Electrical Help Available in Kissimmee Florida

Riding the development boom that followed Walt Disney World's opening in the 1970s, the Quigley family of Kissimmee built Terry's Electric Inc. into one of the state's largest electrical contractors.

Now the family is working its way through the development bust that has left it a much smaller operation than it was just a few years ago, though it's still ranked fifth in the state in terms of size, according to Southeast Construction magazine.

The Quigleys had sold the company in 2002 to a Connecticut electric utility that was building a network of contracting and service firms along the East Coast. But as the housing boom turned into a housing bust, the utility refocused, and company founder B. Terence "Terry" Quigley and his wife, Jeanne, reacquired control of their Kissimmee-based operation, which they had continued to manage.

In buying back the company's outstanding stock, the couple also made shareholders out of key managers, including several family members. And last year, after running the company for nearly three decades, Terry Quigley promoted stepson Marc Neveu to president and chief operating officer.

"He's pretty much been making the decisions since July of last year," Quigley said. "He thinks a lot like me, and I'm pleased with the way he's handling things."

The housing slump and ensuing recession have driven down annual revenue from about $50 million during the boom to about $35 million this year, and the company's work force has shrunk from 750 people four years ago to 250 now. According to Neveu, the company's residential business has taken the biggest hit, with revenue plummeting from $1 million a month during the gravy days to about $100,000 a month now.

Diversification has helped the company survive, he said. The commercial division expects to stay busy through September of next year, thanks to the $450 million Peabody Orlando hotel expansion, and the utility division has a series of continuing contracts.

"We're on target with projections and proper strategies to get through these times," said Neveu, who remains the company's commercial division manager. "We hit the Peabody at the perfect time, and five or six other great projects we are working on. The utility division has ongoing work with Tampa Electric, OUC [Orlando Utilities Commission], Progress Energy and Kissimmee Utilities."

Neveu, 46, said he grew up learning how to wire homes, working when he got home from high school and on weekends. He obtained his journeyman's license at age 18, coming out of Mid- Florida Technical Institute. He earned his master's electrician license at age 23 and a Florida unlimited electrical contractor's license in 1989.

According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Quigleys' 2007 reacquisition of the business required a $2.75million note payable over seven years, plus a share of the company's pre-tax profit each year from 2008 to 2012. But Neveu said the deal's terms were subsequently renegotiated, and the debt has already been paid off.

Meanwhile, every month that passes brings the company, and the economy, a month closer to the end of the recession, he said.

"Working for the utility companies helps out considerably, and you have to have the right type of people to do that," Neveu said. "It's taken us years to get the teams up that can do that type of work. We do high-quality work for a good price, and it's not something anybody can do."

Linda Florea can be reached at 407-420-6063 or lflorea@orlandosentinel.com.

Copyright © 2009, Orlando Sentinel

Congratulations to Pipe Electrical in Denver

Denver electrician Piper Electric Co., Inc. has received multiple awards in 2009 for customer satisfaction and safety excellence. The awards include the Gold Star Certificate Award from the Denver / Boulder Better Business Bureau, highlighting the Denver electrician's excellence in customer satisfaction, the Platinum STEP safety award and the 2008 Outstanding Safety Record Award from Associated Building Contractors, for excellence in safety practices and absence of on-the-job accidents.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) October 29, 2009 -- Denver electrician Piper Electric Co. Inc. has received multiple awards in 2009 for their excellence in customer service and their exemplary safety record. The awards include the Gold Star Certificate Award from the Denver / Boulder Better Business Bureau, the Platinum STEP Safety Award, and the 2008 Outstanding Safety Record Award from Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.

Denver Electrician
Denver Electrician

We are honored to receive this award for the 3rd consecutive year. It demonstrates our attention to detail and commitment to provide quality service and professionalism at a competitive price
We take pride in being a company with well defined customer service based principals and we appreciate every opportunity to practice those principals
The Gold Star Certificate award is presented to Better Business Bureau member companies that have displayed excellence in customer service for three years. The deciding factor for the award is an absence of complaints against a company to the Better Business Bureau. For a business to earn the award, they must not receive any customer complaints during the previous three years. This means that Piper Electric Co., Inc. has not received a complaint since joining the Better Business Bureau in 2003.

"We are honored to receive this award for the 3rd consecutive year. It demonstrates our attention to detail and commitment to provide quality service and professionalism at a competitive price," said Service Division Manager Don Green.

The Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. have recognized Piper Electric Co., Inc. with 3 awards for their commitment to on-the-job safety and their lack of injuries. The Denver electrical contractors have received the 2008 Platinum STEP Safety Award and the 2008 Outstanding Safety Record Award for 100-200 employees, for two consecutive years. The Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. also awarded Piper Electric Co., Inc. with a new award this year: the 2008 Outstanding Safety Program Award for 350,000-750,000 Man Hours.

This commitment to safety and customer satisfaction has made Piper Electric Co., Inc. one of the most well respected Denver electricians, and is partially responsible for Piper's 26 years of successful service for commercial and residential electrical markets in and around Denver, Colorado.

Piper Electric Co., Inc. takes pride in being a local company and feels that their connection to the community is one of their most valuable assets. "We take pride in being a company with well defined customer service based principals and we appreciate every opportunity to practice those principals," said Don Green.

About the Arvada Electrician - Piper Electric Co., Inc. is a private company established in 1983 in Arvada, Colorado. Piper Electric Co., Inc. performs work in many market segments including residential electrical service, lighting installation, solar installation, building automation and energy efficiency for homes and business in the Denver, Colorado Metro area.

Piper Electric Co., Inc.
5960 Jay Street
Arvada, CO 80003
Phone: 720-889-3167
Fax: 303-420-2983

Los Angeles Electricians Wish Apprentices Good Luck

Four apprentice electricians start work on Nov. 2 at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as part of a training program set up by the lab and Alameda County.

The deal means apprentices in the county can get some of their required 8,000 hours of on-the-job training at the lab.

Apprentices also take 900 hours of classes at Chabot College in Hayward.

LBL, on the hill above the University of California, Berkeley campus, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Alameda County Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. The training program is sponsored the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Northern California chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association.

Jim Krupnick, Lawrence Berkeley Lab’s chief operating officer, thought up the program with Victor Uno, the business manager of IBEW’s Local 595 union. Uno worked 10 years as an electrician at the lab.

The county program has a training facility in San Leandro, run by Byron Benton.

http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2009/10/26/daily93.html

Los Angeles Electricians Ready to Work with AET from Houston

American Electric Technologies Inc. has entered the solar power market.

The Houston power infrastructure company announced the new offering Tuesday at the 2009 Solar Power International in Anaheim, Calif.

“As the solar power industry trends toward integrating utility-scale power generation, developers need a proven partner to help them keep up with demand using unique and innovative power distribution solutions,” Charles Dauber, chief executive officer of AETI, said in a release.

As part of its new offering, American Technology (NASDAQ: AETI) is providing electrical services for solar power infrastructures and modular solar power substations that reduce infrastructure, operating and maintenance costs.

The company will also offer two new custom solar power infrastructure solutions — one for HVAC equipment and one for security.

Los Angeles Electricians Keep It Sparkling

http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-electricians-are-the-new-black-go-get-your-sparks-plugged/

Turns out Pamela Anderson isn’t the only star dating an electrician. British pop singer Leona Lewis has been getting loads of flack for staying with her boyfriend of seven years, Lou Al-Chamaa, also a master of all things electric. She’s pissed that everyone’s heckling her. “It does make me angry,” she said. “Because he’s a great person. And it doesn’t matter what you do in life, what your job is, where you come from. For people to think that you should leave someone because, all of a sudden, you’re a singer and you have opportunities. I feel very sorry for them.” Leona’s sparky (which is apparently slang for electrician) also happens to be hawt, which sweetens the deal. [People]

I suppose if you’re going to date a normal dude, electricians are the way to go since they’re often good-looking, they wear sexy hardhats and tool belts, and they can rewire your pad. Plus, they’re probably pretty smart and mechanically minded, and—unlike every guy I’ve met this year—they’re probably still employed! As a bonus, you can also make all sorts of sexual innuendos about how they “turn you on” when they’re “roto-splitting your cables” and “fishing their wires” into your “closed cavities.” I tend to have fantasies about the gas guy as well, for some reason. Which fix-it guy do you fantasize about?

Los Angeles Electricians Learn from Australians

A FURTHER four cases of electric shocks from ceiling insulation have been reported in Queensland as it emerged that safety experts warned the Rudd Government months ago about electrocution hazards.

Master Electricians said reports of safety concerns have been growing steadily over the past two months as sales of insulation products boom under the Federal Government's subsidy scheme.

A 25-year-old man installing aluminium insulation was killed in Queensland when a staple pierced an electrical cable and Energex has reported a further four electric shock cases to the Electrical Safety Office.

In a letter to Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt, chief executive Malcolm Richards said the $1600 subsidy has led to "an explosion" of installers entering the market who may not be adequately trained.

"Master Electricians has been calling for the removal of metal-based insulation from the program and greater training on electrical safety for installers for some time," he wrote.

Mr Richards said metal staples had been banned in New Zealand following four fatalities there.

It is also understood that the ElectroComms and Energy Utilities Industry Skills Council warned the Rudd Government while it was designing the insulation scheme about electrical hazards and training standards.

