Undergoing new strategic growth, New River Electrical is expanding west to meet customer demand
For more than 70 years, New River Electrical Corporation (NRE) has been a trusted electrical construction partner specializing in high-voltage infrastructure. With an emphasis on safety, quality, and disciplined execution, NRE supports utility and industrial partners with overhead and underground transmission, distribution, substation, storm response, and telecommunications services. With approximately 2,300 employees today, the company brings an experienced, professional team to every project, backed by a culture of ownership, accountability, and craftsmanship.
To learn more about NRE and its latest developments, we sit down with Jacob Grice, Executive Vice President of Operations. Grice explains that, whilst NRE has
earned national trust in respective fields, the company’s story is rooted in long-term partnerships: “NRE was founded in 1953 by Sherrill Stockton, a former Navy chief electrician. Our first project was a small substation in Jackson, Ohio for American Electric Power (AEP), and we’re proud to still serve AEP more than seven decades later.
“AEP is a valued long-term partner, and we continue to support their transmission, distribution, and telecommunication organizations” says Grice. “We’ve grown alongside our customers, because they trust in the way we plan, execute, and deliver. That’s the foundation for our expansion west. We’ve grown by doing the right work the right way, one successful project and relationship at a time.”
Consistent standards
The backbone of NRE’s growth is its substation construction and maintenance division, which includes more than 1000 skilled employees that support critical electrical infrastructure nationwide. This division offers end-to-end solutions for complex projects and has installed some of the largest 500kV and 765kV substations in the country. Executing projects nationwide, the division’s range of services includes excavation, foundations, grounding systems, conduit systems, steel erections, and equipment installation, to name a few. In addition to its substation capabilities, NRE offers turnkey transmission line installation services. Whether it’s in support of its substation organization or a stand-alone transmission line project, NRE executes complex transmission line scopes up to 765kV.
As NRE has grown, the company has continued to expand its capabilities while adhering to its high standards. Its industrial services team supports electrical systems for facilities and manufacturing environments, while its telecommunications crews – in partnership with IBEW – install and maintain fiber and communication networks that support modern grid infrastructure. These teams bring a consistent standard of safety, training, and professionalism to every job site. On top of that, NRE also maintains a robust distribution line organization that services major IOU’s, municipals, and electric cooperatives. This organization supports projects ranging from small pole replacements to large-scale distribution programs. This same skilled group provides a storm response program that can mobilize its 400 employees to support regions impacted by severe weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and ice storms.
Project delivery
NRE’s underground high voltage transmission division supports the industry’s evolving demands for grid resilience. This division has executed some of the largest XLPE installation projects in the nation, including the first 500kV XLPE installation in the United States where over six million feet of cable was installed. NRE has also delivered underground distribution and network services throughout its history, supporting complex Underground Residential Distribution (URD) and new development projects. Since 1986, NRE has provided URD services in the greater Columbus, Ohio region, including cable installation and replacement, directional boring, secondary service work and utility maintenance. The combination of these services, alongside NRE’s fleet of specialty equipment, means the company is well-positioned to handle an entire project from start to finish. While no two projects are the same, NRE’s diverse experience on complex job sites has provided its teams with the knowledge and confidence to tackle new challenges.
From a cultural standpoint, NRE is a 100 percent employee-owned company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) established in 1984. Employee ownership is a core part of how NRE operates and competes. “What makes our ESOP powerful is that it includes the people who do the work – our field supervision – not just leadership or office staff,” Grice comments. “When people have a path to ownership, they think long-term. They genuinely care and they work to protect quality, safety, and reputation because they have a stake in the outcome. Our ESOP influences every decision we make. It drives our employees and, ultimately, our success.”
New locations
Historically, NRE’s strongest presence has been in the eastern United States, with long-standing operations in Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and the Mid-Atlantic region, which has helped to drive its growth in the west. To better support its western partners, NRE opened a new office in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2024, followed by another in Ontario, California, in 2025. These locations join the company’s headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia, and its regional headquarters in Ohio, Virginia, along with its satellite offices in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. “Being closer to our customers is a key strategy; it allows us to maintain project continuity and uphold the high standards they expect from NRE,” adds Grice.
For more than seven decades, NRE has built a reputation based on professionalism, safety and technical excellence. As the company expands west, it remains focused on strategic growth, serving customers who value long-term partnership and high-quality work. Powered by its employee-owners, NRE will continue to uphold its values and a genuine passion for excellence as it grows throughout the US.
Looking ahead, Grice expects investment in electrical infrastructure to continue growing as utilities modernize aging assets and expand system capacity. “More clients are looking for partners who can execute complex large scale projects,” he concludes. “We’re building on our foundation and expanding our capabilities to meet that demand. From a company perspective, we aim to establish a national presence, expand our services, and provide value to our employee owners.”