Riley Electrical Supply keeps Wisconsin business efficiency glowing brightly

Lori Kaye Lodes

Contributor

November 17, 2025

FOND DU LAC – For nearly 40 years, President Steve Riley said Riley Electrical Supply has helped Wisconsin businesses see the light when it comes to energy efficiency.

This year, Steve said that commitment earned the Fond du Lac-based, family-owned company the 2025 Focus on Energy Efficiency Excellence Award, honoring its role in reducing energy use and promoting smart lighting solutions.

Founded in 1986, Steve said the company began with a simple but forward-thinking idea: bring compact fluorescent lighting to customers even though most people didn’t know what it offered.

“At the time, most people didn’t know what that was,” he said.
That curiosity for what’s next, Steve said, became the foundation of Riley Electrical Supply.

Steve, who co-owns and -operates Riley with brothers Tim (vice president) and Mike (purchasing manager), said the company got its start by specializing in commercial and industrial lighting upgrades.

The company, he said, later expanded its expertise to include a full line of electrical products and a deep understanding of the state’s evolving energy-efficiency programs.

Building a brighter business

Within just a few years of opening, the Riley brothers said utility companies began introducing new energy savings programs.

Seeing an opportunity to assist their customers, the brothers said they started by supporting early utility initiatives and later partnered with Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s statewide energy efficiency program launched in 2001.

In the process, Tim said Riley Electrical Supply carved out a niche, becoming known as the “lighting guys” who not only supplied high-quality fixtures but also knew how to help businesses take advantage of energy-saving rebates and incentives.

“We’d generate these sales but weren’t able to provide all the electrical supplies they might want, so we decided to get into the full electrical line side and supply everything in addition to energy-efficient lighting,” he said.

Today, Steve said that decision has grown into a thriving wholesale business that supplies LED and fluorescent lighting, ballasts, circuit breakers, switches, wire, plugs, dimmers and controls to a wide range of commercial and industrial clients.

Controls and dimmers, in particular, he said, have become a growing part of their expertise.

“Dimming has been a big deal, and a lot of stuff isn’t dimmable and people buy it and only realize they can’t dim it when they install it,” he said. “We’ve seen that a lot with churches recently. We do a lot of legwork to ensure what they want is what they’re going to get.”

Turning efficiency into opportunity

Tim said the company’s process starts with collaboration – as Riley Electrical Supply works closely with customers to assess their lighting needs, identify eligible Focus on Energy rebates and develop an ROI analysis that projects savings based on usage and utility rates.

“Maintenance looks at the feasibility of the system, but once it goes to management, that’s when we get the ROI paperwork together,” he said.

Steve said Riley Electrical Supply projects span industries from manufacturing, food processing and agriculture to education and multifamily housing.

Each sector, he said, brings unique requirements, particularly in Wisconsin’s food production facilities.

“We do a lot with food processing in Wisconsin – many of the cheese companies you know – and they have very specific requirements mandated by the USDA that we follow,” he said.

Once a lighting plan is approved, the Riley brothers said they coordinate with the contractor or maintenance team to handle installation and removal of outdated systems – a turnkey approach that simplifies the process for busy businesses.

Recognized for results

Tim said Riley Electrical Supply’s commitment to simplifying and optimizing energy efficiency earned the company the Focus on Energy honor – one of 11 Wisconsin organizations recognized for its impact on energy savings.

As a Trade Ally for the program, Tim said Riley Electrical Supply has helped customers complete more than 500 projects and secure $460,000 in incentives over the past eight years – savings equivalent to powering 870 homes for a full year.

However, Tim said Riley Electrical Supply’s impact extends beyond Focus on Energy, with repeat business long serving as a hallmark of the company’s success.

Whether upgrading facilities with each new generation of lighting or managing multi-location projects, Tim said Riley Electrical Supply customers value their expertise. 

“Every five to 10 years, the next generation [of lighting] is one step higher on the ladder and more efficient,” he said. “We went from 400 to 320 to 200 and now 100-watt fixtures.”

Tim said that evolution also means opportunities for past customers to achieve even more savings.
“So, even customers who have LEDs from 2012 are looking to see how they can save another 50% [on their energy bills] by upgrading to the current generation of LED lighting,” he said.

Steve said, however, it’s not always about saving energy – sometimes it’s just about being able to see more clearly.

“Oftentimes, they don’t have enough light because their existing system is 20 years old, and it’s got too much lumen deprecation and dirt deprecation that make it too dark to see,” he said.

Still, Tim said those upgrades quickly prove their worth.
“[Upgrading] not only continuously improves on energy efficiency but also light quality, and the customer receives a new warranty with each system that covers fixture replacement for five to 10 years,” he said.

Quality, trust and family roots

Tim said the company’s reputation is built as much on relationships as on products.

Though many Riley customers are within 60 miles of Fond du Lac, Tim said the company also manages projects in Texas, Colorado and Indiana, often through referrals or national clients with multiple sites.

“Often, a business hears about the [Focus on Energy] program from someone they know, and they end up with us,” he said.

Tim said Riley Electrical Supply has earned word-of-mouth trust through an unwavering commitment to quality.

And though lower-priced options may exist online, he said Riley Electrical Supply sticks with proven, rebate-eligible products that stand up over time.

“The Focus on Energy incentives change in terms of technologies and what qualifies for rebates each year as products are improved each year,” he said. “The customer doesn’t want to remember what qualifies – they call Riley and know we’ll take care of them. We know how to leverage the programs and use only quality products that may not be the least expensive but are the best choice overall.”

Steve said the company’s physical location near Interstate-41 further distinguishes it. 

“People know there’s a place they can come to if they have a problem,” he said.

The Riley brothers said it all ties back to their shared philosophy and hometown pride.
“We are a family-owned company, operated by three brothers who were all born in Fond du Lac and have family here,” Tim said. “We aim to provide good quality products because our reputation is riding on it.”

Steve said that reputation is upheld daily by a team that follows their lead.
“We have a really good crew, including some of us who are related,” he said. “We have good people, people you can trust and people we’re proud to have go on calls on behalf of our company and who follow through on what needs to be done.”

Still lighting the way forward

Even as competitors grow larger, Tim said Riley Electrical Supply continues to thrive by staying true to its purpose: guiding customers toward efficient, sustainable solutions that make sense for their business and their bottom line.

“We’ve had a strong business based on sustainability going back to the 2000s when Al Gore began talking about it, and we’ve been riding that wave for a long time,” he said. “We’ve added several generations of energy-efficient lighting since then, something that resonates [environmentally and fiscally].”

For more on Riley Electrical Supply, head to rileyelectricalsupply.com.