Environment Minister Peter Garrett will tomorrow meet with industry representatives to review safety concerns about foil insulation products after discussions held in Canberra last week.

Mr Hunt will today call on the Mr Garrett to explain why the Government did not act after earlier warnings.

"There are growing fears that a rush of ill-trained and inexperienced insulation installers are creating serious risks for homeowners under the $2.7 billion cash splash," Mr Hunt said.

"Mr Garrett must take immediate steps to improve safety for both homeowners and installers."

A spokesman for Mr Garrett said safety was a priority in the roll-out of the scheme.

"The Government will not hesitate to further boost safety standards and compliance measures under this program if that is required," he said.

The Government said it designed its scheme in consultation with the insulation and electrical trades industry and developed a tailored training course for installers, which is now being rolled out by registered training organisations.

It is understood that foil insulation accounts for 5 per cent of all insulations and it meets Australian standards.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26257692-3102,00.html

Los Angeles Electricians Ready for Grid Work

http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2009/10/americas-imminent-electrical-gridlock

America's electricial consumption has skyrocked in the past decade, but the country's electrical grid is struggling to keep up with demand. Summertime blackouts are just one sign that the system is being pushed beyond its means. Former Energy Secretary and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson sums up the crisis this way: "We’re a major superpower with a third-world electricity grid."

In fact, it's even worse than that—Richardson should perhaps have said "three completely unconnected third-world electricity grids." The US has independent systems that seperately charge the West, the East and Midwest. It is not possible for electricity generated in New Mexico to reach East Coast consumers. But on Tuesday, officials in New Mexico finally unveiled plans to build a superconductor in Clovis, New Mexico to allow energy to flow between the three systems. On Wednesday the AP reported on the proposed project, the Tres Amigas SuperStation:
Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who served as President Bill Clinton's energy secretary, said the transmission station would be "historic."

"This is going to be the largest power converter in the world, making New Mexico the meeting place for America's electricity needs," he said at a news conference to unveil the project.

The transmission hub would be located across 22 square miles in eastern New Mexico near the Texas border. Clovis was chosen because it is nearest to where the nation's three power grids—called the East, West and Texas interconnections—come closest together.

Tres Amigas would build a triangular pathway of underground superconductor pipelines, combined with AC/DC converters that synchronize the flow of power between the interconnections. The equipment allows electricity to be transferred from grid to grid.

In recent months lawmakers have been upping the ante for renewable energy development in a variety of ways in hopes of lessening the load that America’s energy demands place on the environment. On Monday Interior Secretary Salazar dedicated Arizona’s first commercial wind farm, then zipped on over to Sacramento to sign Schwarzenegger’s initiative to expedite the use of Recovery Act funds to develop renewable energy on public lands in California. As Salazar’s recent activity illustrates, a lot of America’s renewable energy projects depend on the ability to energize homes with electricity generated on the vast stretches of windswept and sun-scorched western land. But before politicians and developers can make good on their renewable energy resolutions, they will have to face the unpleasant reality of America’s archaic and disjointed electrical grid.

Los Angeles Electricians Applaud Lovell for Apollo13 Analysis

A 5-foot semicircle, resembling a moon, was the only space available for the commander of the Apollo 13 mission to stand. More than 200 Purdue University faculty, students and others squeezed into a room Thursday to hear James Lovell.

According to university officials, a bigger venue for the talk could not be found. Room 270 has about 170 seats.

More than twice that many people were turned away for lack of room.

Those lucky enough to get into Electrical Engineering Room 270 heard the former astronaut recount how he and two other crew members survived their 1970 mission.

An explosion en route to the moon nearly cut the mission, and their lives, short.

The ordeal was the basis of "Apollo 13," a 1995 movie starring Tom Hanks as Lovell.

The 81-year-old Lovell detailed the engineering flaws and unnoticed missteps that eventually caused an onboard oxygen tank to blow up. The mistakes and the aftermath resulted in a stronger space program, he said.

"If you are going to have an explosion on the way to the moon, have it 200,000 miles out," Lovell said.

Had the explosion occurred sooner or later in the mission, he explained, they might not have made it back.

Selected as a NASA astronaut in 1962, Lovell flew in space four times.

He piloted the Gemini 7 flight, commanded Gemini 12 and orbited the moon on Apollo 8, the first manned flight around the moon.

He was brought to campus by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation to present $10,000 to aspiring astronaut Yuri Kubo, a graduate student majoring in electrical engineering.

Apollo 8 was the high point of his career, Lovell said, largely because it was "the first time in reality that we saw the Earth as it really is."

From lunar orbit, Lovell said, Earth is a small body that can be eclipsed by your thumb.

"Everything you've ever known ... is just behind your thumb. Put your thumb up and it all disappears."

Jason Gaidis, a senior who is in the Navy, was more than impressed by Lovell's Apollo 13 story.

"I am baffled by it," he said. "These days we have guidelines to do everything. Then, these guys were making it up as they went along."

Those present sat, stood and crouched silently as Lovell joked about fellow astronaut John Glenn, answered questions about the accuracy of director Ron Howard's film and offered his assessment of NASA's future.

Aerospace engineer student Nickolai Belakovski summed it up as: "Just amazing that he was here and told his story to us."

Los Angeles Electricians Support the America Way

http://www.marxist.com/mexico-tactics-strategy-in-struggle-to-defend-sme.htm

The struggle of Mexican workers in defense of the Mexican Electricians Union (SME) has become one where at stake is not just this single union, but the position of the entire Mexican labor movement. It poses questions that go well beyond the realms of the Electricians’ Union. Here Ruben Rivera explains what is required to fight back and push the whole movement forward.

The march on October 15 of perhaps of half a million people, instilled courage and confidence to continue fighting. Photo by Frecuencias Populares.The march on October 15 of perhaps of half a million people, instilled courage and confidence to continue fighting. Photo by Frecuencias Populares.The struggle of Mexican workers in defense of the Mexican Electricians Union (SME) is basically the struggle for the defense of the entire organized labor movement, against the ferocious onslaught of the most anti-working class government in living memory since Porfirio Díaz, more than 100 years ago. Workers' organizations are the patrimony of the entire working class and the hope that a society other than the current one is possible. Its destruction would reduce the worker to be simple fodder for exploitation. Of course this is practically impossible, but despite this the stubbornness of the bourgeoisie to atomize the working class increases day by day.

Defending the interests of workers in unions is an egregious sin for the bourgeoisie, especially in times of crisis, when they intend to pass the weight of all the burdens to get out of the economic debacle to the workers. The spread of fascism in Europe was due largely to a situation of despair of the bourgeoisie at the impasse of capitalism in the 1930s and the real possibility that the proletariat could have come to power.

Of course the basis for the development of a fascist movement (1) are absent today; however, the need to destroy the organized labor movement remains an aspect that the bourgeoisie longs for, especially when there have been more than 9 years of right-wing governments and the implementation of their program has gone through enormous difficulties. One example was the reform of PEMEX, which was certainly a step backward for workers but in no way meets the desires and greed of the bourgeoisie. The application of brute force as a form of government and the criminalization of social protests are clear signs of the government's intention to move towards a police state under the framework of constant media terrorism.

The masses proved on October 15th that they are ready “for anything.” Photo by Frecuencias Populares.The masses proved on October 15th that they are ready “for anything.” Photo by Frecuencias Populares.Of course we do not doubt that many trade unions are functional for the bourgeois state, however the slightest possibility that they become instruments of struggle by workers, makes the bourgeoisie view them with suspicion, unless, as in the case of white or yellow unionism, they are a mere facade to prevent workers from forming a real union.

It is a most absurd contradiction that at a time when labor productivity has never been greater, the bourgeoisie attempt to extend the working day and its intensity beyond human limits. The Stock Exchange, a reflection of the mood of the bourgeoisie, overflows with profits when a firm lays off workers or eliminates a collective bargaining agreement; but when an employer gives some rises above the average or a strike is won, immediately shares drop.

In general the capitalist state tends naturally towards authoritarianism and employs all levers of government as a means to impose its program and world view on the whole population, but it appears to be a law that when it feels most insecure of its system it adopts special measures to compensate for this lack of confidence.

Administrators of the bourgeoisie in the State, especially those coming directly from the ranks of private businesses, tend to try to reproduce the logic of capitalist enterprise. The decisions of a company belong to its board of directors; employees and workers are executors and only have two destinies: one to comply with the wishes of the employers and thus gradually be locked in as faithful overseers, or the other is to be fired when he they are a nuisance to the interests of employers; this is the ideal state for the bourgeoisie.

The bourgeoisie accept the rules of formal democracy only when it feels its control of the population is such that there is no risk that an intruder will sneak in to some important position. However, to ensure that this does not happen it establishes a series of benchmarks for the engagement of the citizens who act as a filter. The more one goes up in the power structure, the stronger the conditioning to live and think as bourgeois, and to defend the regime of private property. The only way to avoid this "legal corruption" is to be firmly convinced that an alternative is possible and to be firmly linked and controlled by the living movement of workers through their traditional organizations, parties and unions. An authentic socialist aims not to integrate into the system, but to destroy it. A real revolutionary vision is not only a guarantee to avoid falling into the song of the sirens of the bourgeois lifestyle but also to avoid the view that this reality is the only one possible and that change is not an option.

