LCEC celebrates 75 years in business
In 1940, orange grove owner George Judd had a small power plant to operate his grove and processing plant, which he sold to his employees, who loved what electricity could do for them.
Not wanting to be in the power business, Judd sold his plant to residents. Plant manager Homer Welch went door to door throughout Lee County to organize a cooperative, including Sanibel, which didn’t have a bridge at the time. About 158 customers signed up.
The cost was $5, and many of those didn’t have the money. So, Welch paid out of his pocket.
Today, Lee County Electric Cooperative has more than 200,000 customers in five counties, and it celebrated its 75 years in business Thursday with the party at the LCEC offices on Electric Road in North Fort Myers.
Employees and area dignitaries came for some cake and to admire the history of the company through photos and old paraphernalia such as power meters and a time capsule.
It also offered a chance for lifelong customers such as Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman to reflect on what LCEC has meant to people all over Lee County.
“I’ve been a customer all my life. You’ve been lighting up my life,” Hamman punned to some giggly groans. “They’ve been here through some of the toughest times. When Charley hit, I realized how much power affects our lives. We got power back in two days.”
Hamman added that LCEC donates roughly $200,000 per year to the United Way and does other things throughout the community.
CEO Denny Hamilton, said the company has thrived because of the work of the people.
“They are really dedicated to doing what’s in the best interest of the customers and they are engaged and passionate about the work they do,” Hamilton said. “When you have that it makes the CEOs job much easier.
Despite all the talk about the city starting its own municipal electric utility, LCEC has had a rich history in Cape Coral, dating all the way back to its origins, said Karen Ryan, LCEC public relations manager.
“There was no power in Cape Coral until 1957. The Rosen brothers wanted to build homes. On a handshake, Welch and the Rosens made a deal. Welch said, ‘You pay us, we’ll put the power in. When you build the first 10 homes, we’ll give you your money back,'” Ryan said.
And thus, Cape Coral was born.
Ryan, who has worked for LCEC for 18 years, said it’s as though she knows all these people who started the company.
“It’s so family-oriented. I feel I know Homer Welch because employees before me knew him,” Ryan said. “It’s very much a grass-roots kind of environment.”
Welch was the first CEO, retiring in 1977, and he handed the reins to Jim Sherfey, who ran the company until 1994. He said since he began, reliability has improved as tremendously as the area has grown.”
“We had to build facilities to take care of our needs for the future. The growth started in the late ’70s and it stayed ahead of things,” Sherfey said. “There aren’t a lot of businesses that have been around for 75 years.”