Deeds, not words
How Scott Wilshire bridges engineering expertise and entrepreneurial execution
By Colin Gregory-Moores, EA Contributing Writer
Scott Wilshire describes his career as a series of
“first-of-a-kind things” and decisions that have
taken him off the normal career path followed by
most people. It includes work in commercial and
naval nuclear energy, steam turbines, alternative
energy, and electric motors, bridging roles in engi-
neering, consultancy, and entrepreneurship.
In addition to a BS degree in marine engineering
with a minor in nuclear engineering, he holds cer-
tification in commercial and naval nuclear energy
as well as an MBA. As president and co-owner of
United Industrial Group, Inc., of Washington, Pa.,
he now leads an EASA-accredited company, spe-
cializing in the service and repair of industrial
electromechanical equipment, and serves on the
Electrical Apparatus Service Association’s Manage-
ment Services Committee. Beyond his work, he is a
national-level swimming official and referee and a
proud grandfather of seven.
Formative life lessons
Born in 1962, Scott spent his early years in Ama-
rillo, in the Texas Panhandle, before moving to Fort
Morgan, a farming community on Colorado’s east-
ern plains, and later to Pueblo, south of Colorado
Springs. Living in three contrasting places, he says
“built resilience and character.”
He remembers enjoying his childhood. His father,
a gas plant manager, who served in the Merchant
Marine after World War II, was, Scott says, a disci-
plinarian, “but in a good way” and taught him much
about life. When he was around
six, his father even gave him a
screwdriver and hammer, and
a telephone, which he spent a
year dismantling. From then on,
he was hooked on taking things
apart. His mother was a positive
role model of warmth, manners,
and sociability — “The epitome
of June Cleaver,” he adds with a
smile. Their house was always
filled with homemade food and
neighborhood kids. And every
Sunday after church, she would
set the dining-room table with
china and crystal for family din-
ner.
As a teenager, in Pueblo, Scott
started doing “grunt work” for the
contractor building his parents’
house. Later, during college, he
would return home to cover for the general foreman while he was on
vacation. For a time, he considered becoming a building contractor.
The contractor became like “a second father,” passing along practical
lessons in life, including how to back up a trailer. “I’ve since rescued
countless people doing that,” he laughs. Another lasting influence was
his high school economics teacher, whom he stayed in contact with. He
credits him with teaching him the value of analytical thinking — a skill
that has proven formative for his career.
The high seas
In his final high school year, Scott got his Congressional nomination
and appointment to both the United States Merchant Marine Academy
(USMMA) at Kings Point, N.Y., and the U.S. Military Academy at West
Point. He chose Kings Point, and at 18 he found himself on a plane to
New Orleans with a fellow midshipman he hardly knew. Working in
engine rooms, he sailed around South America, to Africa, and across
the Indian Ocean. After a study term, he went back to sea again for six
months. By 20, he had visited almost 40 countries. Revisiting Mauritius
is on his bucket list.
In 1984, he graduated from USMMA with a Bachelor of Science
degree, a Coast Guard license, and a commission in the U.S. Navy
Reserve. With its motto acta non verba (“deeds, not words”), the Acad-
emy instilled discipline, delivery, and ownership in the midshipmen.
Since there were no shipping jobs available, Scott started work at Gen-
eral Electric’s commercial nuclear division in San Jose, Calif., before
transferring to Schenectady, N.Y., and Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory,
Feature | EA Reader Profile
Scott Wilshire, president of United In-
dustrial Group, discusses motor speci-
fications and supply strategy at UIG’s
Washington, Pa., facility.
United Electric Motors Co., East Liberty, Pa., in 1953. The
company would later become United Industrial Group.
24 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JULY 2026