Bourgeois ideology is based on the belief that essentially nothing has changed in social relationships since the existence of humankind. The conditions of exploitation make equality under the law a kind of carrot to keep workers to keep going for but never being able to reach their goal. In this context many labor leaders that start with the static idea of things imposed by bourgeois ideology cannot believe that a distinct society is possible, they seek to maintain their relations with the bourgeoisie in a margin of cordiality which allows for coexistence. These days they are even willing to give up something rather than lose everything.

However, let us not forget that we are in crisis, the main characteristic of this period is that under conditions of social unrest there are no mechanisms to buy social peace, no reforms to offer and therefore the reformist leaders who manage the state become implementers of right-wing programs, layoffs, budget cuts, etc. On the other hand, for those within the unions that call themselves democratic, a crossroads is reached, from which there are only two ways one can go: either submit to the will of the bosses and become enemies of their constituencies, as Valdemar Gutierrez, leader of the Social Security Union and federal deputy for the PAN; or confront the employers and the government, as happened with the leadership of the Mexican Electricians Union.

The choice is not easy, if the leader submits to the wishes of the employers and the government, there is no limit to his or her downfall, each time more and more evidence of their loyalty will be required, to the point of annulling themselves completely.

In the case that he or she confronts the bosses he or she must assume that the battle taking place is not a question of defense of a group distinct from the entire working class, because if he or she is placed in the dilemma of accepting conditions to benefit their group at the expense of abandoning a fight in which the future of workers depends on, he or she may be capable of sacrificing a great victory all for a few crumbs that later the employer could easily take away.

The movement now needs to take the next step and call a general strike. Photo by Frecuencia Populares.The movement now needs to take the next step and call a general strike. Photo by Frecuencia Populares.Of course there are always conflicts in these strategic bets. On their part the bourgeoisie have a plan to end the crisis at the expense of workers and that means eliminating any legal safeguard in order to set piecework and freedom to hire and fire as the axis of labor relations. For the bourgeoisie labor-management relations should be strictly a problem of the individual and they should have the freedom to break them when one of the parties, especially the employers, decides to do so. The trade union should thus only function as an agency to convince workers that they must obey.

Therefore, the aim of the closure of Luz y Fuerza is to destroy the union and its collective bargaining agreement. For the bourgeoisie it is unfair for a worker to live in conditions other than those of mere survival, it is immoral that workers there are proud of their conditions and that these have allowed them and their families to live with sufficient health care, education, recreation and food. They need to inculcate into the proletariat a state of absolute uncertainty about their future, in which “the elasticity of demand for labor" is such that wages are pushed down to the bare minimum possible.

The scope of the conflict seems absurd with the media frenzy proclaiming that workers are guilty of having a good collective agreement, but for the workers the outlook is the exact opposite. Most bourgeois intellectuals like the ones howling like wolves against the SME earn tens of thousands of pesos a month, and have amenities that are much better than the best paid workers could ever dream of. But for these wolves their own situation is justified in that they are not workers but employees subject to the master's trust, so-called “intellectuals” that deserve to live "like gods". And to continue doing so they must continue to proclaim war against the workers. For them if a worker lives well he is filthy and corrupt, if an intellectual or bourgeois lives comfortably it is a patriotic necessity.

In short it is class hatred which they try to impose on the minds of the whole population. It is especially directed at all layers of the under-employed and middle class sectors that are undergoing a process of accelerated impoverishment for which they are offered a scapegoat for all their evils: the workers, especially those organized in trade unions. Despite this, the government's aim is not to organize and launch these sectors against organized labor, but to get enough goodwill to launch an attack from the State in order to subdue all unions.

However, we will not tire of repeating the point that it is one thing what the bourgeoisie seeks and encourages and quite another what results they can actually achieve due to class conflict that erupts in the single workplace to the more generalized movement of the working class as a whole. The strength of the working class lies in the movement, organized in its parties, in unions, in its cooperatives, and different associations in different forms created to defend its rights.

We are referring here to the millions of individuals and families from the big cities down to the smallest village. Every one of these organisms, large and small, are there to address a social need, from wage labor, to the struggle for land, to the struggle for decent housing, education and of course for power in the form of political organization. There would be no force in the country capable of resisting a joint action of workers' organizations towards a common goal, and in this conglomerate there are key organizations, i.e. elements that are mainstays for the possibility of the proletariat to act as a class. It is these organizations that the bourgeoisie seeks to eliminate as they do not want a common ground. For this reason it has launched a relentless battle against the PRD, even though many of its leaders are burning with the desire to be recognized as "decent people".

The first step that workers could take in the process of unification of class struggle would be a united mobilization defending a right they consider irrevocable and theirs by right. Hence the strategy of the workers can and should aim at building a united front in the defense of these rights, in the form of defending their organizations and their economic gains. This implies trade unions and collective agreements. Of course, unified mobilizations are important, in fact they are generally a starting point from which to assess the potential forces of the workers and in many cases may contribute to deterring the bourgeoisie from launching this or that attack. They are important even to combat the incessant media campaign of terror on television and radio, to show that we are not alone and that, of course, we are infinitely and morally superior to our adversaries the bourgeoisie, since workers are willing to give all for the cause of our class, while the bourgeois are entrenched in their positions of power and are unable to mobilize more than policemen and soldiers, and even these act only because they are paid.

No doubt the October 15th mobilisation, perhaps of half a million people, instilled courage and confidence to continue fighting, while forcing the government to open a negotiation table to buy time. However, a march, as important as it may be is not enough. The bourgeoisie knows that the masses cannot remain on the streets permanently and that if the demonstrations are not followed by actions, these will eventually diminish and things may return to normal. Hence, the need for the movement to seriously advance towards a general strike. Of course there are obstacles. The SME was born in the same kind of struggles which led to a general strike in 1916. However, only such a step would move things forward from strength in numbers to strength in action.

We reiterate the point that the government's strategic objective in trying to destroy the SME is only a first step towards a general offensive against all unions. They have no reason to change their mind, no matter how important or massive one demonstration may be. Under such circumstances they will try "dialogue" as a means of demobilizing and exhausting the workers, while waiting for the date of November 14th (the date on which the first offer of tempting severance pay expires for those that are prepared to surrender) to more and more weaken numerically the resistance.

By contrast the strategic goal of workers in this phase of struggle is the defense of the unions and collective agreements, that's what is at stake in the defense of the SME. In this context it is fundamental to break with the logic of the government, a necessity that was raised by the leaders of the SME and the UNT and move towards the organization of a national strike, and this must be done in the coming weeks, without losing a single day.

The first step is to call for a general strike of 24 hours. Of course the assembly of all trade union organizations should develop a joint list of demands and launch the first 24-hour general strike within the next two weeks. The strike, of course, implies the suspension of work but also actions such as roadblocks by all urban movement organizations and by peasants' organizations, the suspension of all educational activities (CNTE, students, the public sector, anti ISSSTE Law activists.) All these sectors have already struck separately in the past months and years and there is no repressive force that can prevent them from doing so again. The difference is that now they would be striking together simultaneously, the same day at the same time.

Obviously such an action would lead to the organized workers taking a position. In fact organizations like the subway workers, despite being one of the most controlled unions, have expressed their solidarity with the SME and certainly enough pressure would generate within its ranks for it to participate in one way or another.

The participation of the movement led by AMLO and the PRD would not be a negligible element. As we have noted elsewhere, one of the great weaknesses of all the trade union movements has been their local or regional character. Except for the miners, we have had no struggles in recent years that have spread to every state. The call to participate in the 24-hour strike would imply distributing tasks to the nearly 3 million members of the legitimate government. This would, of course, require convening assemblies at the municipal and state level in order to distribute the tasks.

All this mentioned above requires the willingness of leaders to intervene. The masses proved on October 15th that they are ready “for anything.” We should, however, remember that the whole of employer-controlled trade unions in the initial phase would be very difficult to involve, not because workers in these organizations are sympathetic to the government but because they generally do not consider it possible to fight and beat the government. But once the movement has been unleashed they will surely be under great pressure from the workers to intervene in united actions such as a nationwide strike.

No doubt, despite the willingness of the masses, the main obstacle the movement faces is the skepticism of its own leaders, but these should be reminded that this is not just any struggle, what is at stake is not this or that clause but the very existence of trade unionism. This challenge must be accepted for what it is, an unprecedented historical event, or they should be prepared to take the consequences. We cannot separate this struggle from that against the counter-reforms to the Federal Labor Law already announced. A defeat of the SME would pave the way for the destruction of many of the safeguards that are left to the workers. If such a change in the law should be allowed to go through it would mean a return of the workers to the conditions under Porfirio Diaz.

On the contrary, a victory would mean the collapse of the State's plans. The strength of the working class would create for future struggles wholly favorable conditions and in the context of a capitalist crisis we would have all the conditions for an authentic social transformation. Make no mistake about it: we are facing either the greatest of victories or one of the toughest defeats. However, we can win and we must do everything to win. It depends on organization and the desire to win. In the unity and decisiveness of the working class lies victory.

Los Angeles Electricians are Certified

http://ecmweb.com/market_trends/california-electrician-certification-20091019/
Starting July 1, 2009, California’s Contractors State License Board (CSLB) began enforcing a new law that requires all electricians who are employed by an electrical contractor with a Class C-10 license to be certified by the state.

