SDEC in the News:
The following 2 articles that appeared on the front page of the
Huron Plainsman on Saturday April 24, 2004
Rademacher awarded Person of the Year award by Council
BY ROGER LARSEN
OF THE PLAINSMAN
Bob Rademacher of Huron epitomizes the kind of individual the South
Dakota Electrical Council honors each year with its Person of the Year Award,
thecouncil president said. "He has a commitment and dedication to making
our industry better, not
only for himself but for the industry," said Mike Sprang of Sioux Falls.
Rademacher, chief executive officer of Dakota Energy Cooperative since
1983, was presented the award at the council's Friday night banquet in Huron.
"Every year we designate someone, typically in the locale of the annual
convention, to be put on a pedestal, if you will, by his peers," Sprang
said.
Rademacher has a long history of involvement with the electrical council
and other similar organizations. He has been with the cooperative since 1972,
when it was known as Beadle Electric Cooperative. He also was employed by
Rosebud Electric in
Gregory and the South Dakota Rural Electric Association in Pierre.
A licensed electrician for many years, he ran the wiring department at
Beadle Electric early in his career. He was a certified electric heat installer
and estimator and a certified energy conversion specialist.
Rademacher has served on the board of the South Dakota Electric Council
and was co-chairman of several council conventions.
He has served as a president of South Dakota Rural Electric's Member
Services Association and the South Dakota Rural Electric's Manager's
Association.
Rademacher has served as chairman of the East River Electric Power Cooperative
Managers for three years and served on the Basin Electric Power Cooperative
Manager's advisory committee for three years. He currently serves on the
board of the Rural Electric Economic Development Inc., and the Cooperative
Service Alliance, both based in Madison. He has served nationally on various
rural electric committees and as a board member of the Federated Rural Electric
Insurance Inc.
Rademacher has also served on a number of local boards. He currently is
on the board of the Center for Independence and its foundation board, and
is on the board of the Greater Huron Development Corporation.
Rademacher and his wife, Jean, have two grown children.
Past Huron winners of the award include Herbert Schulte, Gene Lothrop,
A.D.Schmidt, Glenn McArthur, S.A. Moxness and Elmer Lothrop.
Electrical industry a growing career field
BY ROGER LARSEN
OF THE PLAINSMAN
High school students contemplating a good career that could keep them in
South Dakota should consider the electrical industry, the president of
the South Dakota Electrical Council said.
Mike Sprang of Sioux Falls began his career as a journeyman electrician more
than 20 years ago before moving on to an opportunity in electrical distribution.
"There's not only the opportunity to make a very good living, but also the
opportunity to meet interesting people," he said in an interview Friday.
The electrical council is meeting in Huron for its annual convention, which
concludes today. Each year, the trade organization provides continuing education
for its members. The South Dakota Electrical Commission requires licenseholders
to have 16 hours of continuing education credits every two years to maintain
their certification with the state.
Sprang said membership in the council is up to 913. They include electrical
contractors, distribution people, engineers, manufacturer's representatives and
others. Like those in other professions, electricians must adapt. "There's
constantly changes going on in our business," Sprang said. "There's
market pressures from all facets of the industry, and it doesn't matter where
you are or what you do, you're feeling a market pressure from somewhere."
Pressure also comes from the pricing and labor aspects of the business, he said.
"One of the things that we're struggling with, like a lot of industries,
is finding that labor pool of tomorrow," Sprang said. "How do we get
to the people that we need five and 10 years from now, so we can cultivate them
to have that quality workforce that we need to provide for the customers."
The council needs to do a better job in outreach efforts to young
people, he said.
"As an industry, we need to better market ourselves to the general
public so that people know that our industry is viable," Sprang said.
"You can really make a career out of various parts of the industry,"
he said. People don't necessarily sit down with their kids and talk about
opportunities in building trades in general, he said. "Anybody that's been
in the industry for any period of time will tell you that one of the biggest
advantages that we have is the relationships that we've built along the
way," Sprang said. "Once you're in the industry, it's pretty tight
knit, and people tend to stay."
Previous Edition (2004 - 2005) of President's Notes:
From Mike Sprang, SDEC President
What a great time to be in Huron….Huron is Hot I saw on a billboard as I came
into town. Growth and Development in Rural America, and more specifically Rural
South Dakota. New Business and new business opportunities for Contractors,
Distributors, Engineers, Manufacturers, and Utilities, all proud members of the
South Dakota Electrical Council.
Our industry is ever changing, at a more rapid pace than ever…more
information, faster. However, technology still takes second place to personal
relationships. Relationships built on the philosophy that people do business
with people. Now more than ever, relationships with other industry partners are
invaluable, it is part of the mission of the SDEC to foster these relationships.
One of the key aspects of our future, is our ability to effectively market
our industry to the future labor pool. How often do parents talk to their
children about how great our industry is, if they don't….who will?
You and I are in charge of marketing our industry. Many opportunities are
available in all areas. Make time to speak at Career Days, and market not only
your company , but our industry.
The best part of our industry is the people. From people with little experience,
to people that we recognize as leaders in our industry, people who unselfishly,
give of themselves, not only for their own enrichment, but for the benefit of
our industry. People like Bob Rademacher. We congratulate him as our
"Person of the Year".
If you missed our annual convention, you missed an opportunity, to meet new
friends, and renew old friendships. But more importantly, you missed an
opportunity to learn, and invest in yourself. As we get better as individuals,
our industry gets better. The 16 hour requirement for renewal, is a minimum,
don't let it be the sum total of all your continuing education.
A big THANK YOU to the convention committee for all the hard work, please join
us next year in Sioux Falls.
Mike Sprang
president@sdec.org
Click Here to go to the Conference Page
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