Our Company History
Heated Innovation: A History of Electro Industries
1973: The Beginning of Innovation
Electro Industries was started in 1973 with one product, a gas-fired air make-up heater for confinement buildings with one customer, Aerovent Fan and Equipment of Lansing, Michigan. Bill Seefeldt used his engineering experience to bring that product to maturity and then decided that diversification needed to be the next priority. From prior contacts with the rural electric utilities he began developing a comprehensive line of products for load management applications. Thus, Bill and Merrlyn Seefeldt founded Electro Industries and it became incorporated on January 1st, 1974.
1976: Pioneering Heating Solutions
In 1976 we began working with Minnkota Power Cooperative of Grand Forks, North Dakota as they introduced their new load management system and dual heat rates. We originally anticipated this application would be handled with storage heat and began developing a central ETS storage furnace. This design actually was patterned after Saskatchewan Power Corporation and Otter Tail Power Corporation prototype furnaces. However, later the Minnkota people felt their load control heating application would be much better handled with simple dual electric and fossil fuel furnace system. On January 8th, 1978 Bill delivered the first small trailer load of Electroil dual forced air furnaces.
From there things started to move rather quickly and we were well on our way to becoming the experts in the heating control world. At this time we introduced the Electro-Mate® plenum heater and the Electro-Boiler®, a dual heat conversion electric boiler.
1980: Connecting People Through Innovation
In the 1980’s we cast the vision of being “The Connect To People”. We considered radio receivers, line carrier receivers and/or TOU (Time of Use) meters as the load management communication device, but in order for the power company to further implement their load management program, these devices need to “connect to” the hardware which actually does the work. This is something we could develop and we became very successful at it.
As our experience and reputation grew in the Upper Midwest we developed a full line of load interrupt relay and sub-metering controls called Peak Interrupters. These quickly became a fast-growing product line throughout the 80’s.
1991: Advancing Smart Heating
In 1991 we introduced a microprocessor product family under the Electro-Tech name. This includes programmable seasonable time clocks, electronic sub-metering, remote metering, commercial demand controllers, wireless control transceivers, etc. In 1995 this was extended to a smart heat pump controller called WarmFlo®.
Throughout the history of load management applications, the proper interrupt backup heat and comfort of heat pumps were always an issue. Through the years various relay based interfaced controls were developed primarily to add installation ease and standardization for load management control. As a result we became a third party knowledge base and interface control supplier for power company customer service departments and dealers/contractors. Realizing the need to increase air source heat pump comfort and to more effectively integrate our Electro-Mate plenum heater with the classic dual fuel heat pump, the WarmFlo smart heat pump controller opened up a new future for the original Electro-Mate and for electric utilities interested in selling more power. WarmFlo is the most versatile and universal heat pump controller available and is configured for most heat pump brands and gas furnace combinations. It is truly a third party value added controller.
1999: Revolutionizing Standby Power
In 1999 we developed a standby generator transfer switch. The primary benefit Electro-GenConnect had over traditional techniques is that it is installed behind the meter socket and no building re-wiring is required. Electro continues to manufacture transfer equipment as an OEM to generator manufacturers.
2000: Electro’s Next Generation
In the early 2000s, Bill partnered with Purdue University to produce a new heat pump system called the NorAire®, which could extract energy at temperatures as low as –30°F and provide three integrated outputs: hydronic heating, forced-air heating, and domestic hot water. Electro has continued to refine and improve the system over the years in response to customer needs.
As Electro continued to grow, Bill Seefeldt remained at the helm, with his wife, Merrlyn, supporting the business throughout its development. Merrlyn’s journey began as Electro’s only office staff member and evolved into Bill’s “Support Services.” All four of their children contributed to Electro in various ways over the years. When Bill and Merrlyn retired in 2015, the company’s family leadership continued through their son John Seefeldt, who served as CEO, and their daughter Krista Smith, who served as President.
Bill & Merrlyn Seefeldt
2009: Expanding into Geothermal with Northern Heat Pump
In 2009 Electro made a major decision and purchased a heat pump company in Winkler, Manitoba called Northern Heat Pump. This allowed Electro to produce their own geothermal heat pumps called the Northern Heat Pump series. Electro continued in that market until 2014, and then sold that product line to continue to focus on efforts in the electric utility world.
2020: Meet the EZBoiler® Series
The year 2020 brought Electro to an “all in one” unit called the EZBoiler Series. This is truly a “plug and play” unit which contains a pump, expansion tank and controls conveniently all inside a single enclosure. Thus making a clean and simple install as well as a much less time consuming initial install. Our contractors and wholesalers are thrilled to have this as an option.
Electro Industries is unique in that we not only internally design our products, but we also have the ability to fully control all aspects of our products from inception to final delivery within our large facility in Monticello, Minnesota. We consider ourselves a complete “cradle to grave” manufacturer and are proud to be an American made company. Our reputation has allowed us to diversify and continues to give us additional opportunities to our valued customers as an OEM Manufacturer.
We also pride ourselves with an excellent technical service team, where your needs are our number 1 priority. We continuously and successfully strive to have the best quality product available for residential, commercial and industrial applications.
Through the years we have employed anywhere from 2 to 118 employees. We value our employees and realize they are a great contributor to our overall success. We value family and faith and believe all our successes are blessings from God to better His Kingdom.
2024: A New Chapter – Joining the Bradford White Family
In 2024, Electro Industries proudly entered a new era of growth and innovation through its acquisition by Laars® Heating Systems, a subsidiary of Bradford White Corporation. This strategic move marked a significant milestone in Electro’s nearly 50-year history of delivering dependable electric heating solutions across North America.
Krista retired in 2024, concluding decades of involvement with the company her family founded and an important chapter in Electro’s second-generation leadership. John remained with Electro as Director, providing leadership and support throughout the company’s integration into the Laars Group.
Now part of the Bradford White family of companies, Electro’s capabilities and product reach continue to expand. Laars Heating Systems and Electro Industries share a deep-rooted dedication to American manufacturing, engineering excellence, and personalized customer care. With the support and resources of Bradford White, Electro’s family-founded legacy continues to grow—bringing proven technologies to a wider audience and helping meet the increasing demand for electrified heating solutions.
2026: Continuing The Legacy
After 28 years of leadership, dedication, and innovation, John Seefeldt retired from Electro Industries in 2026. Throughout his career, John played a major role in shaping the company, supporting its continued growth, and helping guide its integration into the Laars Group and the Bradford White Corporation family of companies.
Lance Wolf was selected to succeed John as Electro’s Site Leader. Drawing on his experience as a business owner, Lance brings a practical and thoughtful approach to leadership and growth. He values continuity, established business relationships, and measured progress while respecting the decisions and values that have guided Electro for more than 50 years.
Under Lance’s leadership, the Monticello operation moves forward as part of the Laars Group while remaining committed to the employees, customers, products, and partnerships that have shaped Electro Industries.
