our story and success

Yurok Elder-Owned Business Prospers in Pine Ridge – Family-Run Electric Company Now in Its 41st year of Operations

When Yurok elder Frank Murdock and his Oglala Lakota wife Marjorie left Northern California for the Pine Ridge Reservation, all they had was an unreliable truck, a rusty trailer and a dream to build a bright future for their young family.

Immediately after their arrival in Pine Ridge, Mr. Murdock, a US Navy-trained electrician, started performing residential electrical work out of his truck on the South Dakota reservation because there were so few employment opportunities. In less than a year, he launched Murdock Electric Inc. Today, three generations of Murdocks work for the thriving tribally owned company, which installs large-scale electrical, fiber optic and HVAC systems out of a 3,200 square-foot facility in Pine Ridge Village.

“He came out from California in a broken-down truck and old trailer to a place with 80 to 90 percent unemployment. There was so much stacked against him, but he kept persevering until he built a successful business. He showed his sons, his grandsons and the community that anything is possible as long as you keep moving forward,” said Mr. Murdock’s son Frank III, who now oversees the company’s day-to-day operations.

Murdock Electric primarily works on large buildings, such as hospitals, schools and hotels, although the company continues to do a few residential projects. Last year, Murdock Electric celebrated its 40-year anniversary.

Mr. Murdock, 80, was born in Eureka. His parents were Aawok Anita Charles and Aawok Frank Murdock Sr. He served in the Vietnam War as an electrician’s mate in the US Navy. After his military service, Frank and Marjorie moved multiple times between Pine Ridge and Eureka, but eventually settled in South Dakota, where they raised seven children. The Murdocks always returned to the Yurok Reservation to visit family. They also fish for salmon to put in the smokehouse for their relations and friends in Pine Ridge.
“Frank loves Yurok. He loves fishing and the ocean. We go back to Klamath every year to get together with his family,” Marjorie said.
Frank and Marjorie Murdock met in Santa Clara in 1970. Raised in Pine Ridge, Marjorie emigrated to Santa Clara Valley through a relocation program that afforded her an opportunity to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Equally tenacious and motivated, Marjorie later went on to run the nursing program at the Pine Ridge Indian Hospital.

The couple moved to Pine Ridge in the early 70s to be near her family. In 1976, Frank and Marjorie traveled back to Eureka to take care of Mr. Murdock’s ailing mother and they stayed with her until she passed away. In 1978, the Murdocks returned to the Pine Ridge Reservation.

In 1980, the Murdocks headed back to Eureka, but they were only there for 18 months when renown Oglala writer, actor and American Indian Movement activist Russel Means called Frank to ask for help with the launch of the first Native owned and operated radio stations, KILI, “The Voice of the Lakota Nation.”
“He was starting a radio station and he wanted Frank to do the wiring for the radio studio. That’s when we came back and he started his own business,” Marjorie said. “When we moved back, there were very few jobs on the reservation, so he decided to run an electrical business out of his truck.”

After he completed electrical work at the radio station, Mr. Murdock began offering his services to the Pine Ridge community. His reputation for performing high quality electrical services enabled him to save enough capital to rent a building and begin cultivating a workforce.

Like most businesses, Murdock Electric’s success did not happen overnight. Frank and Marjorie worked extremely hard and faced much adversity as they built the business.

In the early days, there was ample demand for Murdock Electric’s services but it was difficult to keep employees due to transportation issues and the high level of alcoholism that plagued the reservation at the time.

“It was a challenge to find people to work,” Marjorie Murdock said. “We are at a point now where all our employees are steady.”
On many occasions, Mr. Murdock did electrical work for families that could not cover the cost.

“I would say, ‘we can’t do it, Frank.’ He would say, ‘they need it, they have children.’ He would do the job and not get paid for it,” Marjorie Murdock said.

Murdock Electric contributes to the community in other ways too. For example, the company administers a paid apprentice program for tribal citizens. The company has trained dozens of tribal youths with no prior electrical experience.

“My Dad, he believes that if a person wants to work, we will put them to work. We will train them to become a licensed journeyman, which is the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, or contractor which is the equivalent of a PhD,” said Frank III.

Murdock Electric eventually outgrew the rental facility, so the Murdocks secured a loan from Lakota Funds, a Native American Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), to construct a building of their own.

Murdock Electric owns the building, but not the land under it because it belongs to the Tribe. At one point, the company needed to take out a loan to purchase equipment for another expansion, but non-tribal banks refused to lend to the business because it did not possess land for collateral. For the same reason, Murdock Electric had a tough time obtaining bonding for larger projects. However, Lakota Funds stepped in to ensure that Murdock Electric was eligible to compete for contracts.

“It’s almost impossible to get a loan from the banks outside of the reservation,” Marjorie said. “Lakota Funds helped us grow our business.”

As the company grew, the Murdocks had to overcome an even bigger obstacle in the form of an intentional effort to slow their progress.

“As one of the only native subcontractors in this area, we had to work against a lot of discrimination,” said Frank III.
The Oglala Lakota Tribal Employment Rights Office assisted Murdock Electric in addressing these systemic barriers in the contracting world.

“The Oglala TERO is another big part of our success. They stand beside us and help us through it,” Frank III said.
In 2013, the South Dakota Small Business Administration District Office named Murdock Electric the Minority Small Business of the Year.

“That was a pretty cool accomplishment,” Frank III said.
Today, Murdock Electric has 20 employees. All the company’s staff are well paid and allowed time to participate in traditional ceremonies and other cultural practices.

“We are a family first company. We are on the rez and live a rez life. We understand the importance of our culture,” Frank III explained.
Off-reservation industries regularly headhunt people from Murdock Electric because the tribal company’s workforce is known for their comprehensive understanding of electrical systems and strong work ethic.

“A lot of the time, guys get their journeyman’s license and go to even higher paying jobs in the oil fields and other industries in North Dakota, but we’re okay with it. We want what’s best for them and their families,” said Frank III.

Over the years, Mr. Murdock worked in every corner of the 100-square-mile Pine Ridge Reservation. Throughout his life, the kind, light-hearted Yurok man made many friends in Oglala territory.

“I think Frank knows more people than I do,” Marjorie said.

Three generations of Murdocks work for Murdock Electric. Carrie Murdock, Frank III’s wife, is also a member of the team. She acquired a business degree to make herself a strong asset to the family-owned company. Frank III and Carrie’s son, Noah, started working for Murdock Electric right out of high school. More recently, Brennon Murdock, another son of Frank III and Carrie, completed a business degree on a full academic scholarship. Graduating at the top of his class, he returned to Pine Ridge to work for Murdock Electric as a project estimator. In his teens, Brennon spent his summers working alongside his father Frank III and grandfather at Murdock Electric.

“My grandfather’s strength and persistence inspired me in high school and college to keep working hard,” Brennon said. “He set a good work ethic for me.”

Last year, Brennon and his wife Sakura, who he met studying abroad in Japan, had their first child, a baby boy named Kenshi.

“He just turned 1, so we already have potential for a fourth generation to join the family business,” Brennon said.

“I hope we have a fourth generation at Murdock Electric in 20 years,” Brennon’s father, Frank III, added.