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BUILD MANITOBA     winnipegconstruction.ca
MEMBER MILESTONES
Honesty. Integrity. Passion. These are the first words you’ll find 
posted behind the front desk at Static Electric’s headquarters 
on Wall Street in Winnipeg. Underneath is a name – Edward 
“Garth” Robertson – the entrepreneur who started the 
company half a century ago, based on these three  
simple principles.
“It’s not like he walked around saying them every day, just 
that they were what he believed the company should be 
about,” says Dave Cook, Robertson’s son-in-law and current 
Static Electric president. “And whether we knew it or not back 
then, they’re what we’ve all been working to achieve every 
day since.”
Cook started at the company as an apprentice, learning 
everything he could from his father-in-law, who passed away in 
2025 on the eve of Static’s 50th anniversary.
“He was a mentor to me,” Cook recalls. “I was lucky to learn 
with him for so many years, and [to] have so much support. 
The company wouldn’t be here without Garth. I certainly 
wouldn’t be here.”
Robertson’s legacy started in 1976, when he introduced Static 
Electric to the Winnipeg market as a commercial electrical 
contractor. Half a century and many clients later, the company 
has remained focused on the commercial side of the sector, 
with growing expertise in data/network installation.
“It’s pretty amazing what you can do with technology these 
days, and we try to be at the forefront of what’s going on so 
we can integrate those technologies in the places where 
people work – to make their lives easier,” Cook says. “We’re 
an ever-evolving company that has always prided itself on 
growing over the years to better serve our customers and 
adapt to their needs. Many of our clients have been with us for 
a long time because they trust us and believe in what we do.”
Many projects come to mind when looking back on all 
those years. For Cook, it was emergency repairs at a major 
downtown building that supercharged Static’s reputation: “A 
bus duct explosion knocked out all the power, and we had 
crews working 24/7 for a week to get it back up and running. 
That experience changed us as a company. It took everything 
we’d been building to another level. We felt it, and so did  
our customers.”
New clients and numerous projects later, Static’s momentum 
continues to build. The company recently moved into its new 
office to accommodate its growth and launched a new website 
to stay on the industry radar.
Today, Static’s Wall Street hub is home to people who are 
committed to carrying Robertson’s simple business philosophy 
into the next 50 years. “We’re working to become more 
professional and grow a bit, but we never want to forget where 
we came from or what got us here.”
Static’s success has been charged by more than words. Cook 
credits the company’s longevity to the many people who have 
joined its team over the years. They include his wife Lisa, his 
brother and longtime business partner Richard (now retired) 
and company veterans throughout the building, who “I couldn’t 
do any of this without.”
“Can I name everyone?” he adds. “Because it really is 
everyone. We have a fantastic crew here at our office, and we 
all agree that we don’t want to be the biggest. We want to be 
the best.”
Fifty years in any trade doesn’t come easily. For Static, it’s 
meant riding out tough economies, growing pains and the 
constant demand for new talent. And then, says Cook, there’s 
the challenge of working in a fast-growing city like Winnipeg, 
and “fit it all into a Winnipeg-style budget.”
Static’s industry connections have been essential to navigating 
these challenges. As national director and former president 
24/7 EMERGENCY SERVICE      www.bdrservices.ca
Winnipeg  204.586.8227    Brandon  204.727.1197  
Providing Fire Protection Services for 38 Years!
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POWERED BY PEOPLE
Fifty years after its founding, Static Electric 
continues to thrive on the values, relationships 
and people behind its success
By Matthew Bradford

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