Essex Electrical & Construction, Inc.

Be your own boss. Own your own business. Control your own destiny. Many people have grown up believing in that American dream, which is undoubtedly part of why there were about 650,000 new small businesses launched in America in 2007, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Additionally, the SBA defines a small business as having less than $6.5 million in annual revenues for most service industries. But how does that apply to the electrical construction industry? According to the 2008 Profile of the Electrical Contractor, 69 percent of electrical contracting firms are small firms, which each carry less than 10 employees.

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR spoke with three small business owners, each with about 10 employees or less. None see the small business phase as something to simply pass through on their way to becoming bigger. All three own multidecade-old firms that are smaller by choice because the owners prefer the benefits of being that size.

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In the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, many out-of-state electrical contractors are traveling into Texas to assist in the disaster recovery efforts. In order to operate in accordance with the law, it is necessary to become familiar with the both the State’s laws and the local ordinances of the municipality that you plan on performing work in.

Electrical Contractors, who have an equivalent license in their own state, are able to quickly obtain an Emergency License issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). The specific application for this license is available on their website and must be submitted with a copy of your current license and the application fee. An Emergency License can be issued for the following classifications: Master Electrician, Master Sign Electrician, Journeyman Electrician, Journeyman Sign Electrician, Residential Wireman, and Maintenance Electrician. With this license, you must work under another contractor licensed in Texas. The Emergency License is valid for 90 days and will only allow you to perform within the designated disaster area and during the time of a declared disaster and its recovery period.

Another quick way to get licensed is to apply for a temporary apprenticeship license. This temporary license would be valid for 21 days – h opefully giving you enough time to obtain your permanent license. Again, you must work under another contractor licensed in Texas.

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The 2009 IDC Regional Electrical Engineering Forum is committed to bringing you the latest information on electrical engineering with an impressive selection of local and national speakers. The forum will examine and discuss the latest local and international practices and standards in electrical safety, switchgear & power cables, remote and emergency power with a focus on the engineering environment and people of the Northern Territory.

IDC has lined up two national keynote speakers for the event, Mr Roger Royal, who has 40 years experience in the electrical power industry and is one of IDC’s most knowledgeable electrical experts. Roger has travelled all over the world for the last 10 years for IDC to instruct on various electrical topics from his base in the snowy mountains in NSW.

IDC also welcomes Mr Andrew Maunder, who has 25 years experience in the electrical industry and is a certified safety auditor and accredited electrical safety auditor for the Queensland Government in Hazardous Areas and High Voltage Installations. Both speakers will be presenting a half day workshop on each morning of the two day forum.

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A well established multi-disciplinary engineering consultant with offices spred across a wide range of market sectors: commercial, industrial , public healthcare, retail, and defence is looking to appoint a Electrical Engineer for their Sydney operation.

Working in a pleasant and highly professional environment, you will be required to assist the group’s senior Project Engineers with have the design and documentation of electrical services for various applications, including electrical power reticulation and distribution systems, lighting design, power standby generator, lightning protection systems.

You should have a tertiary degree in Electrical Engineering, and several years of practice in electrical services design and engineering experience. Familiarity with Australian (or similar) Electrical design standards and codes will be mandatory for these roles. Good presentation skill and commercial acumen are also highly desirable for this role.

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The following are a sampling of some of the journey level electrical courses one can take to advance his or her learning in his or her chosen electrical field.

The first, an eight hour training session in Leviton, teaches students about the installation of cable, about its use and termination and about how to install and handle a multiple pair. They learn as well about installing a twisted pair, as well as fibre optic and coax cables. This is one of the electrical courses in the UK that offers continuing education credits towards electrician license renewal. Six credits are awarded with successful completion of this course.

For certification in various elements of electrical courses there are a number of UK electrical courses available. The first is that for the certification in residential general electrician and life and fire safety. The instructors in these electrical courses look at the various principles of the federal National Electrical Code of 1999, Ohms law and the basic principles that must be adhered to and learned for certification. Students are able to participate in practice tests. To attend these certification electrical courses each student must bring his or her own copy of the NEC book. These electrical courses are available as classroom lectures during the day or online for those who cant attend the lectures.

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The first, an eight hour training session in Leviton, teaches students about the installation of cable, about its use and termination and about how to install and handle a multiple pair. They learn as well about installing a twisted pair, as well as fibre optic and coax cables. This is one of the electrical courses in the UK that offers continuing education credits towards electrician license renewal. Six credits are awarded with successful completion of this course.

