Tangi Electric

GETTING THE JOB DONE FOR 40 YEARS AND COUNTING!

Story by Nick Gagliano | Photos by Riyen Helg

Although the open roads before him and exploring the country on his Harley are on his mind, Vince Roubique is not quite ready to ride off into the sunset.

“After 40 years of servicing the businesses and families in southeast Louisiana, I’m ready to step back a little,” said Roubique. “I am extremely confident and proud that my son-in-law, Cody Cooper, will be able to continue the tradition of Tangi Electric moving forward.”

Vince Roubique and Tangi Electric are truly a local success story that has all the elements of a great story—hard work, great employees, and being at the right place at the right time.

The story began in 1984 when Vince and Donnie Ferrara started working together as electrical contractors. Vince, a native of Independence, had worked in Baker, Louisiana. “My early career was in service work, so I knew I could be successful here.”

In 1989 he ventured out on his own; hence, Tangi Electric and Maintenance Company. His first big break came that same year when he was awarded a service contract with TK Valve in Hammond. It was an 18-month job, and that’s when he realized that his future was in service work, not bid work.

The late Charlie Blackwell had a service contract with Albertsons in Seville Plaza. He asked Vince to handle a small one-hour job at Albertsons. After he was finished, the manager of Walmart, which at the time was located next door to Albertsons, saw the Tangi Electric truck and asked Vince to complete a small one-hour job for him. Following the completion, Vince had secured all of the Hammond Walmart’s service work, and from there, it expanded to the Walmart stores in St. Tammany and in Baton Rouge.

“With service work, we sell time and experience. If a job is $100 or $1,000, we’ll show up and get the job done right for your business or your family.”

— Vince Roubique

Roubique’s next big break was being at the right place at the right time.

On the day before the new Walmart store was to open in Hammond, they had a serious electrical problem and reached out to Tangi Electric. Vince and his crew worked through the night to get it corrected and they were able to open as scheduled the next day.

When the Walmart Distribution Center was being built, Vince was contacted to provide the entire electrical installation. The job would need 40 to 50 electricians, and at the time, Vince had four guys and two trucks. But not wanting to turn the job down, Vince scrambled to secure the number of electricians needed to complete the job.

Vince assumed he got the job because of his service work reputation with the other stores. However, after completion, the construction manager said he hadn't heard of Tangi Electric, and that they got the job because, of the three companies he called, Vince was the only one who returned his phone call.

Tangi Electric also played a huge role in the recovery efforts following Hurricanes Katrina and Ida.

"Katrina taught us a lot. In fact, it was after Katrina that we expanded Tangi Electric to stock, sell, and service Generac generators. "When Hurricane Ida hit our area a few years ago, we were prepared for it and had over 200 generator customers serviced. We knew what needed to be done to get our customers' businesses and homes back up and running as soon as possible."

Tangi Electric understands the importance of your generator running at its best when you need it most. This is why they're not only certified technicians for one of the most popular generators on the market today, but they pride themselves in having one of the best service and maintenance programs around.

“I've been extremely blessed with a great family, a great work team, and great customers. After Ida, I realized it was time for me to step back and let my son-in-law, Cody Cooper, step up and run the company. He has been with me for a number of years and is extremely knowledgeable and capable. Cody knows customers come first while treating the staff like family. I love working, and I’ll still be around, but Cody will be running the ship.”

With Cody at the helm and Tangi Electric running smoothly, Vince and his wife, Patti, are ready to spend more time on his Harley to explore the open roads. “I love being on my Harley and just riding. Now, Patti and I can drive to Nashville to grab lunch and come back, or we can take a few weeks and see our great country.”

Vince Roubique and Tangi Electric are a true success story that good guys who work hard, have a great team, and are at the right place at the right time can finish first. To reach them, you can go to tangielectric.com or call them at 985-542-9124.