Signed by California’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in January 2009, the law amended Section 3099.2 of the state’s Labor Code to read:(h) Commencing July 1, 2009, the following shall constitute additional grounds for disciplinary proceedings, including suspension or revocation of the license of a class C-10 electrical contractor pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 7090) of Chapter 9 of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code: (1) The contractor willfully employs one or more uncertified persons to perform work as electricians in violation of this section. (2) The contractor willfully fails to provide the adequate supervision of uncertified workers required by paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 3099.4. (3) The contractor willfully fails to provide adequate supervision of apprentices performing work pursuant to subdivision.

Penalties for C-10 contractors found to have employees in violation of certification include: monetary fine, license suspension, and/or license revocation.

Los Angeles Electricians Pave the Way for Economic Growth

MORRISVILLE, N.C., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Buehler Motor, Inc. (BMI), a
leading international provider of mechatronic drive solutions with specialties
in the automotive, aerospace, medical products, office and building automation
industries, continues to prepare for North American growth with two new
senior-level appointments, and a new manager of its Mexico plant operations.


Charles A. Leslie, Jr., has rejoined BMI as North American controller and
commercial director, while long-time Buehler Motor veteran Ray Welterlin has
assumed the title of vice president of R&D, sales and marketing. Welterlin
was formerly vice president of operations and plant manager of the company's
Chihuahua, Mexico, plant. Both will be based at BMI in Morrisville, N.C.
Cristina Sanchez, Industrial and Lean Manufacturing Leader, has been promoted
to plant manager of Buehler Motor Mexico.


The announcements were made by Bob Riedford, Buehler Motor, Inc., president
and general manager, at the grand opening of Buehler Motor's new U.S.
headquarters and North American Technical Center in Morrisville, N.C., near
the Research Triangle Park.


"In addition to our new U.S. headquarters and Tech Center, BMI's long-term
growth strategy in North America includes strengthening the management team
with experienced fiscal and marketing leaders," explained Riedford. "Charles
and Ray both have a long history with Buehler Motor and a distinguished
professional track record. We are also excited to offer expanded
responsibilities to Cristina and know she will provide the leadership
necessary to meet growing customer demands."


Prior to rejoining BMI, Leslie was operations director for the North American
Automotive Products Group of Johnson Electric. Previously, he was with BMI
from 1996 to 2004. He is a certified public account and certified management
accountant, and holds MBA and BS degrees from Wake Forest University. Leslie
lives in Raleigh, N.C., with his wife and three children.


Welterlin started with BMI in July 1982 as a design engineer. His previous
BMI assignments include vice president of operations and plant manager in
Chihuahua, Mexico, engineering manager and business unit manager. He received
a master degree in electrical engineering from the University of Nancy in
France. Welterlin is married, has three children and one grandchild.


Sanchez began her career with BMI in March 2004 as an industrial engineer.
Prior to BMI, she was the lean manufacturing engineer at Honeywell. Sanchez
is a graduate of Instituto Tecnologico de Chihuahua with a degree in
Industrial Engineering. She resides in Chihuahua, Mexico, with one child.




About Buehler Motor
Buehler Motor is an independent, globally active company focused on the
development, production and marketing of technically challenging mechatronic
drive solutions for the world's leading manufacturers in the automotive,
aerospace, business automation, medical device and other industries. Driven
by innovation, Buehler Motor offers comprehensive in-house research and
development with more than 120 engineers and 1,200 qualified employees
delivering more than 22 million units worldwide. Buehler Motor's Product
Implementation Process (PIP) ensures the right technology and the highest
quality product for all standard line and customized drive solutions.


As part of the worldwide Buehler Motor family, Buehler Motor, Inc. (BMI),
based in Morrisville, N.C., near the Research Triangle Park (RTP) offers its
North American customers a combination of German engineering, research and
development, manufacturing, and local sales and customer support - plus the
competitive pricing advantages and on-time delivery that come from a global
production footprint spanning three continents.


For more information about Buehler Motor and products, please call (919)
380-3329 or visit www.buehlermotor.com.


Media Contact:
Sung Choi
XPR, LLC, for Buehler Motor, Inc.
Tel.: (949) 422-7156
E-mail: schoi@xpublicrelations.com

ABB Electrical Engineering Successful 3rd Quarter

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9BE9GG80.htm
Swiss-based electrical engineering company ABB Group said Monday it expected third-quarter net profit of around $1 billion after booking charges for an alleged price fixing fine, higher taxes and restructuring costs.

ABB officially announces its quarterly results on Oct. 29. The predicted profits would represent an increase of nearly 8 percent from the $927 million it earned during the July-September period of 2008.

The company said it had previously made provisions for the charges, which amount to a total of $380 million.

The company said they are related to "alleged anticompetitive practices" in the power transformer market, for which it was fined by European Union, and as well the increased cost of doing business in Russia.

ABB, which employs about 120,000 people worldwide, was one of six providers of power transformers fined by the EU earlier this month for agreeing not to sell their products in each other's markets. Brussels also fined Alstom SA and Areva T&D SA of France, and Asian companies Fuji Electrics, Hitachi and Toshiba.

Power transformers modify the voltage in electricity transmission networks.

Concerning Russia, ABB said its charges related to ongoing tax matters and that it was "reviewing the situation and assessing its business model in Russia."

Shares in ABB closed up 0.2 percent on the Zurich exchange at 21.80 Swiss francs ($21.42).

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Los Angeles Electricians Give Props to HP Fellowship Winners

http://www.ddj.com/220601012

$875,000 over five years

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has named 16 promising scientific researchers as the 2009 recipients of Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering. Each Fellow will receive an unrestricted research grant of $875,000 over five years.

Notable recipients in the the computing realm this year are Justin Romberg, from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology; Hong Tang, from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Yale University; Luis von Ahn, from the Department of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University; Andrew Houck, from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University; and Seth Sullivant, from the Department of Mathematics, North Carolina State University.

The Fellowship Program was established in 1988 and arose out of David Packard's commitment to strengthening university-based science and engineering programs. By supporting unusually creative researchers early in their careers, the Foundation hopes to develop scientific leaders, further the work of promising young scientists and engineers, and support efforts to attract talented graduate students into university research in the United States.

"Each year the Packard Foundation is honored to support a cadre of innovative young scientists and engineers who are attacking some of the most important research questions of our time," said Lynn Orr, Keleen and Carlton Beal Professor at Stanford University, and Chairman of the Packard Fellowship Advisory Panel. "Their research, and the talented students who will work in their research groups, will continue to have a profound impact on the science and engineering community for years to come."

Over the past 21 years, the Packard Fellowship Program has awarded 440 fellowships, totaling $274 million, to faculty members at 52 top national universities. It is among the nation's largest nongovernmental programs designed to seek out and reward the pursuit of scientific discovery with "no strings attached" support. The Packard Fellowship Program funds research in a broad range of disciplines that includes physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, astronomy, computer science, earth science, ocean science, and all branches of engineering.

The 2009 Fellows were nominated by presidents of 50 universities that participate in the Packard Fellowship program. The 99 nominations were reviewed by the Fellowship Advisory Panel, a group of nationally recognized scientists, which then recommended 16 Fellows for approval by the Packard Foundation Board of Trustees.

The complete list of recipients of the 2009 Packard Fellowships in Science and Engineering is as follows:

* Xin Chen
Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University Biological Sciences; to identify the molecular characteristics that are essential for normal stem cell functions that could be targeted to prevent cancer and many other human diseases.
* Bianxiao Cui
Department of Chemistry, Stanford University Chemistry; to develop quantitative tools to study the physical process of signal flow between a neuron's cell body and its distant neuronal synapses.
* Hana El-Samad
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco Engineering - Civil or Mechanical; to build a technological platform that probes noise and exploits its patterns for unraveling cellular wiring diagrams.
* Andrew Houck
Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University Physics; to generate desired quantum states, implementing extreme optical non-linearities inaccessible in conventional materials, to build towards a scalable quantum computer.
* Peter Huybers
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University Geosciences; to develop a more quantitative and complete understanding of Earth's past climate variability and to provide perspective from which to judge the present, and aid in predicting future climate.
* Kevin Janes
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia Engineering - Chemical or Biological; to combine quantitative biochemical techniques, multivariate experiments, and data-driven statistical modeling to examine cellular decisions at the network level.
* Pablo Jarillo-Herrero
Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Physics; to explore novel quantum phenomena emerging from the unique geometry and relativistic-like electronic structure of the single-atom thick graphene and the topological insulator Bi2Se3.
* Holger Mueller
Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley Physics; to introduce new tools, such as atom interferometers, to the experimental study of gravity and the standard model of particle physics.
* Brian Odom
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University Physics; to study and manipulate molecular ions held in radiofrequency traps.
* Dana Pe'er
Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University Biological Sciences; to understand the evolution of molecular networks and how variation in DNA sequence alters the regulatory network and manifests in phenotypic diversity.
* Joshua Plotkin
Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania Ecology, Evolutionary Biology; to develop realistic mathematical models, and to use them to quantify the forces that shape genetic variation in nature.
* Justin Romberg
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology Engineering - Electrical or Computer; to develop theory, algorithms, and hardware for next-generation acquisition systems by exploiting underlying signal structures.
* Seth Sullivant
Department of Mathematics, North Carolina State University Mathematics; to introduce tools from algebraic geometry, combinatorics, and symbolic computation to address fundamentally discrete problems in evolutionary biology, causal inference, and disclosure limitation.
* Dmitri Talapin
Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago Chemistry; to develop a novel class of materials where components and functionalities can be added, tuned or combined in a predictable manner to provide insight on how colloidal nanoparticles self-assemble into complex single- and multicomponent structures.
* Hong Tang
Department of Electrical Engineering, Yale University Engineering - Electrical or Computer; to develop a new class of light force devices and circuits for both fundamental studies and practical applications.
* Luis von Ahn
Department of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University Computer/information sciences; to develop a new area of computer science called human computation, which studies how to harness the combined power of humans and computers to solve problems that would be impossible for either to solve alone.

