Meet Bobby Blackmon

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bobby Blackmon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Bobby, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

My work ethic was born out of poverty. My parents were divorced and I was being reared by my maternal grandmother by the time I was 13. Grandma collected a little over $400 a month in social security benefits. We use to “splurge” on an .88 cents box of nutty bars once all the bills were paid. I seen her take many odd jobs to make ends meet. By the time I was 14 I got my own money by working sun up to past sun down in the hay fields.
As a young teen I was envious of my friends that had a Nintendo or even Levi’s jeans given to them by their parents. I was even angry that I had to put in rice spills in the sweltering heat for a week just to purchase my own. There are so many things that I seen taken for granted. Things like having your parent drop you off at practice. My Maw just couldn’t afford to waste the gas. So, looking back I can say my work ethic was gained more out of a necessity to survive than a choice to accept my situation. “Growing up poor and wanting more will damn sure light a fire under your ass” -Me.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Blackmon Industrial Electric Services (BIES) was started in 2021. I was an overhead traveling crane technician working contract at an aluminum foundry when, after a particularly bad day, I decided I had enough of busting my hump for a corporation that was as greedy as it was dishonest. The aluminum mill, formally Noranda, had been shut down for a few years when President Trump first gained office. His tariff on Chinese aluminum gave birth to the reopening of the aluminum mill with the new owner and name of Magnitude 7 metals. I took notice of the troubles the mill was facing in hiring and retaining industrial electricians. After a brief conversation with the plant manager, I obtained my LLC and began solving the problems the mill was facing. For example, one machine the mill relied heavily upon had a 76% uptime rate. The machine was old and featured a PLC with client racks that had “plug and play” modules. This machine also had a jackhammer! The vibration was shaking the cards loose. My team removed the PLC and hardwired all connections. Simple improvements raised the uptime to 99%.
Despite the improvements, I was still met with a lot of resistance from the “old guard”. “We’ve never done it like that” or “We’ve always done it like this” is something I hear a lot. Which is why they will continue to have the same issues.
The union was voted back into Mag 7 and the mill froze the pay rates of its electricians. In short, the few remaining electricians Mag had quit. My motto is “Pay ‘em good and treat ‘em better”. BIES starting pay was better than Mag 7s top out. Easy to see we soon became their main electrical contractor.
However, despite the best effort from some of the greatest men I know, the plant once again shut down after the tax incentive ran out. It devastated me and over 400 other families. I had to learn of the plants closing from one of my guys. He walked into my office and informed me it was our last day.
Thankfully we picked up the contract to wire up some of the new machinery at the steel mill.
No matter how good something is running, Blackmon Industrial can make it better. From overhead cranes and doors to trash compactors and dock levelers. We have the personnel and experience to make it happen.
As if all that ain’t enough, I’ve even began making automated duck hunting equipment. The patent-pending Mallard Mover is a device that slides onto the bottom keel of any duck decoy to turn it into a swimming duck!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The most important quality is patience when it comes to business. Surround yourself with people smarter than you. People who will not be afraid to course correct you when needed.
Next, be kind! You’d be surprised how far in business you will get just by talking good about someone else behind their back.
Lastly, be generous. Let others know what they mean to you. Not only monetarily, but also with your time.
Always take care of the ones that take care of you. Josh Crabtree is more than the company VP. He’s family. He gets it done. I work for him and all my guys.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

My wife, Melissa Blackmon. Growing up poor it was common for me to say, “One day..”. Example- One day I am going to circumvent the globe! Then, one day, I was talking to her shortly after we got married. I was explaining to her the exploits of one of my coworkers that had just gotten back from a cruise. It sounded like so much fun! So naturally I told her, “one day we are gonna take a cruise”. To my surprise she asked, “where do you want to go? I will book it”. I was flabbergasted, sitting there stuttering like a fool! It had never occurred to me to actually follow through with “one day”.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Blackmonindustrial.com
• Other: Also check out MallardMover.com