Cody Reese brings potential to power new CORE Electric business in Worthington
Jun. 20—WORTHINGTON — An idea sparked in electrician Cody Reese's head one day, and there it remained for about eight years, until just recently, as he was able to power his new business, CORE Electric, into reality.
"It's always been my plan," said Reese, whose last day at his previous job with Bedford Industries was Friday.
As of Monday, he is now working full-time as CORE Electric.
Reese wasn't really planning to become an electrician when he graduated from Worthington High School in 2010, but while he was working on completing his generals at Minnesota West Community and Technical College, its wind energy program caught his eye.
His parents helped him out, and Reese went to Canby to meet with the program leaders there for more information. He recalls being told that the wind tower program was three years long, with two separate portions — students would spend one year on electrician coursework, one year on wind energy and then one year crossing over.
"They make sure you start with electrical," he said.
As he was learning how to do electrical work in an academic setting, Reese started working with a family friend's business, offering him even more hands-on experience. After working weekends and during breaks, he realized he didn't need to go back to school to study wind energy. The classes had taught him how to interpret the code book and allowed him to learn the rules for working with electricity. And the hours he was working counted toward the requirements for testing out.
"I had a lot of exposure working hands-on, and I enjoyed what I was doing," he said.
Reese also knew he could meet a community need for electricians, as some of the older electricians in the area neared retirement age.
He's been working on CORE Electric as a side business since April, out of his home in Worthington. He's hoping to stay close to home, but is also willing to travel a little bit, as he's worked as far out as Fulda.
"I've been starting off just doing small projects, something that'll take a week to do," he said.
CORE offers all kinds of electrical work, from that found in home remodeling, service updates, lighting, outlets, machine shops, low voltage, landscaping and exterior lighting, commercial buildings and even troubleshooting, in the case of unexplained outages.
"I'm pretty good at troubleshooting, and that plays a big role sometimes when it comes to electricity," he said.
He's enjoyed the work — particularly the opportunities to meet new people, experience the changes in scenery, work hands-on and be able to move around a bit.
"A lot of people are afraid of (electricity)," Reese said. "But that isn't a bad thing."
For more information on CORE Electric, visit its Facebook page, contact Reese at (507) 360-5426, or email him at cody.reese06@outlook.com. Regular business hours will be 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but Reese will take emergency service calls in the evenings and on weekends.