David Placencia didn’t plan on working in construction, but he was sold on the industry after just one day on the job.
Following four years of service in the Marine Corps, the 22-year-old set his sights on becoming a highway patrol officer. When his first application to the academy was denied, he figured he’d try again when he was a little older. In the meantime, with a wife and two children to care for, he turned to his stepfather for a lead on Bergelectric, a national electrical contractor with an office in nearby Los Angeles.
Berg eagerly hired Placencia and enrolled him in Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) apprenticeship program. His first on-the-job experience was at the LA/Ontario International Airport in Ontario, Calif.
"I called my wife after day one and told her, 'Forget highway patrol. I love doing this.'"
Placencia’s passion for the industry has carried him through a lot of changes in the last 10 years—from budding electrical apprentice to out-of-state project foreman and now to small business owner. And at just 32 years of age, he’s determined to find long-term success as a leader in the electrical field and in the Hesperia, Calif., community where he lives and works.
Experiences to Remember
Throughout his four-year apprenticeship program, Placencia learned both the theory and hands-on training necessary to provide quality electrical services. He worked on a variety of active jobsites, such as the Palm Springs Airport and prisons in Victorville and California City.
This extensive background served Placencia well as a participant in the local Craft Championships, held by the ABC Southern California Chapter in 2002, where he finished first and advanced to the National Craft Championships at ABC’s National Convention in New Orleans.
"It took a lot of preparation," he says of the hands-on and testing components of the competition. "I really wanted to excel there and do well. I went into it thinking I had a good chance at winning."
Though Placencia didn’t win the national competition, he was impressed with the quality of the event and the caliber of talent, and he enjoyed building relationships with Berg colleagues, ABC staff and fellow electricians. Plus, the competition and the completion of his apprenticeship served as a jumping-off point for his next big career move: running a project at a missile maintenance and command control facility in Cheyenne, Wyo.
Placencia and his family left their home in the high desert outskirts of Los Angeles for one year in the small, semi-arid Wyoming capital.
"We will never forget it. We went to the Colorado Rockies and went ice fishing. Going out there and not knowing anyone brought our family together," he says.
Though the family returned to Hesperia after a year, Berg tapped Placencia to be general foreman on a $32 million mental hospital project in central California. He was away from home for two and a half years, during which time Berg opened a new office based at the hospital jobsite. At that time, Placencia also began seriously considering what it would take to fulfill his dream of being his own boss.
"I was able to see different aspects of running an office. It’s a project I will never forget," he says. "And the time away gave me the chance to think about what I really wanted and plan out how to run my own business."
Placencia returned home to begin work on a U.S. Army building, but on Dec. 31, 2005, he swapped his employee status at Berg for life as an entrepreneur.
Choosing an IdentityPlacencia says he always wanted to be a business owner; it just seemed to fit with his drive to lead and succeed.
"I needed to settle down and become permanent in Hesperia," he adds. "I wanted to be able to choose my destiny—what I do and don’t do."
Though it was just a one-man operation based in his home, Placencia wanted the launch of his company on Jan. 1, 2006, to be professional. First, he selected a name that would stand out: Christianbelle Electric, which combines the names of his now 9-year-old son, Christian, and 10-year-old daughter, Belle. He also made sure to look the part, sporting company shirts and a brand-new truck with the company logo on the side.
"I really learned a lot working for Berg and I owe a lot of what I know now and how I run my business to them," he says. "I took what I learned at Berg and added my own methods."
Placencia created a business plan and determined how best to get the business off the ground financially.
"I took a big risk and really stepped out and started off day one with some savings in the bank," he says. "I took the money I made from the first job and put it toward the second job and bought more tools and materials. I built the business off that first small job, and it steadily started growing."
Within a month, Placencia hired one of his younger brothers to help expand the workload, and a month later another brother with electrical experience came on board. He added a few more employees as the months progressed, and by the end of the first year Christianbelle boasted 10 employees and four trucks. Additionally, business operations moved from Placencia’s home to a leased commercial space that the company already is outgrowing.
In year two, Placencia was able to start turning down smaller residential jobs and focusing on larger-scale commercial and industrial work, which was more in line with his experience at Berg. Christianbelle expanded to 12 employees and opened a service department as well.
This year—Placencia’s third in business—has brought even more growth. He hired an office manager, a purchasing agent and an estimator, bringing the employee total to 15. All employees are certified journeymen in the state of California or are enrolled in the ABC apprenticeship program.
Current projects include a $325,000 contract for Topaz Marketplace, a 51,000- square-foot shopping center anchored by a grocery store; a $162,000 contract with McCall Self Storage; and two contracts worth $1.1 million total for an electrical upgrade and chiller relocation in Anaheim, Calif.
"I’d like to continue building new relationships with general contractors and owners and continue marketing our service department," Placencia says of the future of his company. "I’m not looking to get rich; I want a successful business that will be around for a long time."
Give and TakeBlossoming from one to 15 employees in less than three years has been stressful in terms of managing payroll, disseminating information and updating insurance coverage. (Placencia’s wife, Nicole, handles all accounts payable, accounts receivable and payroll.) But Placencia admits he thrives on the pressure, and over the years he has learned to deal with challenges like time management.
Employees in the field used to call Placencia constantly with questions, which kept him from spending time developing relationships with general contractors. So, he hired a superintendent to take care of these middleman duties.
"Now, I’m in and out of the office and the field, meeting with people daily," he says. "The balance is nice. I’m not sitting behind a desk at all times. I know what’s happening on the jobsites, which helps me communicate with our clients because I know firsthand what’s happening out there."
The rewards of business ownership don’t just come in the form of profits—Placencia also likes that he can put in his time and then take a day off to accompany his daughter on a school field trip without asking anybody’s permission. He also has a strong connection with the Hesperia community, sponsoring athletic programs such as the junior all-American football team and participating in Chamber of Commerce initiatives.
"It’s been a lot of hard work and I’ve put a lot of time into the company," Placencia says. "But it’s also a rewarding feeling when you install scoreboards for the local Little League and you get appreciation from the community and the people you care about."