MEMBER PROFILE
30 Years Serving the
Westman Region
Brandon Avenue Electric is changing ownership
while retaining the quality and service that have
made it a success for over three decades
By Paul Adair
From its humble beginnings
starting out in the back of a
garage on Brandon Avenue,
Brandon Avenue Electric has
been successfully serving its customers
in the City of Brandon, and across the
Westman region, for more than 30 years.
Founded by construction electrician Vern
Snyder in 1989, the company moved to
its current 1,000-square-foot building
at 801 9th St. in 2000, and – to this day
– continues to pride itself on delivering
the highest quality commercial and
residential electrical contracting work at
a great price.
A few years ago, Snyder made the long
decision to retire from the business he
started to focus on spending more time
on the things he most enjoys, like family,
travel and golf. In 2017, general contractor
Paul Johnstone made arrangements to
purchase the company, joining Brandon
Avenue Electric as a managing partner
as part of Snyder’s succession plan. With
more than two decades of experience
managing a local branch office for
Niverville, Manitoba-based contractor,
Von Ast Construction, Johnstone had a
long history of working with Brandon
Avenue Electric, and – in that time – had
developed a close friendship with Snyder.
“It’s been a lot of fun so far and I
have really enjoyed my time here,” said
Johnstone. “I knew that when I was
going to change careers that I wanted
to create some new challenges for
myself, and it’s been a nice switch from
the world of general contracting to
electrical contracting.”
“Not everyone wants to take on the
responsibility of running the shop and
maintaining the day-to-day operations to
keep this company viable,” said Snyder.
“But I’ve known Johnstone for a long
time and this is something that he loves
to do. Johnstone is extremely customer-orientated
and has the same thinking
about the business that I do: keep people
happy and make things right when
something goes wrong. Johnstone
will be a perfect fit for Brandon Avenue
Electric in the years ahead.”
Although Brandon Avenue Electric has
built a strong reputation for its residential
work, the company has shifted its primary
focus to commercial construction and
service work. To that end, Brandon
Avenue Electric has been working with
Brandon-based Sneath Projects on a
number of renewal projects, helping to
successfully revitalize some of Brandon’s
older downtown buildings.
Brandon Avenue Electric strives to
differentiate itself from the competition
through its steadfast commitment to
providing excellent customer service,
turning one-time jobs into repeat business
and building long-term relationships
with customers.
“Over the last 30 years, our customers
have come to expect us to keep our
appointments when they’re made and
then get the work done in a timely manner,
PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDON AVENUE ELECTRIC
BUILDING RURAL MANITOBA | 25