Meet Josh Smiley

Josh's story

Josh Smiley's interest in the trade began at age nine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when he watched an electrician change out the panel and meter on his parents' home during a remodel and sat outside for hours, captivated.

At seventeen he moved with his family to Denver, Colorado, spent summers working for an electrician, entered a formal apprenticeship, and started his own electrical company in Denver in 2009. Over the years he worked on everything from water treatment plants to home light fixtures, became a supervising electrician, and earned his license in multiple states.

In 2018 Josh relocated to Portland, Oregon, earned his Oregon license, and built Smiley Electric into a licensed, COBID-certified, Black-owned contractor serving homeowners and businesses across the metro. Today he is a Master Electrician with more than 20 years in the trade. When you hire Smiley Electric, you are not calling a call center or a franchise. You are calling Josh.

Portland's Black-owned electrical contractor

Smiley Electric is a Black-owned, COBID-certified electrical contractor based in Portland, and one of the few minority-owned licensed electrical contractors serving the metro. Hiring us supports a local, independent small business, doing panel upgrades, EV charger installations, rewires, generators, and service work with the personal attention of an owner invested in every job.

Certified by Oregon COBID

We hold two certifications through Oregon's Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity. The Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification is awarded to businesses majority-owned, operated, and controlled by individuals from recognized minority groups. The Emerging Small Business (ESB) certification is given to growing companies that meet Oregon's size and revenue requirements, confirming Smiley Electric is a local, independent business, not a franchise or large corporation.

For general contractors and public projects

If you are a general contractor with diversity-spend goals on public projects, Smiley Electric is an experienced electrical subcontractor with the certifications, licensing, and capacity to support projects across the metro, from commercial renovation to tenant improvements and specialty installations. To discuss subcontracting, call us or reach Josh directly.

What drives us

Four principles guide every job we take on, from a small repair to a full panel upgrade.

• Reliability: we show up on time, prepared, and ready to work.
• Integrity: honest pricing, clear communication, and no upselling work you don't need.
• Quality workmanship: done to the highest standards, with no cut corners.
• Customer-first: you're kept informed and never rushed, from first call to final inspection.

Serving Portland and the surrounding metro

Smiley Electric serves homeowners and businesses throughout Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties, including Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Gresham, Milwaukie, Lake Oswego, Tigard, Tualatin, West Linn, Oregon City, Happy Valley, and surrounding communities. We are licensed and insured under Oregon CCB #227116.