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Brian Gerlach: Leading With Respect

 By Caitlyn Stair, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

For Brian Gerlach, electricity isn’t just wires and circuits—it’s about designing efficient solutions and treating every client with respect. After years of running large-scale electrical jobs, he turned his expertise into Avant Electric, Inc., a business built on experience and integrity.

Brian started doing electrical work in high school and continued through college before entering the electrical union apprenticeship program. He later worked for Novartis Pharmaceuticals in San Carlos, managing large-scale projects that prepared him to run his own business. “I was the head electrician in charge of the entire site,” he explains. “I supervised a lot of their contractors and eventually realized I could actually manage my own crew. I had already worked on several large projects at that point, so it was really just a matter of time.”

Today, Brian says his passion for electrical work lies in the engineering side of each project. “I love finding how to make the job run smoothly from start to finish. Through our designs and engineering, we’ve found ways to do things more efficiently.”

Brian is originally from the East Coast, but he has called the Bay Area home since 2000. He and his wife, Laura, currently live in San Jose, where they take advantage of all the outdoor activities that the South Bay has to offer. “The weather is the best,” he says. “If I have time, I like riding my bike and going to the ocean. I also like snowboarding at Heavenly Ski Resort in the winter.”

Brian says the way he approaches each job ultimately comes down to respect. “I try to live by the idea that you should treat others the way you’d want to be treated. When you’re working with clients, that means showing respect, making sure they’re happy and leaving their homes or businesses just as clean as you found them.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: What’s the first thing you’d do if you could retire tomorrow?
A: I would catch up on sleep, and then I would go to the beach and surf.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?
A: Watch movies.

Q: Who’s the best James Bond?
A: Sean Connery.

Q: Have you ever attempted a death-defying feat?
A: I used to climb water towers, some of which were 100 feet tall.

Q: Do you know how to play a musical instrument?
A: I used to play the trombone in high school.