Taylor Groves
Job Title: Project Manager
Company: Stansell Electric Co.
Location: Knoxville, Tenn.
Age: 27
Years on the Job: 4
Interests: Mountain biking on local trails with his wife, traveling with their dog in a camper van in the mountains, and spending time with his friends and family, especially his nieces and nephew
Born in a rural town north of Nashville, Taylor Groves remembers seeing his father go to work for the local power utility company.
“As a child, I spent a lot of time with him around the shop getting to experience the camaraderie and hard work involved with working in the trades,” he says.
Groves studied business at Pellissippi State Tech and Community College to learn management and job cost accounting. He then started his career after college by working for Hodges Group, a general contractor.
When working on a project in Nashville, he discovered Stansell Electric, and he and his wife decided to move back to Knoxville, Tenn., where he joined the company’s east Tennessee division as a project manager.
“I very quickly fell in love with the role we play as the electrical contractor in the large roadway and bridge builds,” he says.
As a project manager, the majority of his duties are completed in the office, but he also spends time with the field crews in the shop. He works on monthly project cost projections, purchasing, and billing, as well as strategizing future work. He also tries to be on site when major activities are taking place.
His company is currently working on a widening and revitalization project between Knoxville and the Great Smoky Mountains and a job to add or replace dynamic message sign boards along Tennessee’s major interstates.
“The majority of our work is here in Knoxville, and I love building my community,” he says. “Driving around town and seeing projects that we’ve worked on that make life safer and easier for people is super fulfilling.”
In the future, he plans to help his company grow and expand into new areas.
“Hopefully, I will be able to mentor a future leader and help them to succeed,” he says. “I plan to reach these goals by giving my best every day, being positive, and treating people the right way.”
