• Posted: August 28, 2020
• better careers, better communities, better construction, Spurlock and Son, Terrell Spurlock

In 1998, after getting out of the Army and learning how to perform electrical work in a subsequent job, Terrell Spurlock had a vision and the skills needed to bring it to fruition. Unlike some entrepreneurs, who are motivated by the pursuit of money, or others who are seeking the professional freedom that’s possible only when you are your own boss, Spurlock’s decision to start his own company was driven by a desire to improve the lives of those around him. From its founding through today, Spurlock and Son, Inc. has allowed him to do just that.

Based in the South Chicago neighborhood on the city’s far south side, Spurlock and Son has consistently demonstrated its expertise in a full range of electrical services, earning the business a loyal customer base that knows that projects completed by the electrical contractor will maintain the highest standards of quality and safety. That’s particularly important when Spurlock and Son is installing and providing maintenance on access control systems for the Chicago Housing Authority or fire alarms and cameras for the Chicago Public Schools, both of which are longtime clients of the electrical contractor.

As the business has gained momentum over the years, so too have the opportunities for better careers for Spurlock and Son’s employees. After hiring members of his community to provide them with stable employment, Spurlock decided that the best way to move his business forward was to sign his electricians up with IBEW Local 134 and put them through the training that is the hallmark of Cook County’s unionized electrical industry. It’s a decision that has paid dividends in the years since.

“I started this company to help people in my community get jobs in the trade,” Spurlock says. “When we signed them up with the union, we put them through training and made sure they had the foundation they needed. They’re homeowners now, have health insurance, and have been able to build savings and provide for their families. I always tell them they helped me put my children through college and I want to make sure I’m in a position to help them put their kids through college too.”

Although the electrical industry has made significant strides to eliminate barriers that once made it more difficult for minorities to access careers in the trades through initiatives like Chicago Builds and extensive participation in community events like the annual construction expo on Chicago’s South Side, ongoing work to diversify the industry remains critical to its long-term success. And so while Spurlock takes pride both in succeeding as a black business owner in the construction industry and in achieving his goal when he founded the company to provide career opportunities to people of color that enable them to become part of the middle class, he remains focused on the work that still lies ahead.

“I think there’s still a lot of work to be done to make sure that a kid in a neighborhood on the south or west side of the city has a chance to get into the industry and succeed,” he notes. “There needs to be a pipeline from high school into the trade and that means going into the communities and spreading the word about the careers that are possible by joining the union. We also need to make it more accessible for them. Transportation is one example of this. If you live in a low-income neighborhood in Chicago, it’s not as simple as getting on a bus and going to your apprenticeship program. You may have to cross gang territories to get there. If you don’t have your own vehicle and you don’t have money, you don’t have many options. These are great jobs, but there has to be more opportunity for people to access them. Any chance that I get, I want to reach back and grab some of the brothers and sisters to say that this is an opportunity that you have to take advantage of.”