One of the most enduring NECA contractors, Schaeffer Electric, has new leadership.  Justin Kohlman has been named president of the 88-year-old electrical contractor as former president Timothy Chettle takes on the role of CEO.  Schaeffer was founded during the Great Depression by Carl Schaeffer, who initially ran the business out of his Soulard home.   Since then, it has grown to become one of the region’s largest contractors and is powering a number of complex projects.  They include new KMOV-TV headquarters in Maryland Heights, Mo.; the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park’s animal barns in north St. Louis County; and smart parking garages for Mercy, SSM SLU Hospital and Washington University.  Learn more.

         Justin Kohlman         Timothy Chettle

Meanwhile, Schaeffer Electric and its IBEW workforce was spotlighted in the national Electric TV program for its creative solutions in helping Civic Life Brewery in St. Louis overcome challenges of the pandemic to prepare it for a post-pandemic business surge.  See the story.

There are a dozen minority or women-owned Electrical Connection contractors.  One of them is J West Electric.  Its founder Sabrina Westfall graduated from the IBEW/NECA Electrical Industry Training Center in 2005 and earned her master electrician certification in 2010.  She launched J West in 2014 and received guidance on fortifying her business through the Regional Union Construction Center (RUCC), another program support by the Electrical Connection IBEW/NECA partnership.  Today, Westfall is most proud that J West has “built a reputation that is recognized” in the building community. An award-winning entrepreneur, Westfall told Construction Forum in a video profile that she “believes in giving back to the community and walking the talk of equity in construction. Over 50% of the workers J West employs in the field are minority.”