What Rickard Electric does

Rickard Electric Inc., operating under the trade name REI, is a privately held electrical contractor founded in 1973 and headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. The firm provides residential, commercial, industrial, and automation-PLC electrical services to customers in the Fargo-Moorhead area and surrounding communities. Its commercial portfolio spans office fit-ups, retail, warehouses, medical facilities, and large-scale institutional projects such as the Fargo Dome, while its industrial work centers on control upgrades, new installations, and ongoing on-site service at major facilities including Cargill — a customer relationship maintained continuously since 1986.

The company's technical capabilities rest on conventional industrial electrical infrastructure rather than software or AI: UL508A listed panel building, design-build implementation of programmable logic controllers (PLC) and PC-based process-control systems, motion control using AC drive technology, AutoCAD-based design documentation, and infrared thermal imaging for preventive maintenance surveys. These capabilities are credentialed through IBEW union affiliation, NECA membership, and UL508A certification. The firm also offers free project estimates and 24/7 emergency service across its service territory.

Rickard Electric operates a direct-sales, project-based business model. Revenue is generated through bid jobs, design-build projects, and recurring maintenance contracts, with pricing established per-project based on scope and complexity. The go-to-market approach is local and relationship-driven, leveraging the company's 50-plus-year regional brand, certified industrial credentials, and embedded long-term enterprise relationships — particularly with Cargill across multiple facility types — to compete for commercial and industrial electrical work in the Fargo-Moorhead market.

Name

Rickard Electric

Legal name

Rickard Electric Inc.

Website

https://reifargo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rickard Electric is a Fargo, North Dakota-based electrical contractor founded in 1973, providing commercial, industrial, residential, and automation-PLC electrical services — including UL508A panel building and infrared testing — to enterprise and institutional customers in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fargo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Electrical Services Revenue: Project-based revenue from commercial, industrial, residential, and automation-PLC electrical services. Includes bid jobs, design-build projects, ongoing maintenance contracts (e.g., Cargill since 1986), and UL508A panel building services.
2. Free Estimates (Lead Generation): Company offers free estimates as a lead generation mechanism for acquiring new electrical service projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rickard Electric is an electrical contractor delivering commercial, industrial, residential, and automation-PLC electrical installation, maintenance, and repair services across the Fargo-Moorhead area. The firm also performs UL508A panel building and infrared thermal testing for preventive maintenance, with 24/7 service availability and free estimates.

Product overview

Rickard Electric is an electrical services company offering a unified portfolio of commercial, industrial, automation-PLC, and infrared testing services. The company operates as a single-service provider with interconnected capabilities: commercial and industrial electrical work forms the core offering, while Automation-PLC services provide specialized control systems and panel building (UL508A listed), and Infrared Testing enables preventive maintenance across all electrical installations. Services span from routine maintenance to complex design-build projects and are available 24/7 with free estimates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Electrical Services Electrical services for commercial projects ranging from single office fit-ups to large-scale buildings such as the Fargo Dome, including warehouses, schools, retail, medical facilities, and office buildings. Targets commercial property owners, facility managers, and institutional buyers in the Fargo-Moorhead region.
• Industrial Electrical Services On-site electrical service at industrial facilities including control upgrades and new installations for solid waste burners, asphalt and concrete plants, rock crushing sites, animal feed producers, food processing plants, and industrial equipment manufacturers. Targets plant operators and industrial manufacturers.
• Automation-PLC Services UL508A listed panel building specializing in design-build and implementation of electrical controls and programmable logic controllers (PLC) for plant efficiency, productivity, and safety, including motion control using AC drive technology and process control monitoring using PLC or PC-based systems. Targets industrial operators needing automation and control upgrades.
• Infrared Testing Services Infrared surveys of electrical systems to detect problems early, including loose connections, failing switches or breakers, preventing costly repairs and downtime through annual thermal imaging inspections. Targets facility managers and industrial operators needing preventive maintenance.
• Residential Electrical Services Electrical installation, repair, and service for residential properties at all scales, including 24/7 emergency service availability. Targets individual homeowners in the Fargo-Moorhead region.

Quantifiable outcome

• Preventive maintenance through infrared testing can prevent costly repairs and downtime
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBEW affiliation displayed on website and marketing materials. Union partnership for skilled electrical workforce. Affiliation demonstrates commitment to trained, certified electrical workers and industry standards.
• UL (Underwriters Laboratories)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUL508A listed panel builder. Certification indicates safety and quality standards compliance for electrical control panel manufacturing and construction.
• NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNECA membership displayed on website. Industry association membership provides access to resources, training, standards, and networking within the electrical contracting industry.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• EMCOR Group: Largest publicly traded electrical and mechanical contractor in the U.S., serving commercial, industrial, and utility markets nationally. Relevant as a scale benchmark and competitive pressure on regional contractors like Rickard.
• Bergelectric: Large U.S. electrical contractor with commercial, industrial, and mission-critical capabilities. Comparable in service breadth to Rickard but operates across many states with significantly more resources.
• Faith Technologies: Large multi-state electrical contractor with significant industrial automation and prefabrication capabilities. Comparable automation/control panel offerings to Rickard's UL508A work, but at national scale.
• IES Holdings: National electrical and infrastructure services provider with strong industrial and commercial exposure. Comparable service categories to Rickard at much larger scale, useful as a public-market valuation reference.

Direct peers

• Knutson Electric: Minneapolis-based full-service electrical contractor serving commercial, industrial, and residential markets in the Upper Midwest. Comparable in scale and service portfolio, operating in an adjacent geography to Rickard's Fargo-Moorhead base.
• Hunt Electric Corporation: Midwest-based electrical contractor offering commercial, industrial, and automation services across Minnesota and the Dakotas. Closely comparable in geography, service mix, and target customer profile to Rickard Electric.
• Laketown Electric Corporation: Regional Midwest electrical contractor providing design-build, service, and automation work. Comparable business model and customer mix to Rickard Electric, with similar reliance on industrial and commercial projects.
• Roen Companies / Roen Electric: Fargo-Moorhead area electrical and construction services provider. Operates in the same local market as Rickard Electric with overlapping commercial, industrial, and automation service offerings.

Regional players

• Dakota Electric Association: Electric utility cooperative serving the greater Fargo-Moorhead area. While a utility rather than a contractor, it represents the same regional energy/electrical ecosystem where Rickard operates and sources work.

Emerging players

• Automation Solutions of America: Smaller, niche industrial automation and control panel builder. Comparable to Rickard's UL508A and PLC automation work, but more narrowly focused on the controls/automation segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Rickard-Electric-Inc-100095161481085
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rickard-electric-inc-elec

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rickard Electric