• Posted: August 19, 2020
• better careers, better communities, better construction, Chicago City Hall, Daley Center., Randy Green, RTG Electric Corporation

Growing up, Randy Green knew he wanted to have the chance to control his own destiny instead of spending his life working for other people. He also had two role models who helped show him that achieving his goal was possible if he worked for it. One was his grandfather, an electrician who owned a TV repair shop, and the other was his godfather, a serial entrepreneur who owned car washes, a clothing store and ran his own catering business. Just as importantly, he had a strong foundation from which to pursue his dream and build the life he wanted because of his mother, who as a single parent provided Green and his three siblings with support, encouragement, discipline, love, a strong faith, sense of independence and work ethic, all crucial to his personal and professional development.

When Green finished high school, he immediately began working to make his goal a reality by earning money through jobs at restaurants with the intention of following in his godfather’s footsteps and starting his own car washing business. This approach worked, and Green got his first taste of what it was like to be his own boss. Because he didn’t own the property the business was based out of, however, he was forced to come up with a new plan when the property was sold. Luckily for him, his mother suggested he look into becoming an IBEW Local 134 apprentice, setting him up for a better career that has given him the freedom in his professional life he always wanted. Soon after, Green entered the apprenticeship program and got his first exposure to the nature of electrical work. He was immediately hooked. 

“When I got into the program and started learning about the different types of electrical equipment and how electrical systems actually work, I was fascinated and it motivated me to want to learn even more,” Green says. “As I went through the program and picked up more and more knowledge, I decided I eventually wanted to start my own electrical contracting company and have the chance to build a legacy for my family and create jobs for other people in my community.”

In 2002, Green finished his apprenticeship and became a journeyman electrician with Local 134, going to work for a signatory contractor in the Chicago area. Over the next few years he continued building his skills before earning his supervisee electrician’s license and filing the paperwork necessary to run his own business with the City of Chicago in 2005. Although he wasn’t yet ready to go all in and run the business as his full-time job, the groundwork was being laid for Green to eventually do exactly that. In 2014, he decided the time was right after 17 years learning from others and RTG Electric Corporation was launched in earnest. 

Although he had planned for the transition for years and had accrued extensive experience with the hands-on work that would drive the business, getting the company up and running was not without its challenges. Raising working capital, establishing lines of credit and putting in place systems to get the back office work completed that’s necessary for long-term success are several of the examples Green cited that he had to overcome in the early days of RTG. 

In the years since, Green has grown the business by providing a full range of services involving the installation, maintenance, repair and alteration of electrical wiring. RTG’s union electricians operate in various specialties, including commercial, residential, industrial and low-voltage wiring. The ability to work across market segments and complete various types of electrical work safely and efficiently while focusing on helping customers avoid disruptions to their business operations has earned the company a reputation for customer service that has helped RTG win numerous contracts with the City of Chicago. Despite being a relative newcomer to a local industry that includes companies that have been around for decades or more, RTG has quickly established itself as a go-to electrical contractor for the city, working regularly at City Hall and the Daley Center. 

Moving forward, Green’s goals for the business are to establish a C division for RTG Electric focusing on fire alarm certification, testing and training and to scale up to work on larger projects like switchgears and office renovations and buildouts. And, having laid the foundation for RTG to continue growing, it’s possible Green will soon have help taking the company to the next level in its growth cycle. His son, also named Randy, is currently an apprentice with IBEW Local 134 working for a different contractor in the Chicago area. That’s by design.  

“I want him to complete his apprenticeship without me being involved in where he goes or who he works with,” Green says. “He needs to experience life for himself, without me watching over him and having my hands in it. That way he can decide if he wants to continue to work for somebody else or to come and help build a company that he could pass down to his kids.”

After the opportunities a career in Chicago’s union electrical industry have provided for Green and his family – which also includes his wife and two other children who he cites as his support team and motivation for getting up each morning and going to work – he feels strongly that he has an obligation to help others who would benefit from getting into the trade learn more about the options that are available to them. 

“When I was younger, I wasn’t exposed to apprenticeship programs of any type until my mom suggested it to me after I had been working for several years,” he recalled. “And I wouldn’t have known where to get information about getting into a program to become an electrician, or carpenter, or plumber even if I had known that there were programs out there before that. Once I did learn about the apprenticeship with Local 134 and got started, it was still intimidating not knowing exactly what to expect. That’s why I’m always willing to help those who need it now, whether it’s explaining the apprenticeship journey, showing someone how to do specific tasks or anything else. For anyone who wants to learn about this work, I’m here.”