Ryan Freeman is taking the reins of leadership at NECA contractor PayneCrest Electric, advancing a legacy of excellence in complex commercial and industrial projects under the 40-year-long leadership of David Payne.  With Payne at the helm, the firm delivered award-winning service and was saluted 30 times in the AGC Keystone Awards. Payne himself earned an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2014.  Freeman joined Payncrest in 2019 after serving more than 13 years at McCarthy. He succeeded Payne as CEO last month and noted “I am grateful to David Payne for his mentorship and the trust he has placed in me. To the amazing PayneCrest team in the field and the office: thank you. I’m excited for what’s ahead and committed to building on the strong foundation that’s brought us this far.”

The national publication Electrical Contractor recently tapped NECA contractor Branson Electric on trends in smart home technology. T.J. Branson, owner and president, noted that owners of the mid-level homes of 1,500 to 3500 square feet value service that meets their specific needs and budget.

“Some customers want us to help with Wi-Fi controls, and some want to do this on their own later, after closing,” Branson said. “In the world we are in, people are buying aftermarket devices for homes. Young families want to put their money into square footage and worry about this later.”

The wireless access point is “basically a Wi-Fi-booster,” he said, noting devices such as the Lutron Caseta, which enable Wi-Fi communication between homeowners’ phones, tablets and computers and networked home electrical devices.

 “It’s more about basic wiring and one central wireless access point,” Branson said. “It’s become more efficient. You just need to change one device instead of installing a whole controllable system all over the house to give customers the control they want and can afford.” Learn more.

On June 18^th, NECA contractor Guarantee Electrical helped high schoolers and young adults

chart a career path in the electrical industry. At Construction Forum’s “Yah, I Built That” career

fair, Guarantee used interactive tool demos and detailed how careers are launched with an

apprenticeship and grow into a future with Guarantee. The career fair offered another insight –

the industry is called on to build… …and rebuild.  It was held amid the toppled trees at the First

Unitarian Church, which is in the broad area that sustained damage in May’s EF-3 tornado.