Wind Power for Los Angeles Electricians

OMAHA (KPTM) - There aren't many in Nebraska, but they're hard to miss all over western Iowa: wind turbines dotting the landscape.

Its clean energy leaders say is on its way to Nebraska, and now there's a new training facility to meet future demand.

It means fifty-five foot climbs for local electricians training inside a wind tower, as well as jumps on a safety harness and lots of practice with gear at increasingly high altitudes. "The specialized work that we do as electricians is now compounded by the fact that it's remote and highly elevated," said program instructor Foster Weyand.

Soon a state of the art training facility near 90th and L Street will prepare electricians for jobs building and maintaining wind turbines used for renewable energy. "The opportunity that they'll spend here in the classroom, in the labs, in the training tower with the highlight on safety, so when they get out to the job site, they're productive on day one," said Gary Kelley, business manager of the Local 22 IBEW.

Union leaders say the facility, only the second of its kind nationwide, will help ensure local jobs in wind energy go to Nebraskans, rather than traveling workers. "I don't want us to forget that this is about our economic security and our energy security," said Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman.

Gov. Heineman says Nebraska has enormous potential in wind power, its just suffered because the state has a unique system of publicly owned power utilities, which until two years ago, couldn't tap federal incentives to build wind farms like private companies. "Now that we have that in place, we're moving forward and you're going to see them in Nebraska all across our lands over the next 4-5 years," Heineman said.

A future many local electricians will be ready for. The first class starts next week with 10 students, but eventually leaders expect hundreds of people to take advantage of the program.

The facility is a joint project between the Nebraska chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association and four locals of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. $100,000 from the Nebraska Worker Training Board also helped make the project possible.

Only certified electricians can go through the program and get a certificate to work on wind energy projects.

Stimulus Money for Los Angeles Electricians?

http://features.csmonitor.com/economyrebuild/2009/10/15/heres-where-stimulus-money-is-putting-people-to-work/

Your economic stimulus money is helping to keep the lights on at an electrical contractor’ shop in Hawaii, the state where Barack Obama went to high school.

The price-tag: $366,578 for A-1 A-lectrician Inc. to do repairs and seismic upgrades at a federal building in Hilo.

That kind of detail is now available to the public, thanks to a White House pledge of transparency. The numbers, released Thursday on the www.recovery.gov website, allow US citizens to drill down by state, zip code, and congressional district to view where government contracts are being awarded.

It’s a tantalizing glimpse into the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the largest US stimulus effort ever. But it’s just a glimpse.

So far, details on just $16 billion in ARRA contracts and grants are on view. Eventually that’s slated to go much higher. (The total stimulus, reaching $787 billion, also includes money going toward tax cuts and aid to states.)

The spending faces close scrutiny to see if it’s boosting the economy – and if there are signs of political cronyism.

A quick overview of the first $16 billion:

• So far, the state that tops the list in contract dollars per capita is Alaska. Who would have thought the home state of Republican politician Sarah Palin would top the list of federal largess, at about $378 per resident? (OK, some of you have heard of the bridge to nowhere, but anyway….) The money covers a new hospital in Nome and dredging the port of Anchorage. Second place goes to Washington State, thanks to big money for cleanup at the Hanford nuclear weapons site.

• The District of Columbia isn’t a state, but little surprise that the nation’s capital sees the biggest concentration of contracts – about $948 per resident.

• The states most desperate for jobs so far aren’t getting them from new government spending. High-unemployment states such as Michigan, Nevada, and Florida rank low on the spending tally, while North Dakota, with the nation’s lowest jobless rate, is in the top 10 for ARRA spending.

• Pennsylvania residents have seen a higher-than-average dollar value of contracts, but plenty of other important electoral states (Florida, Ohio, New Hampshire, Iowa) rank below average so far.

• All 50 states have at least some stimulus coming in, the lowest being Rhode Island at about $6 million.

• Wyoming, the home state of former vice president Dick Cheney, is one of the only Rocky Mountain states that hasn’t scored above average in this first round of ARRA spending. No cause-effect relationship implied. Delaware, home to Vice President Joe Biden, equal’s Wyoming’s take at about $36 per resident. Mr. Biden has pledged to follow up on any signs of fraud or abuse within the stimulus program.

“It is too soon to draw any global conclusions from this partial and preliminary data,” Obama economic advisor Jared Bernstein said in a statement Thursday.

The effectiveness of the stimulus is a matter of heated political debate, because of its cost to taxpayers and because unemployment has risen faster than expected nationwide since the measure was passed in February.

White House analysts estimate the direct impact on jobs from the $16 billion in contracts to be quite small – employing about 30,000 people. But they say the overall stimulus effort, including ripple effects, is significant.

“All signs – from private estimates to this fragmentary data – point to the conclusion that the Recovery Act did indeed create or save about 1 million jobs in its first seven months, a much needed lift in a very difficult period for our economy,” Mr. Bernstein said.

The economy has lost 7 million jobs since the recession began.

Bernstein said the public database on stimulus spending will be expanded significantly on Oct. 30.

Training is Important for Los Angeles Electricians

Circuits LLC, a manufacturer of highly reliable flexible PCBs, announced the completion of employee safety training. The safety training was part of a company-wide "Work Safe" commitment to insure the safety of employees and the excellence in the conduct of business. This commitment is evident in Circuits' safety policy and standard operating procedures where safety precautions are built-in to the day to day operations.

The industrial safety training was presented by Core Compliance Group. Every employee was made aware of the company's safety policy and then trained on basic safety principles, practices and HAZCOM (hazard communication). Specific training regarding personal protective equipment, electrical safety and fork lift training were provided to those performing manufacturing and maintenance operations.

Circuits president Adeodato Vigano is committed to creating an environment in which everyone shares a concern for their own safety, as well as the safety of their colleagues. Being a young company, this is the optimal time to establish and instill a "work safe" culture by providing solid information, proper training, and suitable equipment. Vigano believes that "safety can't be an afterthought; it's just the way we do business right from the start." This mantra has penetrated the core of the company which allows Circuits to prevent unnecessary lost time and scheduling delays resulting from accidents.

To keep "work safe" an underlying theme at Circuits, safety training will be provided on a yearly basis and to all new employees going forward. Visitors must also adhere to some safety precautions such as escort requirements at the facility and wearing safety glasses in the manufacturing areas.

About Circuits LLC

Circuits LLC is a quality-driven, customer-focused manufacturer of highly reliable built‐to‐spec flexible PCBs serving the defense, industrial and medical markets with consistent quality and on-time delivery unsurpassed by competitors. Visit www.circuits-corp.com.

Editor's Note: For more military/aerospace news, visit our dedicated site here. For more medical news, visit our dedicated news page here.

Include Los Angeles Electricians in Your Earthquake Preparedness

Earthquake preparedness tips include steps to minimize personal injury,
property damage, and create a 72-hour emergency care kit

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Californians are set to participate in
the largest earthquake drill in State history on Thursday, October, 15, 2009
at 10 a.m. Millions are expected to join in the exercise, and Mercury
Insurance is reminding its customers to check for hazards around their homes
and create an emergency supply kit that would provide basic essentials for up
to 72 hours.


"The Great California Shake-out will be an important reminder to Californians
that earthquakes can strike suddenly and violently without warning," said
Joanna Moore, chief claims officer for Mercury Insurance. "We are encouraging
everyone to participate in earthquake preparedness by making plans that may
reduce property damage, personal injury, and provide short-term emergency care
for their families, loved ones and pets."


Mercury is offering two sets of suggested tips that can be implemented before
and after a quake occurs. Additional tips are available on the Statewide
Shake-Out website: www.shakeout.org.


Mercury's Claims Hotline can be reached by calling (800) 503-3724, and its
claims team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


BEFORE THE QUAKE


Check for hazards around the home to help reduce risk of personal injury and
property damage.
-- Garage: Strap your water heater to the wall. It could cause a fire if
it
falls during a quake. Store weed killers, pesticides and flammable
products in lower, childproof cabinets. Know how to open your garage
door manually.
-- Kitchen: Prevent injuries and damage from falling plates, kitchenware
and canned goods by installing childproof locks on upper cabinets.
Move
heavy, breakable items to lower cabinets. Keep a fully charged fire
extinguisher on hand.
-- Dining room: Secure china, vases and decorative items to shelving with
floral clay or museum wax. Install childproof locks on cabinet doors.
Secure tall cupboards and furniture to the wall.
-- Living room: Secure large paintings, bookshelves, wall units and
entertainment centers to the walls. Put heavier items, such as TVs, on
lower shelves and secure them with straps.
-- Bedroom: Move your beds away from windows and sliding glass doors.
Don't
hang pictures or heavy objects above the headboard. Securely bolt
ceiling fans. If a quake hits while you're in bed, stay there and
shield
yourself with blankets and pillows.
-- Bathrooms: Store flammable objects, such as nail polish, on lower
shelves. After a quake, if your house is damaged, fill bathtubs and
sinks with water for emergencies.
-- Repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections. These
are
potential risks.

