From family business to industry giant, Clifford Power has navigated an evolving market by keeping culture at its core 

Founded by brothers Ken and Tom Clifford, Clifford Power (Clifford) has grown to be the largest independent generator company in South-Central US. With facilities spanning five states and combined experience totaling over 1000 years, Clifford is well equipped to provide exceptional service and support emergency power needs across the region. 

“Ken and Tom Clifford established the business in 1985, meaning we celebrate our 40th anniversary this year,” opens Jeremy Lewis, President. “Ken and Tom’s parents were immigrants to the US – their father from Ireland and their mother from Germany. The brothers started the company in their late twenties using a $10,000 loan from their parents. They were pioneers of their day, as there were few power generator companies in the 1980s, especially ones solely dedicated to power generation. 

“As people became more reliant on computers throughout the 1980s and 1990s, it drove an increased demand for standby power. As more computers started connecting to the internet, the industry really started to take off. It was the fiber optic boom that gave Clifford a huge boost in growth. It was also what almost ended the business when that bubble suddenly burst; many of the company’s top customers filed for bankruptcy. Following these difficult periods, the brothers shifted the business focus to have a stronger emphasis on the service after the sale. 

“This approach still defines us today; we sell, service, and rent generators across a five-state region,” he continues. “As an authorized industrial dealer for Generac Power Systems (Generac), we are the leading provider of this equipment in our area, offering a wide range of commercial and industrial generators for any power needs. From standby generators that sit behind a building to mobile generators pulled from site to site, we offer solutions to meet even the most critical demands. 

“When it comes to service, we work on all makes and models, our biggest segment is long-term planned maintenance agreements. We also have a fleet of rental generators, which can be used anywhere from a construction job site to an event needing temporary power, or even in response to an extreme weather event like a hurricane.” 

On a more personal note, Jeremy explains how he came to be involved with Clifford. “I started on the service side of the business as a technician around 30 years ago,” he reflects. “I’ve held several positions throughout the years, but I’ve always been a technician by nature. Through hard work and determination, I accepted the position of President in 2017. My first move was naming two Vice Presidents, Stephanie Benson to oversee Sales and Marketing, and Rhonda Mills for Operations. These ladies are the individuals who truly drive our vision forward.”  

Full-service solutions 

When asked about what factors are most important to the company’s success, Jeremy is quick to highlight that employee engagement and culture are crucial. “We’ve recently refreshed our company values to ensure they align with our vision to be the first call,” he explains. “We’re also very innovative, utilizing software and technology to stay on the cutting-edge of how we respond to our customers’ needs.  

“Another of our values is fun; Tom and Ken strived to create a workplace and culture where people genuinely enjoy being at work, so we’ve upheld this concept in our values to reflect the positive energy we bring not only internally but also to our customers. We want our teams to feel united regardless of the department or branch they work in. We believe a positive employee experience results in a better customer experience.”  

With a strong foundation in place to support growth, Jeremy elaborates on the strategy he’s implementing to reach the company’s ambitious goals. “Since I took over as president, we’ve shifted our focus from adding new territory to strengthening our presence in our existing markets,” he shares. “While we’re already the largest service provider in our region, I’m determined to see Clifford as the largest provider in every major metro across our five states. 

“There are plenty of opportunities for growth, especially in alignment with Generac’s vision to be a full-service energy solutions partner rather than simply a product provider. Although standby generators will remain our core business, Generac now provides battery energy storage systems, EV chargers, fully integrated energy management software, and remote monitoring.  

“With the growing demand on the utility grid combined with a lack of infrastructure upgrades, I don’t see the need for what we do slowing down any time soon. I’m very excited about Generac’s release of some large megawatt products coming our way, as these products are ideal for large data center applications and will open new doors for both Generac and Clifford. 

“Overall, we’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished in the last 40 years,” Jeremy concludes. “It took a lot of hard work by a lot of great people to get where we are today. With the strength of our partners, the passion of our team, and our strategy to guide us, I’m more optimistic than ever that we’ll achieve many of our highest-reaching goals in the next few years.”  

www.cliffordpower.com