Stanley Electric Motor Co., Inc.

In 1919, Charles Stanley founded Stanley Electric Motor Company, Inc. in Stockton, CA. Stockton was a rapidly growing city, well known for its deep-water port. This allowed for the mining, lumber and agriculture industries of the time to thrive in the fertile San Joaquin Valley. These industries provided the first motor repair customers for Stanley Electric. In 1914, John Oneto Sr. went to work for Holt Manufacturing Co., inventors of the Caterpillar (track laying) tractor. In 1919, he went to work for Gould & Johns Electrical Co. and, finally, joined Stanley Electric in 1925. John ran the shop until 1936, when he purchased the company.

Under John’s leadership Stanley Electric’s customer base grew to include the paper and chemical manufacturing companies as well as the food and wine processing industries that were quickly developing in the area. These additions inspired John to add electrical contracting, pump installation and pump repair to Stanley Electric’s available services. list.

In 1950, John’s son, John Oneto Jr., graduated from Cal-Poly with a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering. After performing his military service with the Signal Corps working on missile technology at the White Sands Proving Grounds, John Jr. went to work for General Electric in Schenectady, New York. His time with G.E. was spent working in a large motor and steam turbine generator manufacturing plant. In 1960, just after obtaining his Professional Electrical Engineering Certificate, he joined Stanley Electric as President. John Jr. purchased the company in 1962. Under his leadership the electrical construction division was expanded to over one hundred employees with locations in both Modesto and Stockton. John Jr. also expanded business to include the Oneto Engineering & Consulting Co. and another company that designed electrical systems for processing plants. Both of these businesses were later sold, in 1968 and in 1996 respectively.

In 1976, Bradley Oneto, grandson of John Sr., came to Stanley Electric as the General Manager. At the time, the company was subcontracting a large quantity of the work. This included machine work and large motor repair, while maintaining only a small motor inventory. When Bradley took over, the direction of the company changed and Stanley Electric made a commitment to 100% reliability, which it maintains today. He implemented a new quality control and management program that remains first in its class. Bradley purchased the company from his father in 1997.

Today, Stanley Electric maintains a large machine shop, complete with CNC lathes and mills, a large Winding Department and an 8' Vacuum Pressure Impregnation Tank containing 100% solid class H epoxy resin. They also maintain a 2,700 HP Dynamometer, a field service staff for vibration analysis, laser alignment, and electrical testing as well as cryogenic cleaning, which uses dry ice particles propelled by compressed air to remove contaminants from electrical equipment surfaces without any damage. Dry ice is 100% water free and reverts to natural CO gas on impact, making environmental as well as financial sense.

Stanley Electric maintains one of the largest electric motor inventories in the country, stocking motors up to 5,000 HP. With the machining capabilities of the shop, they can manufacture custom transition bases for drop in motor replacement to suit their customer’s specific requirements. With a well-trained professional service staff on call 24 hours, 7 days a week and a central location, customers can be confident Stanley Electric will put them back in production quickly and efficiently.