In East-Central Georgia, a small town of around 7,000 people is entering a new era of development, but it faced a lingering problem: there was no local electrical supply store nearby.
“The city of Thomson hasn’t had an electrical supplier in over 25 years, with the exception of a big-name hardware store,” said Matt Caldwell, branch manager of City Electric Supply (CES) Thomson. “We didn’t have access to all of the material needed for upcoming projects in the fast-growing community.”
Fortunately, a much-needed service would soon be provided thanks to an unexpected connection.
Building a career and a branch
Since 2021, Matt Caldwell has been building his career at CES. For five years, he commuted 38 miles from his home in Thomson to work as an operations manager at CES Augusta Downtown, shortly after being promoted from counter sales at the same branch.
“The Augusta Downtown branch was initially part of the Columbia District, which stretched into South Carolina,” Caldwell added. “CES always looks for opportunities to continue growing in new markets.”
Gary Breland, who led Augusta Downtown as branch manager, became district manager and was tasked with helping create a new district in Georgia. That’s when Caldwell got the idea of opening a CES branch right in his hometown.
“I talked to Gary about bringing CES to Thomson and how we were in great need of our own electrical supply store,” said Caldwell.
Soon after, the search began.
The search begins
Breland and Caldwell spent months searching for land and a building. Caldwell knew the area well, but finding the right spot for a new branch location was easier said than done.
Caldwell didn’t want the branch to be in just any spot. With an even mix of residential, commercial, and industrial projects, he wanted the branch to be situated where it could best support the growing community.
“We were looking at existing buildings here in town, and I just couldn’t find anything that I was happy with,” said Caldwell.
At one point, a potential lead for a location was on the way to being finalized by Vice President of Operations R.T. Smith, who was a regional manager at the time.
However, another potential lead came from a branch in Tennessee.
“R.T. and Gary got an email from the branch manager of CES Sevierville, Nathan Julian,” said Caldwell.
Excerpt from email:
Enter Ron Hickman
Nathan Julian’s great-uncle, Ron Hickman, is an 84-year-old Army veteran and retired businessman who owned a plumbing and supply business for nearly 30 years before selling it to another company in 2000.
“The president of the company contacted me in 1996, and he told me that he was interested in buying my business,” said Hickman. “We negotiated for four years, and we closed the deal on May 1, 2000.”
While his business was sold, Hickman maintained ownership of the property. After the company that purchased his business split up and dropped their electrical supply services, Hickman wanted to lease the rest of his property and a nearby empty lot he had purchased later down the line in August 2024 to a new electrical supply store.
“I had space available next door, and I’d been trying to get an electrical bid for 26 years,” Hickman added. “I knew my nephew worked at CES, so I called him and asked if they’d be interested in opening a business in Thomson, and he told me that he’d reach out to the regional manager of that area.”
Within about two hours, R.T. Smith and Gary Breland gave him a call.
“They told me they had been looking for a place in Thomson,” said Hickman. “A week later, Gary and Matt came out to visit the property and the empty lot and liked what they saw.”
From the ground up
Once the deal was sealed in writing, the project to build CES Thomson officially moved forward.
Construction for CES Thomson began in March of 2025. “Concrete was poured on the site in July of that year, and within five months the entire structure was built,” added Hickman.
The 6,000-square-foot building officially opened in January 2026.
“We didn’t have the official Grand Opening event until later that summer, but at that point we were in our eighth month of sales and already trending in the right direction,” said Caldwell.
Source: Thomson-McDuffie Chamber of Commerce
More great things to come
The new CES Thomson is already off to a great start. On August 19, the branch celebrated a successful Grand Opening event on-site with local community members and vendors in attendance.
“It was a very hot day, but we had an unbelievable turnout of around 250 people,” said Caldwell.
The branch even got a visit from the mayor, the chamber of commerce, and a mention in the local newspaper.
“There were so many vendors and citizens at the event that the parking lot and side road were full,” said Ed Darby, mayor of Thomson-McDuffie County. “The addition of CES Thomson will save time and traveling expenses for local contractors looking for supplies with competitive pricing and inventory.”
“With CES being right here in our community, it is a tremendous asset, especially as we continue to see growth and development throughout our county,” said President and CEO of the Thomson-McDuffie Chamber of Commerce Kenya Calhoun. “Having a local electrical supply company here makes it easier for our contractors, tradespeople, and residents to access the products, resources, and expertise they need.”
With the way things are going for CES Thomson, there are surely more great things to come.