“He inspires every day,” said Frank Jacobs, business manager, IBEW Local 1.  Jacobs was referring to Cory Davis, IBEW’s 2018 National Apprentice of the Year.  Davis, who has been deaf since birth, was selected from among 400 nominations nationwide. Read his inspiring story in the St. Louis Labor Tribune.

NECA contractors were well represented in the St. Louis Business Journal’s annual ranking of the Top 150+ Largest Private Companies.  Ranked by 2018 revenue, Sachs Electric placed 80^th largest, followed by JF Electric, Inc. (109^th), PayneCrest Electric, Inc. (126^th) and Guarantee Electrical Construction Co. (129^th). 

104 years ago, it was the first rubberized paint manufacturing plant. Today the historic Steelcote Paint Company has been transformed into the Steelcote Lofts in Midtown St. Louis with help from NECA contractor Kaemmerlen Electric.  Working with developer Pier Property Group and Pinnacle Contracting, Kaemmerlen helped repurpose the industrial site into exquisite living space in a five-story, 43,541-square-foot loft building.  Read more in St. Louis CNR.

In another repurposing of a landmark building, the former International Shoe Company downtown will debut this June as “The Last Hotel” with help from NECA contractor Guarantee Electrical Co.  The $54 million historic rehabilitation was orchestrated by Milwaukee-based Fe Equus, general contractor PARIC and Minneapolis-based ESG Architects. The 10-story, 143-room hotel challenged Guarantee with a tight site, which the firm overcame by deploying its pre-fabrication skills to assemble electrical network infrastructure to safely and efficiently install on site.  Read more in St. Louis CNR.

Finally, NECA contractor PayneCrest has added to its robust leadership with news that Ryan Freeman has joined the firm as president.