ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis region’s economic development organization is honoring the Electrical Connection for its corporate citizenship. The St. Louis Regional Chamber has named the electrical industry labor-management partnership an Arcus Awards finalist for the Ameren Corporate Citizenship Award. The Electrical Connection is a partnership of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1 and the St. Louis Chapter, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). Winners of the Arcus Awards will be announced at a Feb. 23, 2017 gala event at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch.

The Electrical Connection is being saluted for a number of initiatives to improve the communities that its contractors and electricians serve. Most recently, this has included helping energize a Ferguson, Mo. “Shop with a Cop” program on Dec. 17, 2016 while also increasing its support for the rural St. Francois County “Shop with a Cop” program on the same day. The expansion of both programs came about when the Electrical Connection partnered with Saint Louis FC for a fundraiser during a July 31, 2016 soccer game, allowing the IBEW/NECA partnership to donate $5,000 to each program. As a result, more than 500 disadvantaged children were served by the holiday giving and community trust building programs. The Electrical Connection’s involvement in “Shop with a Cop” dates to 1993 when it first began supporting the St. Francois County program. It has donated more than $54,000 to the program since.

Other Electrical Connection civic endeavors include:

• Sponsoring the lighting of the James S. McDonnell Planetarium
• A 13-year commitment donating more than $800,000 in labor/materials to Rebuilding Together St. Louis to improve more than 450 homes for low-income St. Louisans.
• Since 2004, donating $1.5 million in services to Habitat for Humanity to safely wire more than 233 new homes.
• Helping National Night Out make neighborhoods safe by donating more than $450,000 in materials/services to install security lighting in more than 850 St. Louis homes.
• Donating new scoreboards, including installation, for several schools.
• In 2015, sponsoring Saint Louis FC and the return of outdoor professional soccer to St. Louis.
• Engaging more than 9,000 students in how STEM subjects translate into electrical careers through partnerships with the Saint Louis Science Center, Partners for Progress of Greater St. Charles, Mathews-Dickey Boys and Girls Club, and numerous school districts.
• Active leadership to strengthen Missouri’s economy and communities including regional and statewide partnerships with the Hawthorn Foundation, Missouri Partnership, the Economic Development Center of St. Charles County, Missouri Energy Initiative, U.S. Green Building Council- Missouri Gateway Chapter, Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) — Gateway Chapter and more.

Finally, for more than 70 years, the IBEW/NECA industry-funded apprenticeship program has consistently delivered the best value in workforce development, free of charge and at no taxpayer expense, to meet the Missouri’s next generation electrical needs, including electric vehicles, cybersecurity and robotics. Diversity is fully integrated into its programs. Up to 37 percent of its apprentices in the last 10 classes have been minorities. It also invests in the Regional Union Construction Center’s mission to create a more sustainable minority contracting community.

The Electrical Connection is among six organizations named finalists for the Ameren Corporate Citizenship Award. Others include Accenture, Anders, Emmis St. Louis, Gateway to Innovation and Mastercard. The Arcus Awards honors companies, organizations, or institutions who make St. Louis a more inclusive and attractive place to live, work, and invest for all people. The St. Louis Regional Chamber will salute 56 companies across 10 categories that align with the Chamber’s purpose to inspire a greater St. Louis. To see all the honorees visit this link.

Members of the Electrical Connection provide safe and reliable electrical construction, maintenance, repair and replacement services across Missouri, the nation and the world.