• Posted: August 13, 2026
• 100th Anniversary, Chicago Area Electrical Contractors, Construction Technology, Data center electrical contractors in Chicago, Electrical Contractors in Chicago, IBEW electrical contractors in Chicago, IBEW Local 134, Union Electrical Contractors in Chicago

For 100 years, Maron Electric Company has helped shape Chicago’s skyline, strengthen its infrastructure, and power the facilities people rely on every day. As the city has grown, so has the company, expanding its expertise across commercial office towers, hospitals, airports, convention centers, and today’s mission-critical data centers. 

Throughout that growth, Maron Electric Company has adapted to changing technologies, evolving customer needs, and increasingly complex projects while remaining committed to quality craftsmanship, lasting relationships, and skilled union electricians.

A Legacy That Began in 1926

Maron Electric Company’s story began in 1926 when brothers Morris and Barney Nixon purchased the company from their employer for $1,500. Rather than renaming the business after themselves, they chose to preserve its identity. The name Maron came from the original owner’s wife, Mary, and son, Aaron, and has remained part of Chicago’s electrical industry ever since.

Just years after purchasing the company, the Great Depression dramatically changed the construction industry. Work became scarce before government projects, including work at Chanute Air Force Base, helped create new opportunities for growth. Over the decades that followed, Maron Electric Company continued adapting through economic downturns, changing technologies, and evolving customer needs.

Today, the company is led by third-generation President Eric Nixon, while his son is completing his apprenticeship, continuing the family’s connection to the electrical trade.

Reflecting on the company’s centennial, Nixon said,

“I think for many it’s a source of pride. I think it also gives individuals who have committed themselves to a long career comfort in knowing the company has survived a hundred years.”

That perspective comes from seeing the company continue to grow through every challenge it has faced.

“We’ve survived the depression… the various huge recessions and we’re still here. We’re still evolving and growing,” said Nixon.

Growing Through Every Generation

Throughout its history, Maron Electric Company has continued to evolve while remaining grounded in family leadership and strong relationships.

One important chapter came in 1970 when the company was sold to an outside financial firm. About a year later, Jerrold Nixon purchased the company back, restoring family ownership and positioning Maron Electric Company for its next stage of growth.

Don Schwartz joined Maron Electric Company shortly afterward. Originally serving as the company’s outside CPA, he would spend nearly 50 years helping guide its financial operations while witnessing the company’s continued growth firsthand.

Looking back on those early years, Schwartz remembers a dedicated team working toward a common goal.

“It was touch and go in terms of survival of the company and we had a great core of people. It really became a team and it was just, it was a kick, you know, being part of a team and rebuilding,” said Schwartz.

That collaborative culture became one of Maron Electric Company’s defining strengths and continues to shape the company today.

Schwartz credits much of that success to the leadership of Jerrold Nixon, whose focus on people and relationships helped build a strong foundation for the future.

“He was a brilliant guy business-wise. He knew how to treat employees. He knew how to work with customers. He built some close relationships,” said Schwartz.

Those values carried into the next generation under Eric Nixon’s leadership.

“Eric is a very bright guy and also extremely caring. He had a flare for creating relationships and was able to take the company to the next level,” Schwartz said.

That commitment to people has helped create a workplace where employees build lasting careers.

“The longevity of employment of people is phenomenal. It must be a good place to work because people want to stay there,” said Schwartz.

Building Chicago’s Most Recognizable Projects

As Chicago grew, so did Maron Electric Company.

The company evolved from residential work into commercial electrical construction, expanding into healthcare facilities, airports, security systems, low-voltage work, mission-critical data centers, and commercial service projects. Today, Maron Electric Company employs more than 300 people across its electrical, low-voltage, and office operations.

Throughout its history, Maron Electric Company has completed projects that have helped shape both Chicago and communities across the country.

One of the company’s earliest milestones came in the late 1930s with work at Chanute Air Force Base, a project that helped position the company for future growth following the Great Depression.

Years later, Maron Electric Company played a significant role in expanding McCormick Place, completing more than half of the one-million-square-foot addition as part of a joint venture. Today, it remains one of the company’s proudest accomplishments.