For certification in various elements of electrical course there are a number of UK electrical courses available. The first is that for the certification in residential general electrician and life and fire safety. The instructors in these electrical courses look at the various principles of the federal National Electrical Code of 1999, Ohms law and the basic principles that must be adhered to and learned for certification. Students are able to participate in practice tests. To attend these certification electrical courses each student must bring his or her own copy of the NEC book. These electrical courses are available as classroom lectures during the day or online for those who cant attend the lectures.

One of the more introductory of the electrical courses for journey level electricians is the instrumentation intro class. An introduction into industrial instrumentation, the course teaches flow, pressure, temperature and monitoring of all these levels as part of working in process control. The nine week course teaches students who are just starting out in the instrumentation field as well as those who want to bone up on the lessons of instrumentation for their ISA exam to become a certified control systems technician.

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What are the legal penalties if any for a contractor doing residential plumbing or electrical work without being a licensed electrican or plumber in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania?

You are responsible for the cost to repair any damage to propriety fro example a water leak three years from now or a house fire. If the water leak ruins a couch , TV or anything else) then you must replace it

Also you are NEVER allowed to apply for the license. That is the penalty that stops most apprentices from doing it . Once caught you have no future in the trade. Also the people who hired you must pay a $1150 if it can be proven they knew you weren’t licenses.

If they didn’t know then you are in real legal trouble for fraud we could be talking jail time it the licensing board is in a bad mood.

Also if the project was something like an addition for finishing a basement. Or anything else that would be noticed next time the house is on the market. The local inspector can require the work to be removed or a the very least the sheet rock removed so he can see the pipes and wire were done correctly.

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If you live in Virginia, especially if you’re living in Northern Virginia, and are in need of electrician to provide electrical help or maintenance, whether for your private home, offices, stores, or any kind of electrical jobs, I can recommend you with a great electrical contractors in northern Virginia who has served the public for over 20 years, the Walsh Electric. They are here for all your electrical service, repairs, or installation, no matter how small or large, simple or complicated, you can depend on them for quality workmanship and friendly customer service.

They are the best electrical service in northern Virginia, with over hundreds of electrical services that they provide. For example in case you are in need of generators in Virginia or you need the service of Virginia Outdoor Lighting, then Walsh Electric can provide. They also handle the best security systems in Washington DC, as well as any surrounding area near it. Check out their official site to browse all of their products and services of electrical company could provide in Virginia. Whether it is electrical construction, service, remodeling, residential installation, commercial, government, electronic security, CCTV or access control this VA electrician company provides all. With over 20 years of experience trusted in this service sector Walsh Electric is the best on their field.

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Choosing an electrical contractor to do work on your home may not seem as if it should be a big deal, but choosing the right one can really make a difference. The process of hiring an electrical contractor involves more than just finding one that is the most economical.

Finding an electrical contracting professional that is qualified to perform and undertake your project is a must. Making sure that a contractor you are considering using is a member of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), with a renowned reputation, is something that can really make a difference in the outcome of your venture. The NECA is the institute that a good portion of electrical contractors are represented by. It can also be a good idea to ask around to family and friends to see if they advocate anyone to perform your service.

When hiring an electrical contractor you should make sure to check their accreditation. In beginning a relationship with an electrical contracting firm there are many questions that should be asked and guidelines that should be established. You should make sure that your contractor is able to supply you, the customer, with professional counsel in regards to your electrical systems needs. You should also make sure that if something were to go wrong with the project that the supplier would be able to be reached and willing to return to fix anything that was unsatisfactory.

It is necessary to find an electrical contractor who works hard, who conducts business with conviction, in a professional manner, and who is qualified to be performing the job at hand.

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Software Advice today announced that they have assisted over 500 electrical contractors during their evaluation of new electrical estimating software, accounting and project management systems for their businesses. Moreover, Software Advice has now developed partnerships with the majority of software vendors serving the electrical division. This network of software partners allows Software Advice to recommend the ideal systems for a wide range of electrical firms with a variety of technology needs.

“It is gratifying to have helped so many electrical contractors as they take on the challenge of assessing software systems. In partnership with the leaders in software for electrical contractors, we have helped everyone from the smallest of independent electricians to large electrical engineering firms with a global presence,” said Don Fornes, founder and CEO of Software Advice.

The Software Advice website provides a wealth of information for software selection including detailed software product profiles, white papers, articles and evaluation tools. Furthermore, the experts at Software Advice provide free phone consultations and needs assessments to help contractors narrow down a short list of software systems based on their trade (e.g. low voltage, solar, teledata), company size and specific functional requirements. Contractors can then focus their research efforts on evaluating the short list, rather than dedicating weeks to sifting through hundreds of software products for the construction industry.

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South Philadelphia electrical contractor Donald “Gus” Dougherty Jr. was sentenced to two years in prison today after pleading guilty to 99 criminal counts, including embezzlement, fraud, theft and tax evasion.

