11/11/2020

From the Vietnam War to the Unionized Electrical Industry: The Career Path of Dave Runnells

Recognizing ECA Members this Veteran's Day

In the spring of 1968, the USS America CVA 66 departed Norfolk, Virginia en route to Vietnam to assist American troops who were fighting during the Vietnam War. The ship made history that day when it headed out into the South Atlantic and became the first East Coast carrier to go to Vietnam.

Ships at the time were typically on a six-month deployment schedule and from the time the USS America arrived off the coast of Vietnam to October of 1968 when it left, it helped carry out hundreds of missions in support of U.S. troops on the ground in Vietnam.

The ship was filled with hundreds of U.S. Navy soldiers ready to help in any way they could. One Naval Officer named Dave Runnells was there in part because his dad had served during World War II.

“The possibility of being a naval officer and following in my dad’s footsteps had a certain appeal to me,” explained Runnells. “It was a conflicted time in the whole country. My father had been a submarine officer during World War II so I tried to get into the Navy because of my dad’s background.”

Runnells, a 1967 graduate of Michigan State University, served as a Navy Officer on the ship until 1969 when budget cuts gave him the option for an early exit. Runnells accepted the early release option and enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business in pursuit of an M.B.A.

Following graduation, Runnells held roles at Sears, Wilson Sporting Goods, and Berkley Fishing Tackle before becoming 1/3 owner of Econ-O-Cloth with two of his cousins. After a 13-year run as President of Econ-O-Cloth, Runnells sold the company and took some time off before a new venture in the electrical industry came along.

“The owner of Videotec reached out to me in 1998 to join and become part of the exit plan before taking over the company in 2001,” said Runnells. “I didn’t know much about the industry, but I was fortunate that my partner, Buddy Lee, whom I share 50/50 ownership with, did. Between Lee and the previous owner, they provided a pathway for me to get up to speed within the industry.”

Now, Videotec is a low-voltage security systems integrator in the Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana area that employs IBEW Local 134 electricians. The company has worked on projects at Chicago’s Union Station, McCormick Place, School District 230 in Orland Park, and Valparaiso, Indiana schools.

Apart from being a newcomer to the unionized electrical industry and having to learn how the industry operates, Runnells said he was most surprised by how well the labor and management sides got along.

“None of my previous jobs had been involved with the union workforce, but NECA and IBEW Local 134 are high-quality organizations that worked well before I got around and continue to do so today,” Runnells said.

Runnells also explained that the highly-skilled union electricians of Local 134 allow for changes to be adapted that help the industry grow, including the use of technology both in the office and in the field to speed up jobsite productivity and ultimately reduce costs for Powering Chicago customers.

“Technology is a part of every industry and changes are everywhere,” said Runnells. “But in our industry, and particularly in the last 7-10 years, the pace of tech change has been breathtaking. Fortunately, my partner loves that part of the business and is on top of it.”

Spending the latter part of his career in the electrical industry wasn’t exactly what Runnells envisioned when he embarked on the USS America back in 1967, but for someone who’s never shied away from a challenge or a new opportunity, he couldn’t be happier with how things have turned out. It’s safe to say that the electrical industry is better off because of veterans like Dave Runnells.  

Reprinted from Powering Chicago, November 10, 2020: https://poweringchicago.com/veteran-dave-runnells-path-to-unionized-electrical-industry/