-- Repair any deep cracks in ceilings or foundations. Get expert advice
if
there are signs of structural defects.

Disney Monorail in Orlando Gets Electrical Work

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_tourism_aviation/2009/10/disney-worlds-monorail-gets-some-electrical-work.html

Walt Disney World has been making some monorail repairs.

The giant resort recently filed notice for electricians to work on an electrical panel on the monorail platform at the Transportation Ticket and Center, the central hub that links the system's Magic Kingdom and Epcot lines.

About two weeks ago, the two Magic Kingdom loops were forced to shut down for most of a day following an electrical short at a control booth at the Magic Kingdom's monorail platform. Disney said the current electrical work was unrelated to that incident.

"This was just routine maintenance," Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez said.

Copper Makes Electrical Wiring Expensive for Los Angeles Electricians

Nine years after its establishment, and following negotiations with a number of potential buyers, the Israeli startup CopperGate Communications has been sold - and this time it's final. The acquisition by Sigma Technologies, with the jaw-dropping price of $200 million, is expected to be formally announced today. That's a pretty profit for the company's investors, who stand to chalk up a profit eight times their original investment.

CopperGate has raised only $25 million from investors to date. The company reportedly considered floating its shares in the past, based on a valuation of $500 million. Boasting sales in the millions of dollars a year since 2006, CopperGate has received - and turned down - quite a few suitors, most recently the dual-listed company Mellanox Technologies.
Advertisement

CopperGate has chosen Sigma, mainly based on its synergy with the Israeli company. CopperGate develops chipsets for multimedia home networking using existing wiring, while Sigma Designs is a developer of complimentary technology - System-on-a-Chip (SoC) semiconductors for multimedia processing. The plan is to combine the capabilities of the two semiconductors into a unified chip that can provide Internet communications with video processing abilities, like those in cable television converters and video players.

The two companies have worked together over the years: about 8 million converters incorporate CopperGate and Sigma chips.

Moshe Levine, a partner at Tamir Fishman investment house, which invested in the company nine years ago and now owns a 31% share in the company, stands to make a tidy profit from the exit. He is very enthusiastic about the firm's prospects.

"I believe CopperGate will be the engine for the world's digital media in five or six years, with hundreds of thousands of converters using its chips," he said.

Sigma controls 80% of the multimedia chip market, and CopperGate is a leader in communications.

"The two technologies will now be combined into a single brain, resulting in a dramatically lower price, better efficiency and power use, and smaller chips," he said. "The match is natural."

CopperGate CEO Gabi Hilevitz explained the winning synergy between the two companies: Sigma chips process video signals, handle security issues and high-definition visual performance, while CopperGate technology enables communication, and creates a household network based on Internet protocol that supports cable television and copper wire (telephone wire) communication systems. The company also plans to launch a chip that will allow communication via home electrical wiring, Hilevitz added.

CopperGate reported sales of $60 million in 2008, and already has sold $70 million in 2009 - in the midst of an economic crisis. The company has reported a profit for three consecutive years now.

"When you generate that much cash you have to consider the direction of future development," Hilevitz said. "We saw content is going digital, and we saw a demand for multimedia processors, and for transferring (the content) on home networks."

But in spite of press reports to the contrary, Hilevitz denied there has ever been a serious plan to float the company.

"A company considering a flotation has to think about what will happen four to eight quarters down the line. At the time we were dependent on AT&T, our main customer, which accounted for 90% of our business, although this is no longer the case." The banks, he said, felt this was a problematic situation for an IPO. Meanwhile, CopperGate didn't really need the cash.

"There was no point in putting the firm under the kind of pressure involved in being a publicly traded company. Moreover, we had other avenues for raising money other than the public - for instance, investors who were willing to loan us money and invest in CopperGate."

And so, after mulling a variety of options, including raising money from financial investors or buying complimentary technology, at the end of the day, the company opted on the merge.

Hilevitz rejects the idea that high-tech companies can't become large in Israel, and are doomed to be gobbled up by foreign investors while they are still relatively small.

CopperGate, he promised, is an Israeli company that will continue grow and be part of the local landscape.

"The company won't be swallowed up like a drop in the sea by Broadcom or Intel, regardless of what it is called after the merger. We hope that its sales will double, that it will hire hundreds more employees, and bring pride and jobs to the country."

L.A. Electricians Studying APC Challenge

WEST KINGSTON, RI--(Marketwire - October 5, 2009) - APC by Schneider Electric, a global leader in integrated critical power and cooling services, today announced the launch of APC's "Ride of a Lifetime Challenge" offering electrical contractor firms in the United States and Canada an opportunity to win one of eight OCC Original production choppers from Orange County Choppers (OCC). The contest, which runs through June 30, 2010, is designed to provide electrical contractor firms with additional information regarding the integration of Schneider Electric and APC solutions to help develop and expand their businesses.

"Last month we gave OCC the unique challenge to build a hybrid Schneider Electric chopper that demonstrates how we help people make the most of their energy," said Rob McKernan, President, North America, APC. "To commemorate this challenge, we are encouraging electrical contractor firms to learn more about what inspired our theme bike and how they can work with APC to deploy safe, reliable, and efficient data center solutions."

Later this year the Schneider Electric custom motorcycle will embark on a road show to give electrical contractor partners a sneak preview of the theme bike and an opportunity to meet their local support team to learn more about APC's "Ride of a Lifetime Challenge." The roadshow includes eight regional events slated for Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Newburgh, NY, Toronto, and Washington, D.C. The events will also serve as an educational forum for electrical contracting firms to learn more about partnering with Schneider Electric and APC to capitalize on emerging trends like energy management and sustainability.

Through APC's "Ride of a Lifetime Challenge" electrical contractor firms can earn chopper 'keys' by recommending APC three-phase power solutions, including both the APC and MGE product lines. Electrical contractor firms can accrue keys throughout the contest to have a chance of starting one of eight OCC Original production choppers. For APC's "Ride of a Lifetime Challenge" contest details and to register please visit www.RideWithAPC.com. For more information on APC and its integrated solutions please visit www.apc.com or call 800-877-4080.

About APC by Schneider Electric

APC by Schneider Electric, a global leader in critical power and cooling services, provides industry leading product, software and systems for home, office, data center and factory floor applications. Backed by the strength, experience, and wide network of Schneider Electric's Critical Power & Cooling Services, APC delivers well planned, flawlessly installed and maintained solutions throughout their lifecycle. Through its unparalleled commitment to innovation, APC delivers pioneering, energy efficient solutions for critical technology and industrial applications. In 2007, Schneider Electric acquired APC and combined it with MGE UPS Systems to form Schneider Electric's Critical Power & Cooling Services Business Unit, which recorded 2008 revenue of EUR 2,6 billion (including APC-MGE sales of $3.7 billion) and employed 12,000 people worldwide. APC solutions include uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), precision cooling units, racks, physical security and design and management software, including APC's InfraStruXure® architecture, the industry's most comprehensive integrated power, cooling, and management solution. Schneider Electric, with 114,000 employees and operations in 100 countries, achieved sales of EUR 18,3 billion in 2008. All trademarks are the property of their owners. www.apc.com

Los Angeles Electricians Pray for PA Families

The Associated Press

SINKING SPRING, Pa. - Authorities in eastern Pennsylvania say an explosion and fire at an asphalt plant injured three workers, two of them critically.

Cumru Township Fire Marshal Keith Fritz says an electrical panel burst into flames in the control room of the H&K Group's South Reading Blacktop plant at 11 a.m. Friday. He says 62-year-old James Cawthern, an electrical contractor, was eating lunch in front of the screen. Two workers, 57-year-old John Hanlon and 49-year-old Carl Keefer, were injured after they and others rushed to help Cawthern.

Cawthern and Hanlon were listed in critical condition Saturday at Lehigh Valley Hospital near Allentown. Keefer was treated at Reading Hospital for smoke inhalation.

The company called the blast a flash electrical fire and says it was the first such accident at the facility, which opened in 1991. Fritz classified the explosion as an accident. State police and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration have also been investigating.

,,,

Information from: Reading Eagle, http://www.readingeagle.com/

L.A. Electricians Support Electric Cars

ditors' note: This is a guest column. See Matt Mattila's bio below.

As every major automaker reveals plans to sell electric vehicles, the future appears to be upon us, replete with silent, emissions-free, peppy, electric vehicles.

Given this impending electric-vehicle revolution, where are all of the electric pumps?

