Meet the Capital
Electric team:

“It's been the best career move I've made. Working for a family-owned business means you're not just a number—your ideas and efforts are appreciated.”

Meet the Capital Electric Team: Nick Lange, Warehouse Manager

Nick is an organizational master, handling everything that happens in our warehouse and making sure you get the supplies you need – on time – to keep your projects moving forward.

And, yes, he and the team do count every piece of inventory by hand.

Let’s get into the convo.

What inspired you to pursue a career at Capital Electric?

I worked in manufacturing for ten years and was always looking for a different career path. An opportunity presented itself at Capital Electric and I took a leap of faith. I’ve been able to grow with the company and my input has always been valued.

It was the best decision for my career I could have made.

What your role at Capital Electric and what are your primary responsibilites?

I'm the Warehouse Manager for Capital.

In a nutshell, I deal with shipping, receiving, inventory and production work. I put standards in place for small parcel and pallet shipping to ensure our customers receive their products in good condition with no damage.

How do you contribute to the overall goals and mission of the company?

The idea is to put customer service at the forefront of everything I do because we’ve all felt the pain of missing packages, damaged materials or receiving the wrong products – and the consequences that can have on a project.

There are times when we’ve come up short on a delivery from a vendor, for example. So before it actually goes out to the customer, we figure it out with the vendor first to make sure that we're made whole, so it doesn't move down the line to our customer and they're left without what they ordered.

I put myself in the customer's shoes all the time and try to do the best job I possibly can and come up with solutions to make their lives easier.

Favorite aspects of the Job? 

Working for a family-owned company has been a game-changer for me.

It's nice to be treated like a human being and not a number. The flexibility and freedom here is great.

I love that my ideas can be heard and integrated into everyday work processes. I mean, when we moved locations I was integrally involved in designing the warehouse layout and equipping it with the tools needed to streamline the work and get things out the door faster.

Doesn’t get better than having that kind of trust put in you.

What does a typical day look like for you at Capital Electric?

Oh, it’s a mixed bag!

The typical day starts with getting my team on the same page with an effective time management plan involving deliveries, discussing pre-fabrication work orders and general day-to-day practices.

I’ll personally pick up any customer orders that have dropped and assist with loading will-call orders for our customers.

I load and unload trucks, ship and receive daily. I also cut various lengths of cable, fiber and innerduct per our customer's request. When we have those prefab projects, I'm also hands-on there.

We once spooled over 2 million feet of fiber for a Milwaukee Public School District project, cutting cable to length for 4500 classrooms! Just two of us in the back!

General housekeeping and maintenance is also a responsibility of mine.

I run a quarterly inventory report that involves my team and I hand-counting every single item in our warehouse to uphold the best possible inventory accuracy.

Working at Capital problem solving is a major focus not just for our customers and our team but also our vendors. I work hand in hand with our purchasing and sales team to come up with the best freight solutions for inbound, outbound and Capital deliveries.

So yea, the days are pretty dynamic.

What challenges have you faced in your role, and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenges I face are product damage and timelines.

Because Capital is a company built on integrity, we’ve established close relationships with our vendors and customers, in return we’re able to get replacement products quicker than most and communicate with our customers effectively so they can stay on track for their project deadlines. 

Our flexibility as a small company keeps us resilient and able to conquer any challenge that comes our way.

I've really been given the tools to become a better leader and problem solver through my years at Capital.

How do you personally resonate with the values of Capital Electric?

“Fast”, “easy”, “smart”.... as someone who purchases products and services those words resonate with me.

Add to that being helpful, kind and knowledgeable helps us stand out above the rest.

How would you describe the team culture at Capital Electric?

The culture at Capital is collaborative, customer service driven and focused.

We’re a small but mighty team with a lot of drive, focus and heart, striving to do the best we can every day. Even when presented with hurdles, we work together to come up with effective solutions to keep our customers going.

What are some of your hobbies or interests outside of work?

Lately, I've been getting out and fishing more with my son, on the hunt for panfish.

I like power sports – ATVs, side-by-sides – stuff like that, and camping. 

Also, the family and I like searching out new trails to hike.

Favorite Capital Electric Moment? 

I'd say my two favorite moments at Capital were pheasant hunting with Mike and my warehouse team as well as our Brewers outing.

I can’t express enough how working for a family-owned company is great, I genuinely look forward to coming to work because of that environment. I learn something new here almost every day and not having someone breathing down my neck all the time and giving me the freedom to run my team how I want is phenomenal.