Today we’d like to introduce you to CRISTOFER CERROS.
Hi CRISTOFER, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The Story of Panther Electric Inc. – League City, TX
Panther Electric Inc. is the American dream brought to life by three immigrant brothers—Cadir, Cristofer, and Francisco Cerros—who were born in Nicaragua and came to the United States as teenagers in 1998 thanks to their mom’s efforts (Erlinda) to reunite with their dad (Noel) in Florida.
Our father was an electrician who worked for a local company, and our oldest brother, Francisco, joined him full-time. The two younger brothers pitched in after school and on weekends. Slowly, electrical work became the foundation of our family’s livelihood. Even though we worked for other companies, our father always instilled in us the belief that one day we should build something of our own—each of us playing a role in running a family business.
But life had other plans. In 2008, the recession hit hard. Work dried up. We searched endlessly, but couldn’t find enough jobs to sustain ourselves. We accepted a temporary opportunity in Virginia, only to be told one morning that the company had shut down. Our family lost everything—our home, our cars, and we fell deep into credit card debt.
One day, just like countless other days, we went driving searching for new homes under construction to offer our electrical services. We ended up on this small, really isolated dirt road that stretched out forever. About halfway down, we came face-to-face with a Florida Panther. It was magnificent, truly captivating. We were so awestruck that we just kept driving behind it. Eventually, the panther disappeared into the woods. That’s when we looked to the side and, almost unbelievably, there they were—a few new construction homes in progress. We managed to land some jobs there, enough to pay our bills for a few weeks.
In 2009, while Galveston was still reeling from the damage of Hurricane Ike, our oldest brother made a bold move. Desperate to provide for his wife and daughters, he came to Texas and found hourly work helping repair storm-damaged homes. Soon, he called us—the younger brothers—to join him. We moved into a small house in Houston, sharing the space with eight others just to make rent. Gunshots echoed at night. Crime was rampant. But it was all we could afford, and our debts kept growing.
One day, the small remodeling company we worked for stopped paying us. With just $250 left on a credit card, we printed business cards and bought magnetic decals for our truck (which was later repossessed in the middle of the night). Undeterred, we stood outside hardware stores and walked door-to-door at construction sites, handing out cards and looking for any electrical work we could get.
We started small—$100 jobs split three ways. We shared $5 pizzas from a local shop to stretch our money. But then came our first big opportunity: a full house rewire. A friend of our father lent us the money for materials, and we were finally able to do what we were meant to do. We completed the job, got paid on time, and felt a glimmer of hope.
But that wasn’t the end of our challenges. We’ve had vans and storages broken into. Navigating the legal and business side of things brought a new set of struggles. Still, having come from a developing country and endured so much, we weren’t about to quit.
We began in Crystal Beach, a small community that gave us our very first opportunities—something we’ll always be grateful for. From there, we opened a second location in League City, which is now our home base. For a time, we even had a satellite location in San Marcos, TX, expanding our reach and learning along the way.
Starting a business was never easy. Many builders took advantage of us—promising work and then disappearing without paying. But we kept going. Over the years, we found honest and respectful partners, earned trust in the community, and built something real.
Today, Panther Electric Inc. is proud to celebrate its 16th year in business. We honor our dad’s dream of having our business named after that Florida Panther. We’re still a family-owned company, and we still split the profits equally. We’ve grown, we’ve learned, and we’ve held onto the values that brought us here—hard work, unity, and the belief that even in the darkest moments, perseverance lights the way.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about PANTHER ELECTRIC INC?
Panther Electric, Inc. is a premier electrical contractor specializing in wiring new residential constructions and whole house standby generators.
We are dedicated to establishing and building on relationships with all of our clients.
We constantly strive to provide the highest level of customer service centered around our core beliefs in reliability, respect and integrity.
Our team of electricians are licensed, experienced and trained to deliver safe, superior craftsmanship.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
We did not have a mentor and had to learn by falling and making mistakes. We are open to helping others learn from our errors.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pantherelectric.net
- Instagram: @pantherelectric
- Facebook: @pantherelectric
