Strong businesses aren’t created by chance. And they don’t last for more than 50 years without a lot of hard work. It takes dedication and commitment. Two things the powerhouse women of Faulkner Electric, Valerie and Abbie Faulkner, have in spades.
“I think I was the first lady electrician in Pasco County,” shared Valerie. She’s very modest about her role in the company, but her guiding force is clear. After her husband, Bill Faulkner, started the business, Valerie joined him, answering the phones. After a slow down when they had to let go of their workers, Valerie decided it was time to take on a more active role. While he was skeptical at first, she quickly proved herself and became an integral part of the team. “As the years went by and I’m helping him, I could think of myself almost like a nurse with a doctor. He was doing the surgical, and I was handing things to him. I knew exactly what he needed,” explained Valerie.
Together, they grew the company and provided an example that their son Billy wanted to follow as well. He joined the crews during the summers as early as age 13. He did trade school during high school, and when he graduated, he joined the team full time. In 1992, at the age of 19, he was running crews for large jobs.
Abbie joining the company was a much different story. Joining the family business was never something she expected growing up. With her grandmother ready to retire and no one available to fill the role, their eyes turned to Abbie. “We talked about it a lot, because integrating another family member into a business is not always easy. We had to come to a lot of agreements. And all fell into place,” said Abbie.
She jumped in with zeal and brought new life to the company. “I always wanted to bring success to myself and my family. I love my job. I love being able to employ our guys and make sure that they have a happy environment to work in. And I like to talk to our customers and make sure that they’re happy. At the end of the day, sometimes you look at a light switch and that’s all you see. You don’t see what’s behind the walls, but we want to make sure that our product is perfectly straight lines and we are producing the best quality work you can,” explained Abbie.
Being a woman in a male dominated industry isn’t easy. “Most men were not too ecstatic to see me show up on a job,” shared Valerie. Abbie agreed, “People have totally rejected me because of my gender. Right after the storm, he had three feet of flood water in his home. I came there to give a price and he told me to get off his property.” While those experiences may be memorable, it doesn’t deter Abbie from recommending it to others, “It’s a great option for women to get into a field like this. There’s so many little details. A lot of women have that touch. And you can make a decent paycheck doing it.”
While Abbie never expected to join Faulkner Electric as the third generation, she hopes to keep the business within the family in the future. “I don’t have any children yet, but if I do, that would be a cool thing to continue.” With women like Valerie and Abbie behind them, they are sure to succeed for generations to come.
Faulkner Electric, Inc.
Faulkner Electric has served west Pasco and surrounding communities for over 50 years. They can provide all your residential electrical needs from whole home upgrades to installing a new boat lift or EV charger and much more. They are proud to be a multigenerational family business giving back to their community. Learn more at faulkner4electric.com.
“I always wanted to bring success to myself and my family. I love my job.”