For Brody and Shayla Carlson, owning a business is something they have been working toward for years. Having grown up around family owned businesses and spending much of their careers working for local employers, the Britton couple recently
took the next step by purchasing Your BEST Choice, a Generac dealership specializing in standby generators. Although the business officially changed hands earlier this year, the transition had been in the works for some time. “It all kind of fell into place,” Brody said.
Brody, a 2005 Britton Hecla High School graduate, and Shayla, a 2015 graduate, both grew up in the area and have deep roots in the community. While this is their first time owning a business, they are no strangers to entrepreneurship or family businesses.
Your BEST Choice was originally established by Brian and Teresa Maxwell, who owned Maxwell Electric beginning in
2013 before becoming authorized Generac dealers in 2018. Brody first met Brian years ago while the two worked together
at CDJ Electric in Britton, where they often talked about someday working together again. The timing never seemed quite right. Brody eventually went to work for Precision Wall Systems, but the conversations continued. In June 2024, he joined Brian at Your BEST Choice with the understanding that one day he would take over the business.
“I came on knowing the goal was eventually to purchase it,” Brody said. “Brian really took me under his wing.” Over the next two years, Brian intentionally prepared Brody for ownership. During his first several months, Brody focused primarily on the office side of the business, handling permits, South Dakota One Call requests and paperwork while learning how the company operated behind the scenes.
By 2025, he had become much more involved in installations, maintenance and customer service. Brody’s background made
the transition a natural fit. Before joining Your BEST Choice, he spent eight summers working for CDJ Electric. When the opportunity arose to purchase the business, the decision made sense both professionally and financially.
Today, Your BEST Choice provides sales, installation, maintenance, monitoring and repairs for Generac standby generators
across a large portion of eastern South Dakota and into North Dakota. The Carlsons currently service 571 generators stretching from Yankton north to Grand Forks and remotely monitor another 357 units. “It keeps us busy,” Brody said.
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