Cassady Electrical Contractors, Huston Electric announce merger in Monroe County courthouse
On Wednesday morning, representatives of Cassady Electrical Contractors and Huston Electric announced their merger, effective on April 1.
The venue for the announcement was the historic Monroe County courthouse rotunda. About the choice of location to release the news, Cassady Electric’s Randy Cassady described the rotunda to The B Square as the “heart of the community.”
Founded in Kokomo in 1939, Huston Electric has added physical hubs in Lafayette, Indianapolis, Westfield and Franklin. The history of Huston Electric spans five generations.
Quoted in the news release is Huston Electric president Matt Huston: “We are pleased to join forces with Cassady Electrical Contractors and to be the preferred choice for electrical services and equipment installations. Together, we have the opportunity to power innovation throughout Central and Southern Indiana.”
Randy Cassady said the two companies will retain their respective names. The merger will simply allow them to pool resources so that they can offer services through most of the state of Indiana, he said. For the Cassadys, the company spans three generations. The company was founded in 1965.
Quoted in Wednesday’s news release is Cassady Electrical Contractors president Mike Cassady: “The merger of our two long established, family-owned businesses will strengthen our position in the electrical service market and allow us to provide new services to our valued customers.”
In his remarks on Wednesday morning , Huston’s CEO, Jon Huston, recalled how Mae Cassady, matriarch of the Cassady family, had been helpful to him when he needed a license to work in Monroe County.
As background, Huston said, there’s not a statewide electrician’s license—so you have to appear before the county board that handles electrical licenses.
“I was from Lafayette,” he said, adding that boards across the state are sometimes not very helpful to outsiders. But serving on the board in Monroe County, Mae Cassady was not like that, Huston said. “She opened up her arms, said that she knew our dad. It was just so humbling. And now we have a chance to work together.”
Mae got to know the elder Hustons when the Cassadys moved from Bloomington north to Kokomo, where Huston Electric was founded.
Randy Cassady pointed to a newspaper photo of Mae Cassady, which had been blown up to poster size and was mounted on an easel in the rotunda for Wednesday’s announcement. “That’s mom,” he said.
He noted the Kokomo Lumber Company apron that Mae is wearing in the photo. It was in Kokomo where she had met the Hustons, Cassady said. He added, “As our parents have passed, we’ve come full circle to bring in quality families to do quality work for our communities.”
About Indiana, Cassady said, “It’s our home. It’s where we work. It’s where we care.” He added, “And the merger, this and all of our people, we’re going to be able to be the preeminent electrical contractor in the state of Indiana.”
In the newspaper photo, which was published with a July 29, 1973 Herald-Times article, Cassady told The B Square the job site was the Canadian Apartments on 1st Street—the first job the Cassadys worked after returning to Bloomington from Kokomo.
Mae Cassady died in 2022, a week before the annual lighting of the Canopy of Lights at the courthouse courthouse.
That year, the crowd added a line to the countdown for flipping the switch to the power for the canopy: “… 3–2–1” and before the lights were flipped on: “Thank you, Mae!”
The canopy got a mention in Mae’s obituary: “The Canopy of Lights surrounding the Monroe County courthouse was a special delight for Mae each year. In 1984, the electricians of Cassady Electric, under her guidance, hung the first lights that would immediately become an annual tradition for the entire community.”
Mae was on hand in 2021 for at a gathering in People’s Park that included a public thank-you to Cassady Electrical Contractors for the light strands that now criss-cross Kirkwood Avenue.
Also giving remarks on Wednesday morning were Eric Spoonmore, president and CEO of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, and Clark Greiner, business development director of the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation.
Photos: March 17, 2024 Monroe County Courthouse Rotunda
In the photos, wearing a red jacket is Randy Cassady. Jon Huston is standing to Randy Cassady’s right.
