Our History

The Geo. E. Honn Company is, and has been, supporting California’s electrification since 1934.

We are familiar with stories about how one person’s actions were felt for decades.  This is story of our company, how one person’s actions led to actively supporting California’s electrification since the 1930’s, hiring veterans returning from their service in World War II[1], with a lasting impact to the present day providing a resource to the evolving electric utility sector for both manufactures, electric utilities, and entities connecting to the grid.

The 1930’s was a decade dominated with tragedy and struggle.  We were in the midst of the great Depression, political movements around the globe were forming that would set the stage for World War II, and here in California, hundreds of thousands of refugees streamed into the state from the dust bowl of the southern Great Plains.  On a more singular (and positive) note, in 1934 Mr. George E. Honn formed our company.

At this time George E. Honn was the Vice President of a steel company that furnished lattice structures for electric utility transmission lines and substations.  It was after this company was sold that George founded a manufactures representative firm, the Geo. E. Honn Company.  George strategically selected a location located in San Francisco a block from the then largest utility in California, Pacific Gas and Electric[2].

In the intervening years, our company thrived as California’s electrical infrastructure dramatically grew and evolved.  While a great deal has changed, the fundamental driver for George E. Honn’s creating a rep firm remained as it was in 1934: to provide resources for those participating in the electric utility sector and manufactures alike.

Our company has is now centrally located in the utility space (in Vacaville California) and I am its current president, supported by a highly experienced staff to continue an 86-year tradition of support.

Thank you for reading our history, we look forward to meeting and working with you.

James Magolske

[1] Honn’s employees included two WWII veterans, Bill Nodder and Jim Grahm.  Bill was our second president, and I had the pleasure of briefly working with Jim Grahm.  Jim’s service to our country included landing on Omaha beach on D-Day.  Jim did not mince words – his recounting of that day as “a shitty day”.  Thank you for your service Jim, RIP.

[2] In 1953 George hired Bud Ames; Bud is the father of Jeff Ames, a well-respected substation specialist for PG&E, having 39 year career at PG&E specializing in the area of substation maintenance and construction practices.  Jeff recounted his memory of his dad to me related to Honn’s image affixed (via a magnetic decal) to his car door.