Founded in 1996 by Karen Purcell, P.E., PK Electrical has grown from a small local business to a nationally recognized electrical engineering firm. This would not have been possible without our thoughtful leadership and innovative designs. The firm has had the privilege of continuing to work with the clients that it began working with 25 years ago, adding clients throughout the years.
PK Electrical Throughout the Years
The firm started out strong and has only gotten better through exceptional leadership and thoughtful hiring. Founded by female powerhouse Karen Purcell, PK Electrical derives its’ name from P – Purcell and K – Krob for Tom Krob who was Karen’s mentor as she started her career in electrical engineering. Karen started her career as an electrical design engineer, excelling quickly in her career. She became ignited by her passion for the industry, moved to Reno, Nevada, and established PK Electrical. After a year as the sole employee of PK, Karen hired Alan Wiskus in 1997. Alan has a diverse skill set, as he began in the field as a Journeyman Wireman. He brings the firm a well-rounded knowledge of the contracting and installation side of the project and is able to predict unforeseen issues in the design phase as well as produce constructible plans. He is now a Principal and Vice President of PK Electrical, and in 2012 relocated to Denver to open a second office to carry on the firm’s success.
In 2013, Joey Ganser, P.E. became a shareholder and now serves as the Principal of Engineering. He is based out of our Reno office and his design focus lies in higher education, K-12, airports, commercial, utility, and medical project types. Dugan Hadler, LEED AP BD+C, became a shareholder in 2017 and now serves as the Principal of Design. His experience lies in healthcare, commercial, research facilities, industrial, military, and utilities.
PK Electrical has completed thousands of jobs in its 25-years and has staff members that are licensed in 17 states. We are WBENC certified, DBE certified in Arizona, California, Illinois, Nevada, Texas, and Washington, as well as being DBE/SBE/M/WBE certified in Colorado. We also hold a CDOT ESB certification.
Projects to be Proud of
Small to large, easy to complex, we are proud of every single one of our projects. We know that we have put in the hard work, dedication, and time to produce an amazing result. We have had some extremely difficult and rewarding projects over the course of our 25-year run. Take a look at some of our most notable projects:
- Project Neon | Las Vegas, Nevada
- Renown Emergency COVID Renovation | Reno, Nevada *Note that we were trusted to perform such an important matter of public safety
- City and County of Denver New 911 Center | Denver, Colorado
- UNR Nye and Argenta Halls | Reno, Nevada *Note that we were called on/trusted to perform the site evaluation before the project was awarded
- RTD North Metro Rail Line | Denver, Colorado
- Denver International Airport Concourse Expansion | Denver, Colorado
- Southeast LightRail Extension (SERE) | Lone Tree, Colorado
- 47th Avenue and York Street Pedestrian Bridge | Denver, Colorado
- Renown Pediatric Specialty Care | Reno, Nevada
- Golden Eagle Regional Park | Sparks, Nevada
- Wildcreek High School | Reno, Nevada
- UNR Knowledge Center | Reno, Nevada
Culture
We are committed to creating a culture that brings out the best in our employees. We live by our core values of passion, commitment, integrity, innovation, and accountability and it is because of these core values that we are able to incorporate so many great team-building activities. PK Electrical participates in an annual Team Alignment, bringing our two offices together to create and ensure a cohesive vision. Some of our Team Alignment trips in recent years have included a scavenger hunt through Las Vegas, a beach day at Lake Tahoe, and a one-week cruise where staff sailed the seas and explored new countries together. These retreats establish and maintain what we call PK X, short for PK eXcellence. This culmination of companywide standards and procedures are used to guarantee consistency and continuity between our two offices. We also complete bi-annual Team Alignment days which are specific to office locations. Some of our recent activities have included attending a Rib Cookoff, hosting a team BBQ, and holding an Office Olympics! In addition to these alignments, we are season ticket holders to the Colorado Rockies and the Reno Aces. We invite our clients to join us for some out-of-the-office fun! Started in 2014, our FUN Committee is always coming up with fun-themed Happy Hours, outings, and other excuses to dress up or act silly where we can. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have also found creative ways to express our culture, such as a team video for a virtual race we both sponsored and participated in and celebrating our placing on the Zweig’s Hot Firm list for the second year in a row!
