Our Foundation
The Kimball Electric Legacy
Every reliable system requires a rock-solid foundation. For K2, that foundation was laid decades ago, long before we pulled our first low-voltage cable or audited a modern security network.
Our expertise isn't just learned; it is generational
Post-WWII Origins
The story starts immediately after World War II, when the original Kimball Electric was founded by my grandfather, Nolan Joseph Kimball"Pop." Operating out of a shared space in the basement of the Western Auto store on Main Street in Manchester Georgia, the business was built on honest, uncompromising hard work. As the company grew, operations moved to a newly built, dedicated shop next to his house in Shiloh, Georgia.
In those early days, it was about keeping the local community running—handling everything from traditional electrical wiring to air conditioning and refrigeration. They were also pioneers in local technology. Long before cell phones, Pop ran 2-way radios out of his classic red service truck. Being a "radio-dispatched" company was a cutting-edge advantage at the time, allowing Kimball Electric to communicate faster and respond to customer needs before anyone else could.
137 Main Street
The Second Generation
By the early 1980s, Kimball Electric had outgrown the Shiloh location. The business moved back to Manchester. Setting up shop on Main Street, behind the classic brick storefront at number 137, while keeping the original Shiloh building as a dedicated supply warehouse.
During this era, the torch passed to the second generation. In April of 1985, my father, Nolan Terry Kimball, officially earned his Non-Restricted Electrical Contractor license by examination, cementing his role at the helm. But his true legacy wasn't just his technical mastery; it was his profound dedication to his neighbors. "24/7" wasn't just a tagline for him. Whether it meant leaving the house on freezing nights to fix a broken furnace, heading out during the holidays to repair a family's stove, or dropping everything on a weekend because a cooler at the local grocery store went down, he truly cared for his customers and was always there when they needed him most.
Under his steady hands, the standard of what it meant to be a professional in the trades was elevated. If you saw the Kimball Electric crew on a job site, you recognized them instantly by their sharp uniform: the signature blue pinstripe work shirts and navy blue work pants. He kept those familiar white GMC 2500 work trucks rolling and ensured the Kimball name remained synonymous with dependable, expert service throughout west central Georgia. He poured his life into the business until his passing in 2024, setting an uncompromising standard for dedication to the craft.
Growing Up in the Trade
For my brothers and me, Kimball Electric wasn't just our father's business—it was our playground and our classroom. We grew up riding shotgun on service calls, building forts out of discarded items around the shop, and soaking up the history as we took apart random old things. That hands-on immersion provided an unmatched education in infrastructure, problem-solving, and doing the job right the first time.
That deep-rooted understanding of the trade became the exact DNA that launched K2. Over the past decade, K2 has taken those foundational lessons learned in the shop and in the passenger seat of those old work trucks, applying them to the modern era of complex low-voltage systems and specialized security integration.
Military Service
& The Birth of K2
Following in my grandfather’s footsteps, my own path into the trade was forged through service and grit. After completing my time in the military, I took a job in Las Vegas. I started at the absolute bottom, doing the "grunt work" in the sweltering desert heat. It was grueling, but it was where I learned the true foundations of commercial low voltage from the veterans of the trade who took the time to show me how it’s done right. I’ll always be grateful to the mentors out West who gave me a shot and taught me the ropes when I was just starting out.
It was also where K2 was born. We had a logistical problem on that crew: there were already two other Mikes, and as fate would have it, one of those imposter Mikes was already known as "Mike K." To keep the morning work orders straight, the office manager started writing "Mike K2" at the top of my papers. Eventually, she just shortened it to "K2." The nickname stuck, and from that point on, it became my identity in the trade.
Homecoming
& The Next Chapter
While the desert provided my apprenticeship, my heart was always in Georgia. Following the birth of my oldest daughter, I returned home to my roots. Before launching my own firm, I spent a decade working within the school system, managing complex infrastructure and systems at an institutional scale.
​That 10-year tenure, combined with the lessons learned riding the old service truck, serving in the military, and being tempered in the Vegas heat, became the DNA of K2 Integration. Today, we aren’t just looking forward; we are looking back with intent.
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We have officially re-established ownership of the Kimball Electric brand—not for a rebrand, but to hold it as a heritage piece. By securing this name, we are ensuring that the work ethic started in a post-war basement is preserved and protected for the next generation.
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We are stepping into the future with K2, built on a foundation eighty years in the making.
Dedicated to my dad and hero, Terry Kimball.
