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APRIL 13, 2026—2012 Pal-Mac grad Tanner Fox’s spark for future success started early, and has ignited into owning his own business, right in his own backyard.

Fox owns and operates T.W. Fox Electric LLC., which primarily serves the Pal-Mac area. He’s entering his seventh year of business, which has seen him provide residential and commercial electrical services to homeowners and business owners in need.

“I have been fortunate to maintain steady, sometimes overwhelming, amounts of work year-round, year after year, thanks to the tremendous support of this community,” Fox said.

And it was that community that Fox said helped shape where he is today. Growing up in Macedon, Fox said hard work was always modeled and emphasized in his household. He watched closely at his stepfather, Mike, who he said could build a dream and fix anything under the sun. Fox would often follow Mike along to job sites, and learned basic electrical skills in the process.

“I wanted to be like him,” Fox said.

He had his heart set: He’d work in the trades. But the wires didn’t quite connect his path to being an electrician quite yet.

By the time he reached high school, Fox said he’d made several impactful connections with every staff member, teacher, and coach he came in contact with. He was a member of the Varsity Lacrosse team and competed on the JV Wrestling team during his freshman and sophomore years.

“The school always felt like the perfect size,” Fox said. “Everybody knew everyone.”

After graduating in 2012, Fox went right to work for a property management company based in Rochester, where he learned the basics of multiple trades. He said it wasn’t until 2014 that he realized he wanted to focus on electrical work. 

After working for two years, paying bills, and owning a vehicle, he decided to apply to Alfred State College in hopes of getting into the electrical trades program. He got in.

He’d graduate in 2017, and then took an electrician gig for a residential property management company. He liked the job, sure, but he started fielding calls for electric work from his friends, family, and community members. Fox said as calls started to grow,  he knew he had a decision to make.

In November of 2019, he formally launched the company he owns today. He started it as more of a side gig on evenings and weekends, but would soon make the jump to full time in just about a year’s time.

“I have been fortunate to maintain steady, sometimes overwhelming, amounts of work year-round, year after year,” Fox said. “And it’s thanks to the tremendous support of this community.”

He added the people he serves aren’t just customers, they’re neighbors and friends. 

But the path here wasn’t always easy, and owning your own business can bring with it some challenges, too. Fox said his journey required a big leap of faith combined with a strong support system. He added that it’s not simply about working three days a week and then going fishing after.

Fox said it means working until each job is done and knowing there isn’t someone else to finish up when he’s run out of steam. That’s on top of late nights doing paperwork, estimating, and communicating with customers.

 

“It takes a lot of dedication,” Fox said. “But it has been rewarding in the end.”

In a career full of accomplishments, Fox said without a doubt, his proudest moment since graduating has been building a life with his supportive wife and life partner, Whitney, and raising their four-year-old daughter, Remi. He said Remi will attend Pal-Mac schools, just like her Dad.

When we do these spotlights, we always ask alums to share some piece of advice for the seniors and juniors. Fox pulled inspiration from a historic quote:

“Whatever you are, be a good one.” This is a quote from Abraham Lincoln that stood on my grandmother’s mantle for years, and I firmly believe in it. Whether you are pursuing a degree or looking to jump right into the workforce, do your best to be good at what you do, and success will follow.

Know an amazing alum who should be recognized? Fill out our form! Pictures and/or video can also be sent to Public Information Coordinator Andrew Hyman at andrew.hyman@palmaccsd.org