Horacek Electric celebrates 80 years of service

Peter Horacek Jr. has been serving Abbotsford and the surrounding area as an electrician since he was 10 years old. A business that was started in 1942 will turn 80 years old this year. As a kid, Horacek would work on jobs with his dad who was a self-taught electrician.

In 1942, Peter Horacek Sr. began working as an electrician by installing electricity on his own farm. Soon after, neighbors and community members were asking him to replicate that job in their own barns.

After installing electricity in barns, farmers were able to start streamlining their milking process. The work that Horacek Sr. and Horacek Jr. did in getting electricity into barns directly correlated with the ability to produce milk without the hassle of hand milking cows and in turn, allowed farming to enter into a new age.

Horacek said that running electricity to the barn didn’t mean his work was done at the properties he was working at.

“A lot of times, once the barn got electricity, the house also did,” Horacek said.

Along with electrical work, the Horaceks farmed up until the 1990s and Horacek Jr. drove milk trucks for a portion of his younger years.

At 10 years old, Horacek Jr. started wiring by pulling the wires from one outlet to the next. He said he enjoyed working with his dad even though he couldn’t perform all of the tasks required of an electrician. “The drills were hand cranked and at 10 years old, I didn’t have enough muscle to do that. I enjoyed working along side my dad and seeing the lights turn on when we finished a job.”

In the 1960s, Horacek Sr.’s health began to decline and the business changed hands to Horacek Jr. In 1960, Horacek Jr. married Joyce Kropp and they farmed, raised five children and grew the Horacek Electric business.

Their kids, Kenny, Linda, Kevin, Denise and Elizabeth became the family’s “hired farmhands.” They also would go to job sites and help Peter pull wires and help with other small projects.

In 1972, Horacek Sr. retired from being an electrician and in turn, Horacek Jr. started Horacek Electric. After learning most of his electrical skills on the job, Horacek Jr. went to school and was certified as an electrician.

The thing that distinguished Peter Jr. from other electricians was his willingness to attack difficult jobs like climbing into silos to fix the electric motors. Rarely would Peter bring the motor he was working on down from near the top of the silo.

“Many electricians would not climb the silos,” Peter said. “I only brought the motors down from the unloader if it was burnt out and couldn’t be fixed.”

As the business grew, Peter hired Jim Heindl as a part-time helper.

“Jim would do the stainless steel welding and I would do the wiring,” Horacek said. “We made a great team.”

The Horaceks sold the family farm in 1997 to their son, Kenny and moved to Abbotsford. While in Abbotsford, Peter added commercial wiring to the business. He has worked on many area businesses and buildings. Some include: the TP Printing addition, the R.J. Stockwell Company auction building and the Holy Family Catholic Church in Poniatowski. Peter and Joyce’s bright yellow Horacek Electric trucks could be seen driving throughout central Wisconsin and even in area parades.

Peter earned the Business of the Year award in 2007 and he said, “I was humbled and surprised to receive that recognition.” He was also named an Outstanding Alumni of Abbotsford High School and earned a spot on the Wall of Fame in October of 2019. Now, at 83 years old, Peter might not be scaling silos to run electricity to the structure, but he is still working on small jobs here and there while keeping the tradition of Horacek Electric alive.

Reflecting on his past experiences with the community and his family, Peter said it would not have been possible without the support around him.

“I am very thankful and blessed for my wife and children,” Peter said. “This year marks our 62nd wedding anniversary and I would not be where I am today without [my family’s] hard work, love and support. Thank you to all of my customers of 50 years.”