Through the generations, Baker’s electrifies Drew County

By Ashley Hogg

When you need a lightbulb, a generator, or almost anything related to electricity, look no further than Baker’s Electrical Supply.

Located on Edwards Street, Baker’s has been a customer-oriented business since 1989 when Marvin Baker (Generation One) saw a need for an electrical supply store in Monticello. 

“Dad was an industrial electrical supervisor at a local plant,” Marty Baker (Generation Two) said. “He showed up to work one day and the gate was locked. That’s how they were told they no longer had a job. He knew the area needed an electrical supply house. He had a lot of good contacts and he opened the store shortly after in the old Marsh Washateria building, which he rented from Alan Pierce. I can’t imagine how hard it was to start a business with nothing at that time. We would have to call vendors and convince them that we were legit and basically talk them into selling to us.”

A decade later, Marvin convinced Marty to return home and help expand the business. 

“The same year Dad opened the store, I took a job in Greenville, Mississippi. I worked there until I moved to middle Tennessee and worked up there from about 1992 to 1998,” Marty added. “That Christmas, Dad finally talked me into moving back home to see if we could grow the business. It was always his plan for me to take over the business and he had taken it as far as he could without using a computer and other technology.”

In 1999, Marty began running the daily operations at Baker’s as they moved into their new building. He installed the first computer system for the company. Seth (Generation Three) was ten years old at the time. 

“I remember Papaw saying something about a phone and a notebook were the highest levels of technology he was using,” Seth stated. “Using the fax machine was a big deal to him. When he went into business, he took a $20 bill, folded it up, and put it in his billfold. His thought was, that he would never be broke as long as he had that $20. As cash flow improved, he upgraded to a $100 bill.”

Marty and Seth laughed as they mentioned that Marvin still has the $100 in his wallet.

As the entire world welcomed a new Millennium, the Baker family opened a second store, Baker’s Wholesale, in Crossett. Two years later, they expanded again by purchasing the local plumbing supply store. Until 2010, the store sold plumbing supplies from the same building as the electrical supplies. Since both businesses were growing, they decided to open Allied Plumbing and Hardware Supply across the street from Baker’s Electrical in order to increase inventory. It was at that time when Rodney Kelley changed from his role as manager of the Crossett store to running the plumbing supply store in Monticello. Rodney would become a partner in Allied Plumbing and Hardware Supply in 2013.

“We are proud that most of our employees have been with us for many years,” Marty said. “Michael, my brother-in-law has been here since 2000, Mark since 2003, Rodney since 2005, Tyler, my nephew since 2011, Lindsey, my daughter-in-law since 2013, Laurel, my niece since 2020, and Greg since 2024. I’m sure lots of people remember when Sammy Dennis was here. He worked with us for nearly 30 years. He came in shortly after Dad when he opened the store and ended up being part of the family. My wife Sandra was a part of the business for years until the grandkids came along!”

By 2014, the Bakers made their second expansion into the current building. It now has more than 9,000 square feet. 

“We have been blessed with steady expansion over the last 36 years, and we have relied on the local banks to help us navigate certain times,” Marty added. “Seth saw a need for generator sales and service after we had a bad winter storm in 2020. We were in a pandemic, and we had been without power in Drew County for two weeks in some places. Seth has been selling and servicing generators for the past five years, and that has contributed to our growth. We can help anyone with whole house generator needs for the life of their generator.”

Seth said he is ready to take the reins in the near future as Marty begins to think about retirement and continues to dabble in Real Estate. 

“I want to keep the slow growth going,” Seth added. “We are a small business in a small town. We have to take care of our customers. We rely on them to tell us what they need so we can supply it.”

Seth and his wife, Lindsey, work Monday through Friday at the store. As of this summer, their children, Kynslee and Luke (Generation four) are learning the ropes and working part-time at Baker’s. 

Whether you have industrial electrical needs or weekend warrior projects, Baker’s Electrical Supply and its friendly staff are happy to assist you.