ST. LOUIS – The litany of honors earned by IBEW/NECA Electrical Connection contractors in the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Missouri Keystone Awards is growing.  The joint-venture team of TD4, LLC, and Guarantee Electrical Co. (TD4/GECO) was named a finalist in the 2023 AGC Construction Keystone Awards for its work on the 164-year-old St. Louis civic treasure – the Missouri Botanical Garden (MOBOT).  In a project transforming the visitor experience, TD4/GECO and its IBEW Local 1 workforce performed complex electrical installations to power the new 90,000-square-foot Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center.  The Electrical Connection is a partnership of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1 and the St. Louis Chapter of the National Electrical Contractor Association (NECA).

In announcing the finalists on July 10, 2023, the AGC noted that “innovative, resourceful and safety-minded are just a few ways to describe the contractors executing the construction projects selected as finalists for the 2023 Construction Keystone Awards.”

TD4/GECO overcame several challenges to power the new visitors center without disrupting the MOBOT visitor experience, workforce or the plants.  That included:

·         Observing all plant protection zones to avoid trenching and electrical infrastructure damage to tree roots.

·         Reliably wiring stringent temperature and water automation for a new conservatory green house.

·         Intense planning to refeed the entire north campus with new wiring to 4,160-volt switchgear without disrupting operations.

·         Installing a new 2,000 kilovolt transformer to power the new visitors center.

·         Installing interior/exterior lighting including the towering beacon-like Lantern atop the new visitor’s center, delicate rose petal lighting and 483 light fixtures illuminating new event space.

In all, the joint venture team proficiently managed 46,000 manhours of work during the two and a half-year-long project.

Since 1997, when the AGC Keystone Awards competition was launched, more than 100 Electrical Connection member contractor projects have been honored.  The prestigious construction awards program salutes projects for safety, proficiency in overcoming challenges and the quality of delivery, including maintaining budget and schedule.  In addition to TD4 and Guarantee, Electrical Connection contractors that have earned AGC Keystone honors in the past include PayneCrest Electric, Kaiser Electric, Sachs Electric, Aschinger Electric, and Bell Electrical.

Winners of the 26th annual Keystone Awards will be announced and celebrated at the AGC’s Construction Awards Gala scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023 at the River City Casino & Hotel in St. Louis. Learn more at www.agcmo.org.

The Electrical Connection partnership provides safe and reliable commercial, industrial and residential electrical construction, maintenance, repair and replacement services across Missouri, the nation and the world. It is an important resource for business and civic leadership for new technology, including disruptive technologies, advancing electrical and communication infrastructure.  Learn more at www.electricalconnection.org.