THE GRID, THE WORKFORCE, SAFETY. THE FUTURE.  |  PART 1 OF 5  |  JULY 2026

Building With Purpose

Why ROKPOWER — A Value-Added Industry Partner

By John F. Carter  |  Chairman & CEO, ROKPOWER

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Twenty years ago, a good friend and senior utilities executive I respected pulled me aside after a meeting and said something I've never forgotten.

"With your construction background, your business experience, and your track record — you should look seriously at the utility industry."

He thought I should explore the pole business specifically. He saw something in me that belonged in this industry.

I studied it. I investigated the opportunity. I took the idea seriously. But at that time, it wasn't the right fit. The timing wasn't right. The conditions weren't aligned. I moved on — though I'll admit, looking back, SHAME ON ME.

What I never did, though, was leave the industry behind.

Over the next two decades, I kept building. I deepened my industry experience, grew my company, and cultivated real relationships — with the people making decisions about who gets a seat at the table. I watched how this industry was evolving. And I noticed something that troubled me.

The supply base serving America's largest utilities had a gap. The supply chain wasn't robust enough to keep pace with the growth of the industry. I saw that clearly — and I saw it as an opportunity to do something about it.

The supply base serving America's largest utilities had a gap — the supply chain was not robust enough to keep up with the Growth of the Industry.

 I SAW THAT AS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

A more diversified supply chain could only strengthen everyone involved. Companies with deep construction services expertise had real value to bring to the utilities sector. The capabilities were out there. The question was how to get in the room, get on the bid list, and build the relationships that open those pathways.

The Right Moment to Move

When the timing finally aligned — twenty years of relationships, the construction expertise our team brought, and the genuine need in the market — the decision was clear. This was the right moment to move.

I had surrounded myself with the right people and built a business model I believed in. I had a clear picture of what was missing: a company that could perform at the highest level and represent what purposeful partnership actually looks like in this industry.

We rebranded and launched ROKPOWER in 2025, building on the foundation of ROKSTAD, established in 2008. Nine regional markets — California, Arizona, Illinois, Oklahoma, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Hawaii, and Texas. Distribution. Transmission. Substation construction. Emergency response, including deployment to the Los Angeles wildfires and storm recovery work across the country.

But the numbers aren't the story. The story is what we're building toward.

Workforce Development Is Personal to Me

At ROKPOWER, workforce development isn't a checkbox. It's part of why we exist. We want to equip qualified leaders to serve in this industry — investing in apprenticeship, building safety culture, and creating pathways that don't just employ people, but develop them.

This is personal to me. I'm a product of a union apprenticeship program myself — I joined the Laborers' Local Union in 2001, following my father, who joined in 1968. This industry gave my family a foundation, and I've never forgotten that.

This is one of the best platforms I know for helping people genuinely advance — in their careers and in their lives. A journeyman lineworker, with the right training and the right environment, can build a great life, provide for their family, and develop skills that are in demand across the entire country.

But too often, the talent pipeline isn’t being built with enough intention.

The average journeyman lineworker in America is approaching retirement age, and the pipeline isn't keeping pace with demand. The EIA projects that U.S. electricity consumption will reach record levels through 2026–2028 — the first sustained increase in nearly two decades — driven by AI data centers, electrification, and grid modernization.

Partnerships With Purpose

Here's what I think gets lost in the broader conversation about investment and megawatts and data centers: the work ultimately comes down to relationships. Not transactional relationships — real ones. Value-added partnerships built over years, over shared projects, over showing up when it matters and delivering when it's hard.

ROKPOWER is a diverse business, and our model is built on safely delivering complex projects across the country. That's the ROKPOWER Way — not chasing contracts, but building lasting relationships with integrity.

THE ROKPOWER WAY. Not chasing contracts. Building Lasting Relationships Safely with Integrity.

This is Part 1 of a five-part series — The Grid, The Workforce, Safety. The Future. — published through the ROKPOWER PowerLines Newsletter. Over the next several weeks, our leadership team will go deeper on the topics defining this industry right now: safety culture, workforce development, the financial realities of grid modernization, and what operational excellence looks like at ground level.

Follow PowerLines so you don't miss what's ahead. And if you're a utility procurement leader or supplier diversity executive reading this — I'd welcome a conversation.

ROKPOWER is committed to being a change maker in this industry. That work has already begun.

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John F. Carter is Chairman & CEO of ROKPOWER — A Utility Services Company, a national leader in power infrastructure services specializing in transmission, distribution, substation construction, and emergency response. Connect on LinkedIn or visit rokpowerutilities.com.

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