Prosecutors accused Dougherty of doing $115,600 in free work at the Moyamensing Avenue home of labor leader John J. Dougherty (who is no relation). Under federal labor law, it is a violation for an employer who uses union labor to give things of value to union leaders.

Gus Dougherty, 42, also pleaded guilty last May to embezzling $869,599 from the health and welfare fund managed for members by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98.  Prosecutors were seeking a prison term equal to at least 41 months.

In a court filing, Gus Dougherty’s attorney said the contractor was “truly remorseful, ashamed of his misconduct, but blaming no one but himself.”  Eric Sitarchuk, Dougherty’s attorney, wrote that his behavior was affected by out-of-control drinking and excessive spending.

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Independent, Full Service, and well Established Electrical Contractor provides service to Commercial customers primarily in San Antonio area. Some residential service for upgrades and service calls through the major home warranty companies. Has an outstanding reputation for the quality of work performed. Income for services are based on 50% time & material and 50% quoted contracts.

In addition to the owner, there is one Master Electrician on staff now with another to obtain Masters License soon. Centrally located providing easy access to most of San Antonio especially in the fast growing northern area of town. Business can be purchased separately or in place with the building and real estate for a smooth transition. Current Location is 25,000 SF including: Warehouse 1,800 SF, Office 1,110 SF and includes a yard of about 20,000 SF. This is a Merit Shop (Open Shop) and IEC Member. Business is a C-Corp.

Real Estate is available for $225K or $1,800 per month lease plus Insurance and Taxes.  Owner willing to stay on for training and transition period to help with ongoing and future bids. Owner is selling due for retirement reasons.

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While firmly an option in the luxury home market, residential lighting controls are expanding into a broader home-owner landscape. With lighting packages designed to fit small and large installations, and technologies streamlined to assist owner and installer, now is the time for electrical contractors to tackle this market.

“Lighting control has seen significant growth due to growing interest,” said Gary Meshberg, chair of the Home Lighting Control Alliance. The Dallas-based group formed two years ago and includes manufacturers, retailers, industry organizations and installers, including electrical contractors.

A centralized lighting control system programs and manages lighting for an entire house or select rooms. Lighting can be automated based on homeowner need and/or desire.

“Consumers can explore this technology by applying lighting controls to one room, and then expanding as needs change,” Meshberg said. “Also, system components are fewer, and cost has come down. A complete system was once $10,000. Today, systems have dropped to $6,000–8,000, depending on the types of features selected.”

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McCormick Systems offers a unique new opportunity to electrical contractors: No matter how a set of electronic drawings ends up in your computer, you can do all your takeoffs on screen – and move the results (automatically) to your McCormick estimating system.

Up until now, most contractors worked with drawings on paper. A significant exception – for those using McCormick’s CAD Estimating software – pertained only to those who could obtain CAD drawings electronically from architects and engineers.

Now, thanks to McCormick’s interface with On Center Software Inc.’s On-Screen Takeoff product, estimates can be done on screen. Quantities can then be automatically moved to the McCormick estimating system (via a special link and database).

Additionally, McCormick is now a re-seller of On-Screen Takeoff. “Our contractors prefer to have a one-stop shop when they can get it, and as a re-seller for On Center, we now offer that,” said Todd McCormick, the company’s president. “We can get contractors the software and our exclusive interface, in one bundle.”

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An electrical contractor has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive for failing to supply its employees with adequate information and training on asbestos.

Scriven Electrical Contractors from West Bromwich was fined £3,000 today under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The firm was also ordered to pay £2,757 in costs for breaching the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.

The court heard that an electrician employed by Scriven installed three heat detectors and associated cabling in a commercial-sized kitchen and boiler room on premises in Smethwick.

The ceiling tiles contained 5-50% brown asbestos but no asbestos awareness training was given by his employer prior to commencement of the work, despite a legal requirement.

Speaking after the case, HSE inspector John Healy said the firm: “should have known of the dangers and the legal requirement to give sufficient training to protect employees from exposure to asbestos because 98% of their work involves the risk of encountering asbestos.”

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Electrical contractors and refurbishment specialists must improve their training of workers over the dangers posed by asbestos.

The warning from the Health and Safety Executive follows the prosecution of Scriven Electrical Contractors of West Bromwich for failing to ensure that adequate information, instruction and training was given to its employees.

An electrician employed by Scriven removed ceiling tiles containing up to 50% brown asbestos during cabling work on a site in Smethwick. He had received no training on how to deal with the deadly material.

Scriven was fined £3,000 by West Bromwich Magistrates following the incident.

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