Danford Electric owner describes apprenticeship, setbacks and lessons for aspiring small-business owners

Keith Danford, owner of Danford Electric, told listeners of the Success Stories in Steuben County podcast that he moved from building trades to the electrical trade after high school and started his own business in his mid-20s.

Nut graf: Danford described a nontraditional path — working large commercial and industrial jobs first, then custom residential work — and said key factors in his success included apprenticeship training, a strong work ethic, community trust and adaptability after a career‑slowing injury.

Danford said he began working with building trades while his father was constructing a new house and later entered the electrical field because "we had a really cold winter that winter, that working on a roof and doing all that kind of stuff wasn't for me." He told host Asher Wilson that he…