Anyone who’s been looking for electricians can tell you: Qualified ones are a rare commodity in the new-normal era and as a result, many have been backlogged in recent months. 

It was with that in mind that Centralia-based Man on Wire hung a shingle in fall 2021. And since then, they’ve been busy.

“A lot of electrical companies would rather have a big commercial job or wire new-build homes over coming into someone’s house and hanging a new light,” said co-owner Greg Filimonuk. ‘That’s the void we’re filling. If you need a new ceiling fan, or have a switch or plug that stopped working, or you want to brighten up your kitchen with some new recessed lighting, that is exactly what we are here for.”

And what about the name?

“Well, we brainstormed a long time on the name,” said Filimonuk. “Since our last name is a bit difficult to say and spell, we ruled ‘Filimonuk Electric’ out pretty quickly.”

For those trying to pronounce the name, Filimonuk provides some assistance: FILL-A-MIN-NOOK.

“We talked about all sorts of names and nothing clicked until one day we decided on Man on Wire,” he said.

With just a few months in business, Man on Wire has been making calls, with a service area that includes Mexico, Centralia, Moberly, Columbia, “and everywhere in between.”

The key to early success has been responsiveness, he says. Their specialty is residential service and no job is too small - so they are happy to do things like adding an outdoor plug, installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, or just replacing an outdated light fixture.

“We are also a Tesla-certified electric vehicle (EV) installer,” he said.

Man on Wire is also a product of a homecoming of sorts. Greg’s wife, Hilary - maiden name Myers - grew up in Centralia. They’d been living in Kansas City but returned home to be close to family.

“Hilary’s dad passed away in December from COVID,” he said. “That really rocked our world.”

The Filimonuks have a son, Ivan, and had talked about moving back to the area, but the December loss expedited the process.

“We enjoyed Kansas City and all that a big city offers,” he said. “However, we just could not picture raising our son there. Hilary will always be a small-town girl at heart and it is important to her to raise Ivan how she was raised, where neighbors are friends, everyone greets you by name in the grocery store and we can ride our bikes to the library.”

Greg has been a professional electrician for over 20 years, and has worked on big projects, like wiring shopping malls. But he has an affinity for residential work.

“I really enjoy the personalized service of going into a customer’s home and taking care of them like family,” he said.

Hilary handles office duties and ‘keeps Greg on track.’

“”And she is very good at keeping me on track,” he said.

As temperatures drop and winter settles in, the Filimonuk team is happy to be in mid-Missouri. They are excited for the future. And they are glad to be in a community that shares their values.

“We’re happy to be where hometown pride is still a thing,” said Greg, “where the schools are award-winning and the church pews are full on a Sunday morning.”

Man on Wire can be found at manonwire.net, Facebook, @manonwireMO. They can be reached by calling 573-539-0003 or by emailing greg@manonwire.net.