History / Succession Plan
Rudy Hawkins grew up in Matoaca, Virginia where he was a 4 year “Letterman” member of the Petersburg High School Football Team. After graduating high school and spending a two-year term in the United States Army, he returned to his “home turf”, where he completed his college education at Virginia State. Rudy L. Hawkins Electrical Contractor was formed in 1972 as a “one man” operation, primarily focused on Residential Power Wiring. Rudy likes to reflect on when he started the company “with an old beat up pickup truck and a wooden toolbox”. In 1980, Rudy L. Hawkins Electrical became an incorporated company.
As the company began to grow, the business shifted away from the residential segment and became primarily focused on the Commercial/Industrial Market. Rudy became well known as a talented, high quality, safe work performer, and soon became imbedded in local industrial companies such as DuPont, Honeywell, and Firestone. By the mid-1980’s, the company had become known as one of the market’s most well respected Industrial Electrical Contractors. To make room for growth, Rudy moved his shop from Ettrick to Chester, Virginia, where the company currently has its corporate offices and Virginia Operations Division. He immediately set out to hire more Industrial Electricians, and brought on some of the best, most experienced power distribution specialists that the area had to offer, many of whom are still working with the company today.
Rudy recognized the continued growth potential for the company, and realized the need to develop a solid “Succession Plan” in order to ensure continued long-term success and continued employment for his growing roster of employees. Rudy’s son Travis, a University of Georgia grad, joined the company in September of 1995, working as a Field Electrician. Travis attended trade school and became certified as a Master Electrician. He currently holds the position of Senior Vice President and Director of Virginia Operations, and will ultimately lead Rudy L. Hawkins Electrical into the future.
In 2012, the company expanded their operations by opening an additional office in Durham, NC. This division, headed by Craig Kirksey, services the entire state of North Carolina. In 2017, Rudy L. Hawkins Electrical continued its growth efforts by officially launching two new service divisions: Automation & Controls and Fiber Optics & Communications. These two divisions have enhanced the company's ability to offer turnkey services to their many industrial clients. This enables Rudy L. Hawkins Electrical to stay ahead of the technology curve as they continue to develop and maintain “a culture of safety and quality that has attracted the best manpower and clients since 1972”.