“It might have been the largest electrical contract that was ever let in the city of Chicago,” said Schwartz.

Another standout project was the O’Hare Airport People Mover, a sophisticated transportation system that demonstrated Maron Electric Company’s ability to deliver complex infrastructure projects.

“It was like a real feather in the cap to have such a high profile, sophisticated project,” said Schwartz.

Today, the company’s portfolio includes commercial office towers, healthcare facilities, airports, hotels, security systems, and mission-critical data centers throughout the United States. While the projects have changed dramatically over the last century, Maron Electric Company’s commitment to quality electrical construction has remained constant.

The People Behind 100 Years of Success

Projects may define Maron Electric Company’s history, but its people have always been its foundation.

Across every generation of leadership, one thing has remained remarkably consistent: employees build careers at Maron Electric Company. Many electricians have spent 20, 30, and even 40 years with the company. Fathers have worked alongside sons, and in some cases, three generations of the same family have worn the Maron Electric Company name, passing along both technical knowledge and pride in the trade.

For Nixon, those generations of skilled electricians have been the driving force behind the company’s success.

“The Local 134 electricians, they’re the life of the company; they are our best attribute,” said Nixon.

That commitment to people is reflected throughout the organization.

General Foreman John Bonnett followed in his father’s footsteps after developing an interest in the electrical trade at an early age. After spending decades with Maron Electric Company, he credits the company’s leadership and culture for creating an environment where employees want to build long-term careers.

“Definitely our ownership! They’ve been very good to me and treated me great,” said Bonnett.

Bonnett believes that same commitment extends to the work itself, setting expectations that have defined Maron Electric’s reputation for generations.

“The quality of work that we do… I think the expectation that we put on our field to do a quality installation is above none other,” said Bonnett.

Schwartz has seen that culture firsthand throughout nearly five decades with the company. For him, one of Maron Electric Company’s greatest strengths is the number of employees choosing to spend their careers there.

Together, those long careers, family traditions, and shared commitment to quality have helped shape Maron Electric Company’s culture for the past century. They have also created an environment where experienced electricians invest in developing the next generation, ensuring the knowledge and craftsmanship that built the company continue well into the future.

Investing in the Next Generation

As commercial electrical systems have become more advanced, Maron Electric Company has continued investing in the people responsible for building them.

Bonnett credits experienced foremen and mentors with helping shape his own career, lessons he now works to pass on to younger electricians.

“I had some really good teachers and they were very patient with me and others,” said Bonnett.

That commitment to mentorship extends beyond the jobsite.

For more than three decades, Maron Electric Company has operated its Future Foreman program, where experienced leaders volunteer their own time to prepare apprentices and journeymen for future leadership roles. Participants receive hands-on instruction in blueprint reading, project documentation, communication, and project management, helping ensure the next generation is ready to lead increasingly complex work.

Training has also remained a cornerstone of the company’s success.

“I think they made an early commitment to training and they’ve stuck with it,” said Bonnett of IBEW Local 134’s apprenticeship and training programs.

That investment has helped Maron Electric Company continue expanding into healthcare facilities, airports, mission-critical data centers, and other highly specialized commercial projects that require highly skilled and expertly trained electricians.

Looking Ahead

As Maron Electric Company begins its second century, the company remains committed to the values that have guided it since 1926 while continuing to prepare for the future of electrical construction.

For Schwartz, the next chapter is an opportunity to build on the foundation established over the past 100 years.

“The company will build upon the first hundred years with new leadership. It’s like a genesis here, you know? It’s a new beginning,” said Schwartz.

Bonnett hopes customers continue to associate Maron Electric Company with the same qualities that have defined the company throughout his career.

“Just how good of a quality installation that they expect to get and be treated fairly and with respect,” said Bonnett.

For Nixon, reaching 100 years is a reflection of the generations of electricians, leaders, and employees who have built the company’s legacy and earned the trust of customers across Chicago and beyond.

From its beginnings as a small electrical contractor in 1926 to becoming one of Chicago’s leading commercial electrical contractors, Maron Electric Company has grown by investing in skilled people, embracing change, and delivering quality electrical construction. As Chicago continues to evolve, that commitment will continue shaping the projects, businesses, and communities it serves.

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