Electric-car charging points like this one, which is fed by solar panels and installed by SolarCity, are being installed in the bank parking lots of California's Rabobank.
(Credit: SolarCity

With electric vehicles, you could probably do away with stopping at fueling stations entirely, as the majority of your fueling, or battery charging, will be done overnight while plugged in at home or during the day while parked at the office. But because it is conceivable that not every trip will be within the battery range of your vehicle, the mere presence of public charging stations for electric vehicles could help alleviate "range anxiety," or the concern that with an electric vehicle, you will be stranded when your battery dies.

Wouldn't it be nice to know that a stop for a Big Mac to fill your belly could also serve as a stop to extend your car's driving range? While some electric cars are already on the road, and people are installing charging stations at home, can the government roll out enough public charging stations in time to support all of these vehicles?

Sure, and if we were the green fairy, we'd sprinkle magical carbon-free dust on President Obama and have him pour billions of dollars into making electric vehicles affordable.

Wait--that's already happening--and it may be enough to get started. But if we want electric vehicles to be successful on a large scale, we can't rely on the government to do it all. We need big-box retailers, office buildings, and fast-food franchises to invest.

And, while it would be great if these companies invested just because they feel strongly about energy security, global warming, or innovative transportation, it also makes good business sense.

With an initial investment of definable costs, owners have a variety of options for earning a significant return:

* Collect fees for battery charging
* Attract more customers
* Recharge your own vehicles
* Enhance your brand

The Rocky Mountain Institute, my employer, has a new guide for investing in charging infrastructure , detailing the full costs of charging stations--not just what the charging station manufacturers will quote, but the installation and running costs, as well. The guide helps potential investors ask the right questions, understand the differences across the technology, and connect to those active in this space.

Each business has a unique scenario, and for those who wish to see their own numbers, RMI has also developed an interactive tool to help business owners accurately assess their business case. This report and tool will help users understand if and how they can make money from a charging station.
Coulomb Technologies is developing networked equipment for charging electric vehicles at the curb. It has inked deals with service stations throughout California to provide the equipment.

Coulomb Technologies is developing networked equipment for charging electric vehicles at the curb. It has inked deals with service stations throughout California to provide the equipment.
(Credit: Kim Smith/General Motors

Does investing in charging infrastructure make sense for your business?

Let's take the example of a McDonald's. The total cost of a station may be about $5,000, and installation may cost about the same. Ten grand is nothing to sneeze at, but the actual cost to the investor is likely to be lower. Uncle Sam will provide a 50 percent tax credit, and many states have an additional incentive on top of that. As a typical McDonald's grosses $2.2 million annually, a one-time investment of $5,000 is less than half of 1 percent of annual revenue.

Let's consider what the station would provide in return. Even though most of the companies RMI interviewed for this guide did not list branding opportunities as the top driver for interest in charging stations, this hypothetical McDonald's owner already would generate great publicity, which has real value.

Paying for an advertisement in a nationally syndicated publication is expensive, and not nearly as powerful as being "caught doing good."

Of RMI's corporate interviewees, a commitment to retaining employees and the potential to attract new customers came up most often as incentives for installing charging stations. In the McDonald's example, think of how quickly these stations would pay for themselves if a few new customers a day decided to go to this McDonald's instead of another fast-food chain because they agree with its practices.

Most of these charging stations will also have intelligence built in that enables fee collection from users to refill their batteries. Depending on the number of electric-vehicle users, this is another potential source of revenue. These individual streams can start to add up to real returns.

Installing a charging station may not make sense for some businesses. However, it may be possible that some companies make a little green by being a little greener.
Matt Mattila is the project manager for the Project Get Ready initiative in the Move (Mobility + Vehicle Efficiency) group at the Rocky Mountain Institute, a nonprofit think tank focused on fostering efficient and restorative use of resources. With a background in management consulting, Mattila specializes in business strategy.

Electrical Blackouts are Expensive in Florida and Los Angeles

FPL agrees to $25 million penalty for '08 blackout

By SARAH LARIMER (AP) – 4 hours ago

MIAMI — The Florida Power & Light Company must pay a $25 million penalty for a massive outage that left hundreds of thousands of customers without power last year, according to an agreement announced Thursday.

Under the agreement with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, FPL must pay $10 million to the U.S. Treasury and $10 million to NERC.

"Overall, we deeply regret the inconvenience this incident caused our customers," FPL spokesman Mayco Villafana said. "We have said that from the beginning, however, we disagree with the assertions with FERC's Office of Enforcement. We believe the evidence and the findings of independent investigations demonstrate that FPL was in compliance with industry standards."

Additionally, $5 million was reserved for "enhancements to FPL's reliability compliance program, equipment maintenance program, and emergency operating procedures," according to a news release. Villafana said the money would go toward improvements to transmission lines that deliver power from plants to substations.

"We believe this agreement is in the best interests of reliability and that the actions taken as a result will reduce the risk of future outages in Florida," Rick Sergel, president and CEO of North American Electric Reliability Corporation, said in a statement.

The massive blackouts in February 2008 started in a Miami-area substation. FPL said the incident occurred after a field engineer who was diagnosing a malfunctioning switch shut off equipment that stops electrical failures from spreading. The switch short-circuited, causing the outage.

Nearly 600,000 customers were affected by the blackout, Villafana said. He noted that though FPL agreed to pay the penalty, it does not admit "any violations or liability."

"It could take several more years and be very costly to resolve through litigation with a federal regulatory agency," Villafana said. "Litigation would require the time and attention of the same people who are responsible for the reliability of the grid. So as a result, we believe a settlement is an appropriate course of action at this time."

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Electrical Solutions from Los Angeles Electricians

WEST KINGSTON, RI--(Marketwire - October 5, 2009) - APC by Schneider Electric, a global leader in integrated critical power and cooling services, today announced the launch of APC's "Ride of a Lifetime Challenge" offering electrical contractor firms in the United States and Canada an opportunity to win one of eight OCC Original production choppers from Orange County Choppers (OCC). The contest, which runs through June 30, 2010, is designed to provide electrical contractor firms with additional information regarding the integration of Schneider Electric and APC solutions to help develop and expand their businesses.

"Last month we gave OCC the unique challenge to build a hybrid Schneider Electric chopper that demonstrates how we help people make the most of their energy," said Rob McKernan, President, North America, APC. "To commemorate this challenge, we are encouraging electrical contractor firms to learn more about what inspired our theme bike and how they can work with APC to deploy safe, reliable, and efficient data center solutions."

Later this year the Schneider Electric custom motorcycle will embark on a road show to give electrical contractor partners a sneak preview of the theme bike and an opportunity to meet their local support team to learn more about APC's "Ride of a Lifetime Challenge." The roadshow includes eight regional events slated for Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Newburgh, NY, Toronto, and Washington, D.C. The events will also serve as an educational forum for electrical contracting firms to learn more about partnering with Schneider Electric and APC to capitalize on emerging trends like energy management and sustainability.

Through APC's "Ride of a Lifetime Challenge" electrical contractor firms can earn chopper 'keys' by recommending APC three-phase power solutions, including both the APC and MGE product lines. Electrical contractor firms can accrue keys throughout the contest to have a chance of starting one of eight OCC Original production choppers. For APC's "Ride of a Lifetime Challenge" contest details and to register please visit www.RideWithAPC.com. For more information on APC and its integrated solutions please visit www.apc.com or call 800-877-4080.

About APC by Schneider Electric

APC by Schneider Electric, a global leader in critical power and cooling services, provides industry leading product, software and systems for home, office, data center and factory floor applications. Backed by the strength, experience, and wide network of Schneider Electric's Critical Power & Cooling Services, APC delivers well planned, flawlessly installed and maintained solutions throughout their lifecycle. Through its unparalleled commitment to innovation, APC delivers pioneering, energy efficient solutions for critical technology and industrial applications. In 2007, Schneider Electric acquired APC and combined it with MGE UPS Systems to form Schneider Electric's Critical Power & Cooling Services Business Unit, which recorded 2008 revenue of EUR 2,6 billion (including APC-MGE sales of $3.7 billion) and employed 12,000 people worldwide. APC solutions include uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), precision cooling units, racks, physical security and design and management software, including APC's InfraStruXure® architecture, the industry's most comprehensive integrated power, cooling, and management solution. Schneider Electric, with 114,000 employees and operations in 100 countries, achieved sales of EUR 18,3 billion in 2008. All trademarks are the property of their owners. www.apc.com

Los Angeles Electricians Working the High Rise

By Kerry Hall Singe
ksinge@charlotteobserver.com
Construction is set to resume on The Vue, the luxury uptown condo high-rise that has sat stalled for the last month.

The condo tower's general contractor, R.J. Griffin & Co., issued a statement late Monday saying it had been paid by the project's owner and that work on the uptown high-rise will resume "promptly."

R.J. Griffin abruptly stopped work on the nearly complete 50-story tower at Fifth and Pine streets Sept. 1, saying it had not been paid by the developer, MCL Cos. of Chicago, for work done in July and August. MCL Cos. CEO Dan McLean has said his company was working through issues with its lenders.

McLean was not available for comment Monday night.

R.J. Griffin said it had been paid late Monday afternoon and was "excited that hundreds of employees from R.J. Griffin & Company and its subcontractors can return to work on this landmark project."

The Vue's delay illustrates the real estate market's lingering weakness even as economists say the country may be emerging out of the recession. It was one of a variety of uptown condo projects that have stalled or been killed as condo sales plunged in recent years.

