In 1904, he established the Catawba Power Company and the following year he and his brother founded the Southern Power Company, which became known as Duke Power, the precursor to the Duke Energy conglomerate.
Pada tahun 1904, dia mendirikan Catawba Power Company dan pada tahun selanjutnya ia dan saudara laki-lakinya mendirikan Southern Power Company, yang dikenal sebagai Duke Power, cikal bakal perusahaan konglomerat Duke Energy.