Meet the Fustings

Steve’s parents were having their electrical panel replaced when the electrician mentioned he was thinking about taking on an apprentice. Steve had never touched electrical work in his life. His mom spoke up anyway, saying Steve could do it, because he is smart, a quick learner, and a hard worker.

We were husband and wife, learning how to be parents to a newborn, when Steve changed careers. Colton was only a couple of months old when Steve left his job and started as that electrician’s apprentice. From the beginning, we had a bigger plan: Steve would master the trade, and together we would build a company of our own.

For four years, Steve worked full time in the field, attended the Harford County Electrical Contractors Association apprenticeship program at night, and came home to a growing family. The long days built the kind of electrician and business owner he wanted to become.

Our second son Dylan arrived and the schedule got harder. Steve was working full time in the field, sitting in night classes after that, and studying whenever there was a gap. Ceanne held down the house with a newborn and a toddler and kept everything else running. We kept going.

Steve earned his Journeyman license. It was the first hard proof the plan was working, and it put a company of our own inside reach.

Steve graduated from the apprenticeship program with one of the highest GPAs in his class.

One week before Steve was scheduled to take his Master Electrician exam, we formed the LLC so we could hit the ground running as soon as possible. He passed. The Master Electrician’s license was the last piece. It was what would let us stop working for someone else and start working for ourselves. While Steve prepared to lead the electrical work, Ceanne built everything customers would see: the logo, business cards, vehicle graphics, website, professional email addresses, social media, and even our first screen-printed T-shirts.

We picked up the van on a Monday and worked our first job the next day, the Fourth of July. On the drive out, the tools slid all over the empty back because we had not installed the shelving yet. Before we had an apprentice, Ceanne sometimes rode along to help on jobs that needed two people, especially when the big ladder had to come along.

Our first full week brought six jobs. We were both still working full time, and Steve was running Fusting Electric calls at night and on weekends on top of his regular electrician job. Ceanne answered the phone during her own work hours and built the business around it. Within a few weeks, we left our old jobs and went all in.

Fusting Electric hired its first apprentice. The opportunity that changed Steve’s life was now one he could give to someone else.

Fusting Electric grew because local families trusted ours. We try to return that trust by showing up at school Career Days and community events, giving kids a hands-on look at the trade, and being present in the neighborhoods we serve.

The timeline does not end here. Steve leads the electrical work, Ceanne runs the operation behind it, and we are still building Fusting Electric together. When you call Fusting Electric, you are talking to an owner.