R.J. Griffin did not provide details for when construction would start or for when subcontractors would be paid. At least five subcontractors have filed liens against the contractor and MCL since the project was stopped, claiming they were owed between hundreds of thousands and more than $1 million dollars for their work on the luxury high rise.

One subcontractor contacted by the Observer Monday said Griffin had called him recently to say it expected work to resume mid-October.

The delay also caused would-be condo buyers to worry about losing their deposits. Between 55 percent and 60 percent of the tower's 409 units are under contract, the developer has said. The units are listed for $319,000 to $2 million-plus, and buyers paid deposits of 10 percent of the sales price.

One buyer, Rob Cummings of Charlotte, told the Observer late Monday that he has been waiting four years for the project to be built.

"This is certainly great news," said Cummings, who lives nearby in Fourth Ward and bought a unit in 2005 for his mother for when she retires. "It will be nice for it to be finished rather than be a shell of a building."

The thought that uptown would be saddled with yet another unfinished high-rise had worried center city boosters.

A 50-story tower planned for the EpiCentre has been halted by legal problems. The hulking, rusting skeleton of The Park, a proposed 21-story luxury condo tower that went into foreclosure before being finished, has become an unwelcome landmark. A Florida developer has said it planned to buy the building and finish the condos, but it is unclear whether the sale went through.

It was unclear Monday night whether The Vue would be finished as previously scheduled. The developer had said purchasers were expected to start moving in next summer. The building's amenities were to include a 3,000-square-foot workout area and a 1,000-bottle wine cellar. An outdoor deck would include a heated pool, tennis court and dog-walking area.

DWP Los Angeles Chief Steps Down

By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD
Published: October 2, 2009

LOS ANGELES — The head of the city’s water department, who lately has faced criticism over a series of major water main breaks and has had to defend conservation programs and planned rate increases, resigned Friday to take a job with the Clinton Climate Initiative.
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Related
In a Parched Los Angeles, the Streets Suddenly Run Wet (September 29, 2009)

H. David Nahai, who had been general manager and chief executive of the Water and Power Department since 2007 and a commissioner for two years before that, said in a letter announcing his move that his new job would allow him to focus on “the central challenge of our time, global warming.”

The Clinton Climate Initiative, where he will be a senior adviser, is an effort by former President Bill Clinton’s foundation to study and find solutions to climate change.

Los Angeles residents and the water department’s engineers have been baffled in the past month by a series of major water pipe failures across the city, buckling and flooding streets on several occasions and in one instance partly swallowing a fire truck. The department is investigating the cause.

Officials said privately that Mr. Nahai’s stepping down had nothing to do with the breaks. Through a spokesman, Mr. Nahai declined to be interviewed.

Heading the Water and Power Department of a sprawling city in a semidesert is never an easy job, and Mr. Nahai, a former real estate lawyer and Iranian émigré who was educated at some of Britain’s most prestigious schools, often defended the department in his scholarly, British-inflected English.

Just Wednesday Mr. Nahai sought to reassure the City Council that the department was on top of the water main breaks.

He has also sought to deflect criticism over proposed water and electric rate increases and a drought-induced mandatory conservation program that limits lawn sprinkling to just two days, among other steps.

Water consumption has dropped to record levels, and environmental leaders have praised Mr. Nahai’s stewardship of the department. In his letter, he listed numerous achievements, including an increased use of renewable energy and fewer power failures.

Electricians in NYC are Vocal

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2009/10/unions_to_bloom.php
The one-year anniversary of Mike Bloomberg's term-limits flip-flop is being celebrated today by a pair of unions who chose the date to announce their endorsement of Bill Thompson for mayor -- while throwing in some tough language about the incumbent.

Electricians Local Union No. 3, one of the city's most powerful construction unions broke with fellow building trades locals to back Thompson. Here' Chris Erikson, Local 3 business manager, on why they did it:

"We believe that Bill Thompson will be an outstanding Mayor. During his tenure as Comptroller, Bill has shown his commitment to New York's working families. We know that as Mayor, he will be the advocate that hard-working men and women across our City need."

 The electricians then added a couple zingers: "A year ago today, on October 2, 2008, Republican Mike Bloomberg declared his intentions to overturn term limits so he could run for a third term - claiming he was the only person that could guide us through these tough economic times. Today the City is facing a 10.3% unemployment rate, a record number of homeless families sleeping on our streets, a slew of incomplete development projects, and a middle class flight."

And there was this from United Auto Workers Region 9A director Bob Madore as he announced his union's backing for Thompson: "Bloomberg ignored the voters of New York to suit his own interests. And now he wants to use $150 million of his own money to buy the election - while the City's middle class residents get squeezed out of the City due to the very financial crisis he's pledged to fix... It's time for change in New York City, and Bill Thompson offers us that change."

Unions are so far fairly evenly split between Thompson and Bloomberg. Thompson's endorsements include the giant District Council 37, the Communication Workers, Transport Workers Union Local 100, the Retail Workers (RWDSU), and the Public Employees Federation.

Bloomberg is big with the construction trades (which is why Local 3, which backed Bloomy in 2005, is a notable exception), the Teamsters, the United Food and Commercial Workers, sanitation workers, and SEIU Local 32BJ.

Still to weigh in are several heavyweights, including the United Federation of Teachers (which is currently negotiating its contract with City Hall), and health care workers 1199 SEIU. Also unannounced is Hotel Employees Local 6, although sources say a Bloomberg endorsement by that politically active union is upcoming.

(n.b.: UAW Local 2110 represents Voice workers, though it doesn't consult directly with us about its political endorsements -- a major mistake on its part, sometimes leading to moral, if not political, embarrassment.)

Los Angeles Electricians Help Sports Venues

EAN SORENSEN

correspondent

The Richmond Olympic Oval, the speed-skating venue, has sped away with a record six silver Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) awards.

“I honestly can’t remember any other project in the 21-year history of the awards that has garnered near that many silver awards. That is truly amazing and the contractors involved should be truly proud of their involvement,” said Brian Martin, awards chairman.

But contractors and trades are not surprised after working on the Olympic 2010 structure that many are already calling a national landmark.

Rob Third, of George Third & Son Ltd., a silver award recipient, said the structure is B.C.’s stand-out Olympic venue, just like Beijing’s Bird’s Nest venue. His company will mark 100 years of business in the Olympic year.

“The Richmond oval is really the showcase venue for the 2010 Olympics,” said another silver award recipient Dominion Fairmile Construction’s Alan Nicholson, the project manager working on the Oval. “It will become a well-known building right across Canada.”

Silver VRCA award winners on the project were: George Third and Son Ltd. and Apollo Sheet Metal both contenders for the gold in the category of Chairman’s Trade Awards; Rona Building Supplies in the category of manufacturers and suppliers; Dominion Fairmile in the category of general contractor over $50 million; Flynn Canada in the category of President’s Trade Awards; and Status Electrical in the category of electrical contractor over $2 million.

“This is really an award-winning project with a high degree of difficulty,” said Len Edmondson of Flynn Canada, which did the roofing, polycarbonate glass and the architectural metal panels and other metal work.

Edmondson said the greatest challenge for Flynn Canada’s team (lead by project manager Todd DeForest) was the time line.

“It was a very tight schedule,” he said.

The spectacular structure presented challenges to all trades with unique design features.

Those challenges included not just a tight timeline and almost military precision scheduling of equipment, but working during the height of the labor and skills shortage in B.C.

Nicholson said the project saw the roof placed before the ice-slab was complete. The reason for the different sequencing was that the ice surface was constructed with a post-tensioned suspended slab that included delay-strips.

This added extra months of engineering, but rather than waiting, crews continued with the roof.

“Once you put the roof on, you are limited to the crane boom height and you have to be extremely careful with any overhead obstructions,” he said.

As well, construction started east to west and that meant that machines and equipment were scheduled in and out of one access way.

Also, the ice slab construction was required to exceed a flatness tolerance of three millimeters in only three meters, a criteria aimed at improving athlete’s performance.

The challenge for George Third & Son Ltd. was the composite beams or trusses that span the building. The glulam beams were formed around a steel skeleton (which also housed ducting) and the beams had to be jointed to metal plates.

Ironworkers became woodworkers, Third said, as the project combined both skills at Third’s shop.

Apollo Sheet Metal Ltd.’s great challenge on the project was the duct work located inside the 13 triangular shaped glulam beams that span the facility.

In order to accomplish the task, the Apollo crew moved into the Third shop to better facilitate the prefabrication and scheduling process required to complete the beams that would be placed using a 200-ton crane.

It was the first time Apollo had undertaken such a joint-venture.

The beams are a showcase item in the structure and they hide the triangular duct work, but the 364 outlets supplying air over the ice surface are visible.

Keith Falardeau, president of Status Electrical is pleased to have the award as the uniqueness of the design presented challenges.

“There was a challenge placing the conduits for the writing and other structures in a way that would be concealed,” he said.

Providing the electrical installations also meant providing an integrated approach to getting the job done with an aggressive schedule. Rona won a silver award in the manufacturer and supplier’s category, the first year that this award has gone out.

“We are really pleased with the award,” said LeGrow of the first time honor. “It fits well with the commercial side of our business we are trying to grow where most people think of us as simply retail.”