Verde Power Sales (VPS) traces our history back through Young Power Equipment Company (YPE), which first opened its doors for business in Chicago in 1948, by Dick Young. Dick moved to Southern California in 1961 and expanded into Arizona several years later, opening an office in Phoenix in 1968. By 1978, Dick had successfully built a base in the New Mexico territory.
In 1974, Dick had the honor of serving as President of the Electrical Equipment Manufacturers Association (EERA). In 1975, Dick built the company’s second office at the Scottsdale Airpark, which served as the company’s corporate headquarters until 2018. Dick Young was a true leader in his business and was revered by both his customers and manufacturer principals.
Randy Sutton joined YPE in 1979 after working as a District Engineer for Citizens Utilities Company in Arizona. Over the next 40 years, Randy earned a reputation as a valued resource providing guidance and solutions to both customers and manufacturers. Under Randy’s leadership, YPE grew to the largest Manufacturers Rep group in the territory. Randy is a past President of the EERA (2002) and has been responsible for calling on every customer in the territory we cover. Although mostly known for his time in Arizona, he previously spent a significant amount of time covering the New Mexico and more recently, the Southern California market. Randy retired in 2018 and ownership transitioned to Chris Gummel and Patrick Irwin.
In 2019, under the new leadership of Chris and Patrick, Young Power Equipment changed its name to Verde Power Sales. This progression is part of an effort to keep pace with the ever-evolving electrical industry in which we operate. As with prior generations of ownership, Chris and Patrick have called on all of the customers in the territory we cover, developing valuable relationships and spurring business growth in several states and across multiple accounts.
Here at VPS we believe a key driver of our success is in knowing our customer at all levels. In fact, Dick Young has been quoted many times saying, “My friends are my customers.” This highly regarded value of customer relationships has been passed down through the company’s generations and today VPS prides itself on having the best customer coverage of the geographic territory that we serve. With the VPS teams’ over 100 years of combined experience calling in this market, we are well positioned for continued growth and success.