- Details
- By Brian Edwards
- Energy | Environment
Potawatomi Ventures has acquired Lyons Electric, a Wisconsin-based commercial and industrial electrical contractor, to build out the tribal enterprise’s energy infrastructure and electrical services capacity.
Founded in 1979 and based in Delafield, Lyons Electric provides electrical construction, design/build services, and ongoing maintenance to commercial and industrial clients across the state. The company employs about 50 people, most of them electricians, and will continue operating under its current leadership.
The deal brings Lyons Electric into the Emerging Technologies Group at Potawatomi Ventures, the tribally owned investment and income diversification company of the Forest County Potawatomi Community. The group was launched in 2022 to expand the tribe’s presence in the energy marketplace through full-service electrical contracting, EV charging infrastructure, and sustainability-driven development. Lyons will be supported by Potawatomi Ventures’ centralized finance, HR, and business development teams.
The acquisition comes as Potawatomi Ventures expands its footprint in retail and energy-related infrastructure. Its fireside MARKET convenience store concept, developed and constructed by subsidiaries Sagewind Development and Greenfire Management Services, integrates electrification and sustainability features such as EV charging stations, green infrastructure, and local food sourcing.
In January, the company announced plans to develop a 10,000-square-foot fireside MARKET convenience store and gas station in Brown Deer, Wis.—its second southeastern Wisconsin location. The site will include canopy-covered EV chargers, made-to-order food, and stormwater management features. Construction is also underway on a fireside MARKET in Slinger, expected to open later this year.
Potawatomi Ventures is also pursuing EV infrastructure through public investment. In October 2024, the Forest County Potawatomi Community became the first tribe in the United States to receive a National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) grant. The project will install four 160kW DC fast-charging ports at the fireside MARKET in Stone Lake, with installation beginning in 2025.
“We think about electric vehicles, vehicle charging — we’ve got electric charging stations on our campus and at our data center,” Potawatomi Ventures CEO Kip Ritchie told Tribal Business News. “Being in a position in that sector as it grows was just a good fit for us.”
The company may eventually integrate Lyons Electric into its growing portfolio of federal government contracts, though Ritchie said the firm will focus on commercial and industrial markets in the near term. “It wasn’t a deciding factor,” he said, “but if there’s an opportunity, we’re absolutely going to leverage it.”
Potawatomi Ventures employs about 750 people nationwide, including roughly 600 in federal contracting. The company has also made strategic passive investments in healthcare and tech sectors. In 2024, it participated in a Series C round for Grand Rapids-based BAMF Health, a molecular imaging and radiopharmaceuticals firm focused on precision medicine.
“We saw a chance to generate returns for the tribe but also contribute to improved cancer treatments,” CFO Paul Hoesly told Tribal Business News at the time.
The Lyons Electric acquisition also supports Potawatomi Ventures’ goal of creating workforce opportunities for tribal citizens and Native workers in the trades. Lyons has an active apprenticeship pipeline that recruits from high schools and technical colleges, and the firm will continue to lead its training and recruitment efforts under the new ownership.
“We want tribal members — and members of other tribes — to see this as a place where you can build a career,” Ritchie said.
The acquisition was advised by Taureau Group, with legal counsel from Godfrey & Kahn. Lyons Electric was represented by Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren.
