Serving the Needs of Our Community Erik Redd Establishes Mr. Electric of Monroe ARTCILE BY PAUL LIPE
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AMERICA IS STILL THE LAND OF opportunity. For the individual who works hard and who is willing to use his God-given abilities to serve the needs of others, the road to success is open. Given the pro small business attitude and actions of the current Administration in Washington, the American dream is back in play, and the entrepreneurial young man has just thrown his hat in the ring. This young man is Erik Redd who is pursuing that dream by establishing his own business, Redd Energy Services and Mr. Electric of Monroe and Shreveport. It has long been his goal to create an opportunity to serve the needs of the public and, at the same time, provide for his family. Redd’s training, experience and aptitude have prepared him for this step of faith. Redd said, “Math and Science seemed to be my strong suit in high school; therefore, I pursued an education in engineering at Louisiana Tech. My dad graduated from Tech with a degree in Petroleum Engineering, so that seemed to be the right school for me.” The recipient of the Marbury Alumni Scholarship, Redd graduated from the university in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. Later, in 2010, he passed the professional engineering test and became a Licensed Professional Electrical Engineer in Louisiana that same year. Erik began his career by working for Texas New Mexico Power Company as a Distribution Electrical Engineer. In that role, he headed up a group that was responsible for rebuilding the power grid of Gulf Port, Mississippi, during the Katrina Recovery. He was also selected 58 APRIL 2018 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM
to act as the engineering representative for the company safety committee. Following this, he spent three years in Vicksburg, Mississippi, working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the electrical engineering design and operations department. Wanting to come back to his Louisiana roots, he secured employment as Plant Electrical Engineer with Entergy, serving them from 2012-2017. During his tenure with Entergy, he was appointed as compliance lead to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation for generation power plant. This varied work experience has prepared Mr. Redd for his new venture. Redd Energy Services has two divisions: (1) Redd Engineering, which provides electrical engineering services to power generation and industrial sector, and (2) Mr. Electric of Monroe and Shreveport, which offers electrical contracting services for the residential, faithbased and commercial sectors. Mr. Electric is staffed with professional electricians, who are proficient in their trade. In addition, Erik adds an extra level of technical knowledge that is not available by most electrical contractors in North Louisiana. The principles, which will govern Redd’s business have been developed by his growing up in a Christian home, attending Christian schools and being active in churches where he lived. Whatever he has been engaged in has seen him give his very best. An example of this was his key defensive role in the success of the 1997 OCS State Championship football team. As the result of his hard work on the gridiron and in the classroom, Erik was named
to the 1998 Class 2A Academic All-State Football Team. During his four years of high school at OCS, he was active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and, as a senior, was chosen as the most outstanding member of that organization. That same commitment and dedication will characterize how he directs his new enterprise. One of Erik’s wisest and most rewarding actions was the (August 9, 2003) marriage to Lindsey Franklin. The couple met while they were students at OCS and dated during their college years – even though he was at Tech and she attended ULM! The happiness of this union has been multiplied by the arrival of their three children – Eli, Ella and Levi. This young family makes their home in Marion, where they are very active members of the community and their church – both Erik and Lindsey teach Sunday School classes and are strong supporters of their church ministry. In addition, Lindsey is employed by Darbonne Woods Charter School as registrar and serves on the Town Council. Though the challenges of starting a new business are daunting, Erik Redd is confident that his years of training and experience have prepared him to meet those challenges and that, with God’s help, his new business enterprise will prosper. There is a need for the service his company provides, and Redd is enthusiastic about this opportunity to address these needs.