson (also a Black man), in 1918[iv] and he later become a licensed electrician by taking a correspondence course. In 1922, he started Taylor Electric Company, which was headquartered at the time near Motor Row, an area on the near South Side of Chicago. He started primarily with small residential projects on the south and west sides of Chicago, but grew to service commercial and industrial clients as well. Among his clients were several automobile-related companies, including Blue Star Auto and Greer College. [v]

Also, among Taylor's neighbors and customers were several infamous characters, including Al Capone, who conducted his illegal activities from the Lexington Hotel, and other Chicago underworld figures, namely Red Sullivan, Denny Cooney, and James "Big Jim" Colosimo, owner of Colosimo's Restaurant.[vi]

While performing electrical work at Greer College, Taylor persuaded the school to admit his employee and close family friend, Charles Stewart, making him the first Black student at the trade school.[vii] For many years thereafter, Stewart worked with Sam Taylor as part of Taylor Electric Company. Taylor and Stewart along with about 50 other Black electricians tried to join the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 134, but the union denied them membership. In 1934, the group persuaded Oscar De Priest, the first Black U.S. congressman since Reconstruction, to issue Charter 9362, which allowed them to function, essentially, as the first Black electrician's union.[viii]

In 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt's executive order 8802, which demanded "the full and equitable participation of all workers in defense industries, without discrimination because of race, creed, color, or national origin", put pressure on the IBEW, and eventually the union began referring the members of Charter 9362. As a result, Sam Taylor, Charles Stewart and other members of the Charter were finally admitted to the union. [ix]

In 1958, Sam Taylor's son Rufus joined the company, working as an electrician under his father. He eventually became president after Sam, who had suffered a heart attack, was no longer able to run the business. Rufus Taylor became full owner in 1973 after Sam's death. Sam's daughter, Jesse Taylor Dinkins, joined the company in 1972, first as secretary and then as the company's controller, handling all financial operations, including accounting and payroll.[x] Over the years, other members of the Taylor and Dinkins families filled a variety of roles at the company. [xi]

Rufus Taylor was a tireless supporter of Black businesses, especially in the construction industry. He was a founding member of Black Contractors United (BCU) in 1979. He and BCU supported Harold Washington in his race for mayor and, during Washington's administration, consulted on matters concerning minority businesses in construction.[xii] He also expanded the company and, in 1982, revenues passed the million-dollar mark. In 1989, Sam Taylor was posthumously inducted into the Electrical Association's Hall of Fame[xiii]. That same year, Taylor Electric became the electrical maintenance contractor for the Chicago White Sox's new Comiskey Park, now Guaranteed Rate Field. A short time later, the company was awarded a similar contract at Soldier Field. [xiv]

The company was still growing when, in 1995, Rufus Taylor was murdered in a carjacking. His daughter Martha Taylor took over as president, and Kenneth Dinkins (son of Jessie Taylor Dinkins) became vice president in charge of field operations[xv]. By 2005, annual revenues reached $12 million, as Martha Taylor focused the company on residential construction. In 2015, she retired and was succeeded by her cousins, Kendra Dinkins and Karen Michele Dinkins (daughters of Kenneth Dinkins, who died in 2012). Kendra became president of the company, and Michele took over field operations as vice president. The next year, Kendra and Karen Michele Dinkins helped found Black Contractors, Owners and Executives (BCOE).[xvi]

In 2018, less than 4 percent of Black-owned businesses had any paid employees, and the average number of paid workers in employer firms was 9.[xvii] Taylor Electric Company employs 40 people year-round and has 60 more seasonal employees. In 2020, the average annual revenue of Black-owned employer firms was just under $1 million. The average annual revenue of Black employer businesses that were more than 16 years old was $1.06 million. In 2017, Taylor Electric's annual receipts reached $15 million.[xviii]

Notable Projects
Guaranteed Rate Field (formerly the new Comiskey Park): electrical maintenance (since 1991)

Soldier Field: electrical maintenance (current as of 2022)

McCormick Place Expansion (1986)

O'Hare Airport: People Mover (1993) and Terminal Five Expansion (2022) and Maintenance of Security Doors (current as of 222)

Engine Company 115: new construction of the largest firehouse in Chicago (as of March 2021)

Willis Tower: electrical upgrades (Sears Tower, work completed prior to 1972)

Navy Pier: Ferris Wheel electrical upgrades (2014) and electrical maintenance (current as of 2022)

City Hyde Park: Residential apartments and retail, including Marshalls and Michaels Stores (2015)

University of Chicago: Numerous projects including University of Chicago Charter School (2017), Henry Crown Fieldhouse Lighting (2019) and David D. Rubenstein Forum (2020).

Taylor Electric Cares Foundation
Taylor Electric and the Taylor family have long been involved in efforts to give back to their community. In 2021, this tradition was carried on with the founding of Taylor Electric Cares (TECares), a not-for-profit dedicated to helping provide education and resources to minorities and women who are interested in a career in the electrical construction industry. Among other activities, TECares partners with the Chicago Women in Trade (CWIT) to offer classes and preparation for becoming a tradeswoman.