Service Beyond the Uniform: How Veteran Leadership Powers ARUSI’s Mission” tells the inspiring story of Alejandro “Alex” Reynoso, a U.S. Air Force veteran whose military discipline, precision, and integrity became the foundation for ARUSI, a Verified Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) delivering trusted power and telecommunications engineering solutions across the Southwest.
From maintaining generator systems in Vietnam to founding ARUSI in 1987, Alex applied Air Force values to build a company defined by accountability, teamwork, and mission success. Under his leadership, ARUSI has designed hundreds of miles of transmission and fiber networks for major clients like APS, SRP, AT&T, and ADOT—earning a reputation for on-time, high-quality, veteran-led engineering excellence.
Today, ARUSI continues to serve communities with the same principles that guided Alex’s service: Discipline. Integrity. Service. His story exemplifies how veteran leadership strengthens America’s infrastructure—one project at a time.
When Alejandro “Alex” Reynoso joined the United States Air Force in June 1966, he couldn’t have known that his time in Nha Trang, Vietnam, would set the foundation for one of Arizona’s most respected engineering firms. Back then, he was a young Sergeant trained in Electric Power Production, tasked with maintaining generator systems that kept aircraft operations alive in the humid, high-pressure environment of a warzone. Every circuit mattered. Every connection counted.
Decades later, those same principles—discipline, precision, and accountability—would become the backbone of ARUSI, a Verified Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) delivering critical power and telecommunications infrastructure across the Southwest.
A Foundation Built on Service
“The Air Force taught me discipline, resilience, and a commitment to mission success,” Alex recalls. “Those principles guided me through Vietnam, through my education, through my years at APS, and now through every aspect of building ARUSI’s engineering practices and success.”
In Vietnam, Alex’s job was not glamorous. He wasn’t in the cockpit or at the front line, but his work kept those missions in the air. He learned that dependability under pressure was not just a technical requirement—it was a moral one. When power failed, lives and missions were at stake. That experience shaped how he viewed work, leadership, and responsibility.
After returning home in 1969, Alex enrolled at Phoenix College and later earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University. His transition from the military to civilian life wasn’t just about finding a job. It was about continuing a mission: keeping power flowing, systems running, and communities connected.
From the Air Force to Arizona Public Service
In 1972, Alex joined Arizona Public Service (APS), one of the state’s largest utilities. For 15 years, he applied the same methodical precision that had kept airbases running in Vietnam to the design, operation, and maintenance of Arizona’s electrical infrastructure design and maintenance.
During his time at APS, Alex worked as a system engineer, district manager, and operations supervisor, overseeing crews responsible for rural service areas. His approach was consistent: lead with clarity, respect the team, and never compromise on safety or quality.
Those values earned him the trust of his colleagues and the communities APS served. They also laid the groundwork for something bigger—a company of his own that would bring together engineering excellence, service discipline, and local expertise.
Founding ARUSI: The Next Mission
In 1987, Alex founded AR Utility Specialists, Inc., which would later become ARUSI, LLC. What started as a small engineering and drafting service grew into a multi-disciplinary firm providing transmission, distribution, and telecommunications design engineering solutions for utilities and municipalities throughout the Southwest.
From the beginning, ARUSI’s goal was simple: deliver reliable, high-quality engineering services that meet client standards the first time. No shortcuts. No excuses.
“Every design we produce,” Alex says, “carries the same sense of accountability I learned in the Air Force. You do your job right, not because someone’s watching, but because people are counting on you.”
Under his leadership, ARUSI has designed more than 600 miles of electrical transmission lines and 235 miles of fiber optic networks annually as part of their electrical transmission line design and analysis, supporting projects for clients such as Salt River Project, APS, AT&T, and Arizona Department of Transportation.
These numbers tell only part of the story. What truly defines ARUSI is how it operates: structured like a well-trained unit, where collaboration, adaptability, and technical rigor drive results.
Veteran Values in Engineering Practice
The culture Alex established at ARUSI mirrors the structure of a mission-ready team. Every engineer, drafter, and project manager understands the importance of precision, clear communication, and shared accountability.
The firm’s workflow—from survey and design to permitting and QA/QC—reflects military-level discipline. Each deliverable passes through rigorous internal review before it reaches a client’s desk. Each project timeline is treated like a mission schedule, with contingencies built in for changing field conditions or permitting delays.
That disciplined approach has earned ARUSI a reputation for on-time, on-budget performance, even under demanding utility and telecom programs.
“Engineering isn’t just about drawings or specifications,” Alex explains. “It’s about trust. Utilities trust us to design safely, to meet standards, and to anticipate issues before they happen. That’s the same trust soldiers have in their team. You do your part, and you do it right.”
Leadership Through Service
Alex’s military background is more than a story about the past—it’s a daily influence on how ARUSI leads today. His leadership emphasizes mentorship, technical growth, and stability.
ARUSI’s 99% full-time employee retention rate is a testament to that culture. The company has not had a single layoff in over 15 years, even during economic downturns. That loyalty runs both ways: ARUSI invests in training, provides career growth opportunities, and promotes a culture of respect and accountability.
In a field where deadlines are tight and standards are high, this stability translates to performance. Clients know who they’re working with. Teams know each other’s strengths. Projects flow smoothly because the company functions as a cohesive unit—much like a well-drilled squad.
A Legacy of Purpose
For Alex, Veterans Day is more than a date on the calendar. It’s a reminder that service takes many forms.
“The Air Force shaped the way I lead, but ARUSI gave me the platform to keep serving,” he says. “Every project we complete is another way to give back—to strengthen communities, to create jobs, to build infrastructure that lasts.”
That mission continues today. Under Alex’s guidance, ARUSI remains deeply involved in supporting Arizona’s utility and telecom expansion, from power line rebuilds to rural broadband development.
The firm’s veteran-led perspective brings something unique to every client partnership: an understanding that infrastructure isn’t just about power or data—it’s about people.
Carrying the Mission Forward
As ARUSI looks ahead to its next chapter, the company’s foundation remains the same one Alex laid nearly four decades ago.
Discipline. Integrity. Service.
Those principles connect a young Sergeant at a generator in Vietnam to the engineers designing transmission lines across the desert today.
Veterans Day is a moment to honor that connection—to recognize how military service shapes leaders, teams, and the industries they build.
At ARUSI, it’s also a time to say thank you. To Alex. To Pete. To every veteran who has served and continues to serve through their work, their leadership, and their example.
Because service doesn’t end when the uniform comes off. It evolves into a lifetime of purpose.
Acknowledgment: Honoring All Veteran-Owned Small Businesses
Across the nation, thousands of Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs) continue the mission of service in new ways, through leadership, innovation, and the quiet strength that keeps our communities moving forward.
From engineering and construction to logistics, healthcare, and technology, these veteran-led enterprises embody the same discipline and commitment to excellence that defined their time in uniform. They build, protect, and improve the systems our country depends on every day.
As a Verified Veteran-Owned Small Business, ARUSI proudly stands alongside fellow veteran entrepreneurs who have turned their service experience into a lasting force for good. Together, we represent a network of professionals who understand that service never ends, it evolves.
To every VOSB working to strengthen America’s infrastructure, industries, and future, we honor your contribution, your leadership, and your continued commitment to excellence.
Thank you for continuing the mission.
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