ON HIS OWN — Dale Korhonen has opened his own electrical businses, KR Electric. Korhonen is licensed and insured. Korhonen is ready to help homeowners with all of their electrical needs. Call him at 521-6301.
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
Need an electrician for your home? Look no further than KR Electric of Littleton.
Dale Korhonen, who had worked side-by-side with Steve Bither for nine years, opened his own business in January. He is licensed and insured for all residential electrical needs.
“My license covers a two-family or one-family home,” he said. “I can wire from the street inside the house to fixing an outlet or switch,” said Korhonen. “I can work with any wiring from coax to phone.”
Korhonen, who comes from western Maine, married Darlene Jameson and the couple has two children, Brian Korhonen and daughter Megan McCarthy.
“I used to work at Peabody Equipment on heavy equipment,” he said. “Most of the time was in the shop. I was shop foreman for four years and on the road another eight.”
Then , Bither who is a friend of Korhonen’s, was looking for an extra hand.
“He needed help and I went to work for him,” he said.
Through his experience working in the electrical field at Bither’s Electric, Korhonen decided to pursue his electrician’s degree.
“I went to Northern Maine Technical College in Presque Isle, at nights, which seemed like forever,” Korhonen laughed, “but, it was only three years. I had enough hours [training], so I went and took the test and passed.”
Korhonen likes the idea of being his own boss.
“It gives me more freedom,” he said. “I can have more interaction with customers and I also have more time to do the things I want to do.”
Korhonen attends the Houlton Wesleyan Church and helps with work around the church, along with helping when needed at the Greater Houlton Christian Academy, where his children graduated.
“It gives me a chance to volunteer with the youth at the church,” he said of his own business, “and to volunteer at school. It just gives me a chance to do the things I like doing anyway.”
Since he branched out on his own, Korhonen said business has been fair and is growing.
“I’ve had pretty good responses,” he said. “But, construction is slow and people do not have a lot of money.”
Korhonen likes to help people, so there is no job too big or too small.
“I’ve had a few jobs where I put in new switches or outlets because the homeowner wanted a different color,” he said. “I can help wire on a [remodeling] project or just put in an outlet or two if someone needs that done.”
A safety feature many homeowners need to consider is old wiring.
“I can update the wiring from [glass] fuses to a fuse box,” he said. “I can change services. I can do any new or old wiring in any home.”
Having a business isn’t new to Korhonen, as he noted, “I have always had a part-time business for the last 20 years. I’ve done wiring at nights and on the weekends for four or five years. Now, I am just going at it full-time on my own.”
To reach Korhonen call 521-6301. And, no worries. He will get back to you.
“I have had a few people notice that I have returned their calls promptly,” he said.
And, Korhonen is very detail-oriented.
“I make my work look nice,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to do any work that I couldn’t sign my name to.”
Korhonen is available for emergency calls when a homeowner has lost power.
“I am hard working and dependable,” he said. “People have commented that my rates weren’t high, they were fair. I do excellent work at reasonable rates.”
Korhonen can also be reached by e-mail at korhonenelectric @gmail.com.
