Electical Contractor

As the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E standard takes root in electrical practices, getting the right training to the right people has become the greatest hurdle in changing the way electricians do their job.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor predicts a 23 percent increase in new job opportunities for electricians by 2012.

How important are information transport systems skills for the data-communications contractor? Being a professional data-communications (or low-voltage) contractor includes many components.

As the baby boom generation ages, so does the leadership of the electrical contracting industry, emphasizing the need for retirement and succession planning.

Professional contractors normally develop their marketing expertise with their technical expertise. Typically, a contractor’s marketing experience comes from observation of successful marketing techniques.

“We’ve always done design-build. Everybody’s done it. A customer calls you up and says, ‘We want to do this.’ They are usually doing remodels. That’s how it starts. Now we do complete projects, out of the ground. It’s a lucrative, competitive priced method that is fair to all,” said Jeffrey L.

Since the beginning of fiber optics, groups such as the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) have worked to create standards. Standards are mandatory for technologies to move from R&D to large-scale commercial applications.

According to the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), “Design--Build is a process that has been embraced by the world's great civilizations. In ancient Mesopotamia, the Code of Hammurabi (1,800 BC) fixed absolute accountability upon master builders for both design and construction.

Freeway congestion, 60-hour work weeks, urban gridlock and family obligations have driven the work-and-play-at-home trend. Buyers want everything from home offices with high-speed Internet to home fitness rooms with the latest exercise gizmos and equipment.