Arthur D. Stokes took his dream of business ownership, combined it with 15 years of knowledge and experience in the electrical industry, and ventured out on his own to form Stokes Electric Company in 1933.
Stokes Electric Company first opened its doors at 315 North Broadway in Knoxville, Tennessee with only one employee and one truck. By 1940, the company, which now employed seven people and did a quarter of a million dollars’ worth of business that year, had outgrown the building and moved to the corner of Forest and Tenth Street.
In November 1962, Stokes Electric Company relocated to the current site of corporate headquarters at 1701 McCalla Avenue in downtown Knoxville. This site included a lighting showroom, warehouse, and corporate offices.
After Arthur Stokes retired, his son Bill assumed the role as CEO of Stokes Electric Company in 1984. Bill Stokes was president until 2008 when his three children, Don, Tom, and Bob, acquired ownership of the company.
In April of 2015, the Board of Directors appointed Don Stokes as President and CEO. Bob Stokes is Vice -President and Branch manager of the Papermill branch and Tom Stokes has served has Chairman of the Board of directors since July 2014. Together they are committed to providing premium service to the region and cultivating a nurturing and instructive work environment for their employees. Stokes Lighting and Electric also employs fourth generation family members.
Since its origination, the corporation has experienced tremendous growth in all areas. Stokes has expanded with several convenient locations in East Tennessee. The lighting showroom was transferred to Papermill Drive in West Knoxville in 1984, which also accommodates a city counter, a warehouse and offices for residential construction and residential lighting salespeople. Stokes Electric Company currently employs about 75 people and operates two additional branches - Middle Creek Road in Pigeon Forge and Stanley Street in Crossville, both have lighting showrooms and City Counters.
The employees at Stokes provide warehousing and distribution of electrical and lighting supplies within a 100-mile radius of Knoxville, Tennessee. With four locations, Stokes invariably fills the electrical and lighting needs of East Tennessee.
Stokes serves the following customer markets: Industrial, Automation/Control, Commercial Construction, Data Communications, Residential Construction, Heating/Ventilation/Air (HVAC), Residential and Consumer Lighting, and Energy Management (Certified EPA Green Light Ally).
The continued commitment to customer service, high quality products, and competitive prices has advanced Stokes Electric Company to be East Tennessee's most complete electrical distributor and lighting resource.
