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Best Electric Company
Tribune Photo published April 5, 1954

Best Electric Company, 130 Main Street, was founded by W.H. Best in 1914. Three generations of his family are pictured.  In the front row, left to right are Bob Jr., Ben and Bill, the fourth generation, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Bob Best.  Standing in the back are Bob and Mrs. (Ann) Best, the third generation, and Bess and Orlo Best, the second generation.

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BEST ELECTRIC CO - ONE OF AMES' OLDEST BUSINESSES -- One of the oldest businesses on Ames' Main street is the Best Electric Company.  It was founded by W.H. Best in 1914.  Mr. Best had some electrical know-how, several years of experience, enough capitol to buy the assets of a bankrupt company known as the Ames Engineering company, and a heart full of confidence in the future of Ames.  It was his self confidence and his faith in the future growth of Ames that prompted him to take the step that put him in business for himself.

Mr. and Mrs. Best had moved here with their family from Nevada in 1909, and went to work at the power plant at Iowa State College.  His first big wiring job was Ag, now known as Curtiss Hall.

Mr. Best was joined in the business by his son Orlo right after he returned from the first World War.  Since that time it has been a father and son operation.  Orlo now owns the company, but his son Bob is working right along with him... and bob has three sons coming on... so it may well soon be that the fourth generation will come into the Best Electric company picture.

In the electrical contracting end of the business the Bests can point to big jobs on county court houses, school houses and churches all over Iowa as well as several of the buildings on ISC campus and hundreds of homes and business buildings in and around Ames.  They can also point with pride to the vast number of farms they supplied with electricity... before rural electrification.  That came about this way, Mr. Best reasoned that a 32-volt home generator was not completely satisfactory, so he assembled, sold and installed the Best 110-volt home generator to enable users in rural areas to have the same efficient electric service that was available only in towns and cities.  The Best Electric company was at one time one of Ames' largest retailers of major electric appliances.  They decided, however, that the appliance business took far more time for service than was good for a thriving electrical contracting business... so major appliances were discontinued.  But that does not mean that they got out of the retail business... far from it.  They have a complete stock of small appliances by well known manufacturers.  They have a complete line of electric light bulbs and supplies, but their pride and joy is the large stock of lamps and lamp shades.

Mrs. Orlo (Bess) Best arranging the shade on one of the floor lamps in the display room.  The Best Electric company is said to have one of the largest stocks of table, bridge and floor lamps and shades in central Iowa.

The large stock of lamps is not just one of Bess' whims... it is part of a plan.  The basic service that they have for sale is good lighting.  Whether it be schoolroom, an office, a business or a home... it isn't modern unless it is properly lighted.  And proper lighting is not arrived at by hit or miss.  it is determined after a thorough study of lighting requirements and a complete knowledge of what it takes to meet those requirements.  Therefore it is necessary to have a complete stock of fixtures and lamps available to permit a customer to select from a decorative standpoint the type of fixture that will give the desired lighting effect.

Probably, when you call on Best Electric company for electrical service, Orlo and Bob will show up to do the job.  Father and son... they have played on the same baseball team.  They bowl together.... and they work together.

This GE Hotpoint electric range booklet, personalized with the name Best Electric Company, contained recipes tailored for electric cooking and made a convincing argument for replacing the old cook stove with an automatic electric range.

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