Meet New Hire Adam Solum

When Adam Solum joined SWCE as an apprentice line technician , he brought several years of line work experience, a strong troubleshooting mindset and an appreciation for the variety that comes with serving members. He also brought something especially meaningful: the opportunity to return closer to home after more than five years away.

Adam grew up in Austin, Minnesota, and his route to the electric utility industry was anything but automatic. Before becoming a lineworker, he worked at Hormel. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demanding schedule prompted him to consider a different future. A conversation with a family friend who worked as a lineman gave him a practical starting point: earn a commercial driver’s license and look into line school.

Adam followed that advice. He enrolled in the two-year lineworker program in Wadena, MN. While waiting for the program to begin, he worked on his stepfamily’s dairy farm, milking cows and helping with feeding and bedding. That experience gave him firsthand familiarity with agricultural life that many cooperative members know well.

During a summer break from line school, Adam also worked for Austin Public Utilities. After graduation, he joined Cass County Electric Cooperative. What began as a seasonal opportunity quickly grew into a full-time position after a major ice storm damaged roughly 900 poles. Adam worked through the restoration alongside mutual-aid crews, gaining valuable outage experience and showing that he was ready to contribute when the system—and members—needed help most.

Over approximately three and a half years at Cass County Electric, Adam developed broad field experience, with much of his work focused on underground distribution in the Fargo area. He learned to sectionalize systems, locate underground cable faults and make repairs that safely restore service. He also gained additional overhead experience while responding to severe weather, including the ice storm and a tornado.

That problem-solving work remains his favorite part of the job. Adam enjoys tracing an outage to its source, determining the repair and seeing the result when power returns. “You can physically see the difference your work makes”, he said. For him, the satisfaction comes not only from restoring the lights, but also from thinking through each situation and completing a job safely from start to finish.

Adam also values that line work rarely looks the same two days in a row. In addition to constructing and maintaining lines, lineworkers operate and haul equipment, troubleshoot electrical systems and draw on mechanical, welding and other hands-on skills. That variety is part of what attracted him to the trade and continues to keep the work engaging.

Since arriving at the cooperative, Adam has been learning the crew’s equipment, tools and work practices. He is nearing completion of his apprenticeship requirements and looks forward to eventually joining the after-hours on-call rotation, where he can put his troubleshooting skills to work for local members.

The move also brings Adam closer to family. With new nieces and nephews, returning to southern Minnesota felt like the right next step. 

Outside of work, Adam enjoys fishing and golfing, is interested in getting into hunting and is a devoted Minnesota Vikings fan.

Adam is enthusiastic about the future of the electric industry and sees strong opportunities for young people interested in skilled trades. As electricity supports more technology, new development and growing demand, he believes lineworkers and electricians will remain essential. Just as important, he appreciates the cooperative model and the chance to build a career centered on reliability, teamwork and service.

Members may see Adam in the field as he continues learning the cooperative’s system and communities. Whether he is helping build a line, operating equipment or tracking down the cause of an outage, he is motivated by the same outcome: completing the work well, safely and getting the lights back on. 

Please join us in welcoming Adam Solum to the cooperative team.