V. L. Chapman Electric, Inc. is an electrical contracting firm located in Grand River, Ohio.  The company specializes in commercial and industrial wiring.

            The Company's short term objectives are to continue to provide a place of employment, opportunity and income for the owners, their families and valued employees.  V. L. Chapman Electric, Inc. is a family owned and operated company that has been in business for over 50 years.  The owners have always felt an obligation, not only to provide for the family members who have worked for the Company, but also for some of the workers who have spent most of their careers working for V. L. Chapman Electric, Inc.  We realize that the men and women in the field are the ones who make the Company successful. 

            On a long term basis, the Company would like to continue to be a leader in the Greater Cleveland electrical construction market.  Unlike some others, however, we want to continue to be a leader in quality, dependability and profitability rather than simply a leader in dollar volume.  A number of years ago, a manager of a large plant was asked by the parent company to compare some of the contractors that had worked in the plant in order to compile a list of preferred contractors. The manager said, “I find it difficult to compare contractors where V. L. Chapman Electric is concerned. They are simply the best contractor of any trade we have working in the plant.  There is no comparison.”  That is how we want to perform for every customer.

BUSINESS HISTORY:

            The Company was started as a partnership in the early 1950's by Vern Chapman and Jack Binns.  Chapman Electric began as a small company doing house wiring and residential service work.  Both men worked part time at the business while maintaining full time jobs at The Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company.  V. L. Chapman Electric, Inc. was originally named C and B Electric.

            Mr. Chapman bought the Company in 1959 and renamed it Vernon L. Chapman, Electrical Contractor.  The Company was run as a sole proprietorship and became successful wiring new homes, apartments and condominiums for general building contractors.  The Company was located in Mentor, Ohio.

            The Company was incorporated as V. L. Chapman Electric, Inc. in January of 1972.  Two months after the Company incorporated, Mr. Chapman was killed at the age of 47 in an automobile accident while on vacation in Florida.  His wife, Winifred G. Chapman, became the second President of V. L. Chapman Electric, Incorporated.  Mrs. Chapman would serve as President of V. L. Chapman Electric, Inc. until her death from cancer at the age of 55 in 1982.

            Prior to her death, Winifred Chapman and her sons, James A. Chapman and H. Thomas Chapman carried on the business after the death of their father.  Tom was working for the Company as Vice President at the time of his father’s death.  Both sons, Jim and Tom, had worked for Chapman Electric during their high school years and breaks in college.  At the time of Vernon L. Chapman’s death, Jim was a project manager for the Bruening Corporation in Chicago. Upon the death of Mr. Chapman, Jim resigned his position with Bruening and joined V. L. Chapman Electric in March of 1972.  He served as the Company‘s Treasurer.  In 1974, Jim was promoted to Vice President of Sales and Tom assumed the role of Vice President of Construction and Treasurer.  When Mrs. Chapman passed away in 1982, Jim, the older of the two brothers, was elected President and Tom became Vice President - Secretary / Treasurer of the Corporation.    

            Soon after Jim and Tom took over management of the V. L. Chapman Electric in 1972, the Company began to shift its focus.  In the mid 1970's, the residential market was saturated with house wiring contractors so; Chapman Electric began to compete in the commercial and industrials markets.  Today the Company employs commercial and industrial electrical construction personnel and is exclusively into commercial and industrial electrical construction.

            In the year 2000, V. L. Chapman Electric, Inc. was saddened again by the sudden illness and death from cancer of James A. Chapman at the age of 54.  H. Thomas Chapman officially became the fourth President of V. L. Chapman Electric, Inc. in 2001.

            Tom's wife, Claudia A. Chapman worked for years on a part-time basis handling the Company's payroll, taxes and monthly, quarterly and yearly financial reports.  When Jim passed away, Claudia was appointed a Board Member and was named the Company's Vice President-Secretary/Treasurer.  Tom and Claudia's daughters, Andrea D. Vann and Lydia M. Rich help manage the company.