United Electric changes with the times
Jonathan Knutson
The Forum - 12/04/1999
Three generations of Larsons have been helping Fargo-Moorhead residents with their cars.

Today their diversified family operation - which includes UESCO Warehouse, United Power Equipment and United Automotive Tech Center - employs about 80 people and is nearly ready to open a new 7,300-square-foot auto diagnostic/repair shop at 3232 28th St. S., Fargo.

"We consider our new location a partnership with the growing neighborhoods and business community on the south side," said Steve Larson, who joined the family business in 1986. His grandfather, Oscar Larson, played a crucial role in the company's early growth.

The United Automotive Tech Center at 308 First Ave. N., Fargo, will remain open. The new location also will operate under the United Automotive Tech Center banner.

The business was started in 1923 at 410 NP Ave., Fargo, by A.L. Peterson, a Winger, Minn., farm boy. Peterson had seen the growing number of autos on Fargo streets, and recognized an opportunity. Peterson Electric worked on magnetos and generators, as well as repairable glass-case batteries for the railroads.

In 1925 his half brother, Oscar Larson, joined the business, which became Peterson Larson Electric. Besides offering services for motor vehicles, it supplied light plants to rural customers and also sold and repaired radios.

In 1930 the company moved to 312 First Ave. N. and took the United Electric name. It added head lamps and electrical starters to its inventory.

Over the next few decades United Electric added products like carburetors, speedometers and alternators.

Because autos were still relatively new, many drivers were ignorant of basic auto maintenance. United Electric's earliest advertisements tried to do something about that.

Here's what one 1931 ad had to say: "You can't catch fish where there's no water. Neither can you expect your battery to work hard without the proper amount of water and mechanical attention. We inspect your battery and fill it with distilled water - Free."

Besides supplying parts to its own customers, the company became a wholesale parts distributor to repair shops in North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.

Dale Larson, Oscar's son, joined the company in 1957. He concentrated on expanding United Electric's role as a wholesale distributor. He also helped the company expand into the sale of auto and tractor air conditioners, which became a strong area of growth for United Electric.

As time passed, the auto parts business became increasingly complex.

A growing number of models were hitting the market, and consumers wanted more accessories and equipment. The combination meant repair shops needed access to an ever-bigger pool of parts.

That helped the wholesale side of United Electric, what Dale Larson called "the bottom of the iceberg."

In 1969 the company was reorganized by Larson and John Greene, who had joined United Electric eight years earlier.

They renamed the original company UESCO Warehouse. It took over the wholesale side of the business and began supplying agricultural air conditioning to several ag manufacturers.

UESCO Warehouse has been located at 715 25th St. N., Fargo, since 1976. Ron Jenson is chief operating officer of UESCO.

In the 1969 reorganization, the newly created United Electric Service and Supply Inc. took over the technical auto services offered at the downtown Fargo location. The repair shop was named United Automotive Tech Center in the early 1990s.

The company has four other divisions:

United Power Equipment sells and services small gasoline engines and the equipment they power.

Auto Systems specializes in automotive after-market accessories. It handles air conditioning systems and parts for customizing vehicles, and also is the regional distributor for a brand of remote car starting systems.

United Industrial Coatings supplies finishes to small machine shops and small manufacturers, most of them in ag-related fields.

Tubes and Hoses fabricates fluid and hydraulic hoses for automotive and off-road equipment.

But the company's core business remains the diagnosis and repair of auto electrical systems at United Automotive Tech Center. Steve Larson is in charge of daily operations there.

Modern cars require fancy, hi-tech diagnostic equipment - and trained employees to operate it. Larson said United Automotive Tech Center has kept pace with the industry changes.

Society has changed as well in the past 70-odd years. A growing number of United Automotive Tech Center's customers are women, many of whom don't care for a service garage's traditional atmosphere.

The new 28th Street location is designed to make customers more comfortable and confident.

"We designed this place to take the strain out of the service relationship," Larson said. "If a customer still likes to talk directly to the auto technician, he's welcome in the shop. But those who'd rather drop off their cars and leave the details to our experts are going to feel especially comfortable and welcome with our new environment."