Tri-City Electric Co., based in the Quad Cities, has opened an office in Des Moines at 500 Locust St. The company is the largest electrical contractor in Iowa and the 40th-largest in the United States. The company is also in negotiations on another Des Moines-area property, officials said in a news release. Doug Palmer, the company’s president and owner, said in the release that the company has been in the Des Moines area for several years “but most people do not know that. Opening an office here will help establish roots and allow us to continue to grow our customer base and offer more services to those customers.” John Irving has been hired as the company’s Central Iowa Division president. Tri-City Electric’s metro-area projects include the Microsoft campus in West Des Moines, Fleet Farm in Waukee and the Aparium Hotel renovation in the former Midland Building in downtown Des Moines.