Community
At PK Electrical we believe it is important to give back to the community. Both our Reno and Denver offices complete at least one volunteering event every quarter so we may all feel good by doing good. Over the years our volunteering efforts have covered a wide range of local charities, some of which include the Food Bank of the Rockies, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Honorary Deputy Association, A Precious Child, The Salvation Army, Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful (KTMB), Girls on the Run, RAVE, Northern Nevada Food Bank, Project Helping, City and County of Denver, and many others. In 2020 we were able to make a large facemask donation to entities in Reno, NV at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as donating some hand warmers, instant coffee, and an electric kettle to front line workers administering COVID-19 tests at a drive-through testing center through the winter. We encourage our employees to seek out volunteering opportunities for the team with charities they are passionate about and are always looking for new ways to give back to our communities.
What is PK Electrical to our Employees?
“PK Electrical has been a blessing to me and my family for so many reasons. The crew is second to none. The projects are diverse and the work environment makes me happy to be back in the office after being home for a few months last year. I knew I was taking a big risk, leaving the contracting side of the industry, but I felt very confident in the people and the vision of PK. To this day I believe the universe gave me a gift. The growth I’ve experienced over the past 5+ years, both professionally and personally, has exceeded my expectations.” -Tim Castaldy, Electrical Designer
“PK Electrical is my second home, and my co-workers are like family. We support each other both professionally and personally and I am proud to be a part of a company that has not only weathered through economic downturns and a global pandemic but has continued to flourish these last 25 years. I am happy to come to work every day and be a part of an extraordinary team, with great management!” -Shannon Turner, Accounting & Executive Assistant
“The fact that PK Electrical employs electricians by trade like myself to work side by side with professional engineers is amazing in itself. It shows their appreciation of the install aspect to incorporate into their overall designs. While no one’s design is ever 100% perfect, the knowledge of both field experience and engineering work hand in hand to produce a much better electrical design with much more clarity for the final documents that will be constructed from them. I have personally heard from many electrical contractors that they appreciate it greatly that PK Electrical has taken this approach to their company values and overall design standards. I am thankful for all that PK Electrical provides for us as employees because I know that PK Electrical is thankful for what we employees provide for them.” -Steve Villanueva, Electrical Designer
“For me, only one word sums up PK Electrical and its culture, that word is family. With this in its foundation, it is no wonder PK has achieved 25 years of business within its industry. PK’s fostering of a tight-knit group of colleagues and employees dedicated to one another and their projects/career goals is a crucial part in the production of precise and innovative design solutions for PK’s clients. With this family mentality spearheading their business ambitions, the future of PK Electrical and all its family members is bright and limitless.” -Hector Sariñana, Drafter
“As my first “real” out of college job, PK Electrical has been nothing but an outstanding place to work. Not only are our projects interesting, but the people I work alongside at PK are amazing. It feels like I am home when I’m at work, which I’ve come to know is a rare feeling in a workplace. PK Electrical is a perfect company for gaining real-world work experience while being in a comfortable learning environment with supportive peers and managers. Our leadership promotes a fun work culture by giving us opportunities to form relationships in and out of the office at events such as happy hours, bi-annual team alignments, volunteering, and more.” -Linda Cammarata Schulte, Electrical Designer and Project Technical Assistant
“I started at PK Electrical pretty much straight out of college, and it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made. I knew shortly after starting that this place would be my forever home away from home, and quite likely my only “big boy job”. And I was right! It’s been over 13 years, more than half of PK’s 25 years in existence, and in that time I’ve been able to work my way up from junior
designer (and the smallest cubicle at the time) to Principal/Shareholder. I’ve gone from being the mentored, to being the mentor. But the best part is that PK has fostered an environment where none of us ever stop learning and getting better at what we do. As our team continues to grow and evolve, I look forward to the next 25 years!” -Joey Ganser, P.E., Principal
“I consider myself lucky that I love what I do and look forward to coming into the office. Many of us have worked together for a long time and it has become like a second home. We are very serious about our work but still have fun. The company is very flexible and accommodating to individual needs, which has become even more apparent during the Coronavirus pandemic. A few years ago I was apprehensive when the thought struck me that this could be the last job I ever had, so I left. Now I’m back and I look forward to working here until I retire!” -Savina Gonzalez, Production Manager
Thank you!
A quarter of a century would not be possible without our dedicated team and our amazing clients, both long term and new. We would like to extend our thanks to everyone that has supported us and will continue to support us. Here’s to another 25 years! If you are interested in working with PK Electrical, connect with us today!