LUKE MARCOTTE
Title: Owner, President and Electrician
Company: NorthStar Technology LLC
Location: Kalkaska, Mich.
Age: 21
Years on the job: 4
At the young age of 21, Luke Marcotte already owns his own electrical contracting firm. The Michigan native fulfilled his lifelong dream by opening the doors of his business — NorthStar Technology LLC — at the beginning of the year. Marcotte first started his journey in the electrical trade in a school-to-work program in high school in Traverse City, Mich.
“When I was 16 years old, I walked into the career tech center, shook the teacher’s hand firmly, looked him in the eye, and said, ‘Hi, my name is Luke Marcotte, and in a few years, I’m going to own my own electrical company,’” Marcotte says. “From then on, I was off to the races.”
As an electrical apprentice for a large local electrical contractor, he never turned down overtime and tried to learn as much as possible in the shortest time frame. Now that he is his own boss and employs one master electrician, he is working 80 hours a week.
“I am driven, and I am doing this for a bigger purpose than myself,” Marcotte says. “I want this company to be the best electrical contracting company to work for, where everyone benefits from being part of the team, not just the head honcho on top. It’s all about the love of the game for me.”
As a small business owner, he is currently trying to be the most efficient contractor possible. He says inefficiency is his biggest pet peeve, and he is not one for wasted time, material or sloppy work. As such, he is always trying new tactics and buying new tools, which can speed up a process or improve quality.
“If there is a tool we can buy to make things more efficient or make cleaner, more precise cuts of conduit, I can guarantee that I will be heading to the store to purchase it ASAP,” he says.
In the future, he plans to grow his “small and humble” electrical contracting company while maintaining its focus on quality workmanship. Starting out, his company is specializing in residential, commercial, and industrial work, but down the road, it could also expand into IT, lighting, energy consulting, green energy, fiber optics, cell phone towers, and engineering.
Currently, he is bouncing between performing electrical work and securing more clientele. As he lays out his business plans and strives to improve his company, he sees the future of NorthStar Technology LLC clearly in his mind.
“My favorite thing about owning my own company is that picture in my head of one day having a nice shop with our logo outside, shirts with logos on them, and work trucks,” he says. “From the looks of it, and today’s economy in this area, things will be ramping up at an extreme rate of speed. We’re just hopping on the bull, and seeing where the ride takes us.”
