Spokane Electrical Services Co. (SESCO), of Spokane, has bought the assets of AE Utilities, of Pasco, Wash., and melded those assets with those of its Spokane-based PowerCom division, which installs copper and fiber-optic wiring for data transmission and voice communications.


AE Utilities, which had been owned by Aric and Gina Ellison, also of Pasco, specialized in outdoors telecommunications and utility work, such as burying copper and fiber-optic wiring and stringing cable on utility poles.


Spokane Electrical declines to disclose the terms of the transaction.


As a result of the acquisition, AE Utilities will cease to exist, says Colin Thompson, SESCOs acquisitions and special projects manager. AE Utilities about 10 employees will be retained by PowerCom, as will Aric Ellison, who will be PowerComs Pasco manager of outside cabling work. The former AE Utilities employees will work out of the Pasco office of Spokane-based Power City Electric, which is another Spokane Electrical subsidiary, Thompson says.


The addition of the former AE Utilities workers will boost PowerComs total employment to 40, Thompson says. The division employed just 10 people when it was started about four months ago.


Bruce Morelan, SESCOs president, says the Spokane company acquired AE Utilities to round out its services.


Prior to this acquisition, we were forced to use non-union subcontractors to complete this type of work. We are now able to use our own union work force and serve as a high-quality subcontractor to other companies when needed, he says.


Spokane Electrical was formed last year by Morelan and his wife, Kika, who owned Rods Electric Inc. The Morelans created the new parent company to buy Power City Electric, a longtime competitor here of Rods Electric. Spokane Electrical now owns both companies.