Started in 1961 in Flint, Mich., Newkirk Electric Associates Inc. gained an early reputation for its expertise in electric utility company distribution and substation work. Then it moved into power generation and industrial electrical system construction. The company added a special entry to its resume in 1968 when it participated in building a pumped storage plant, which, at the time, was the largest civil construction project in the world.

Continuing its steady progress as a specialty contractor for utility and industrial customers in the 1980s, Newkirk Electric formed an engineering subsidiary, which positioned the company as an electrical contractor capable of turnkey utility and industrial projects. Adding wireless communications in the 1990s and renewable generating facilities in the 2000s, Newkirk Electric has continued to build its portfolio as a prime contractor with the strength of engineering and construction expertise.

Against this backdrop, in 2016 Mike Donahue became manager of the service division at Newkirk Electric in its current headquarters in Muskegon, Mich. In the eight years since then, the service and maintenance group has grown from five electricians to well over 50, and it continues to expand. 

Donahue is quick to point out how being able to draw on all the electrical expertise “just down the hall” in Newkirk’s offices has contributed to the service team’s growth. He uses the word “collaboration” a lot.

Donahue is a busy guy. So, not surprisingly, we ended up holding our interview with him in his company pickup truck. He was on his way to a midafternoon appointment.

You spend a lot of time on the go.

Thanks to the tremendous support that I enjoy from the help of two account managers and an administrative assistant in our department, I am able to get out of the office and average two in-person visits every year with every one of our service and maintenance customers. 

Top-performing contractors understand the importance of that kind of personal touch.

As the service manager here, I view myself as having two main roles. First, customer service. Second, problem solving. And I really enjoy the face-to-face contact in doing both.

With hundreds of accounts in your customer base, you’re faced with a lot of questions to answer every day.

That’s where collaboration comes in. Down the hall here at Newkirk, there are literally decades of knowledge and experience to tap into, including electrical engineers, project managers, service electricians and technicians, and many others.

In other words, this is not a “top-down” organization. Everyone gets a chance to contribute their best thinking.

Yes, and we often include our service electricians and technicians in our decision-making when their experience and knowledge can contribute to solving problems and identifying opportunities. 

That leads us right to a big subject of discussion in the industry today: labor shortages, which are directly at odds with continuing to build a service customer base.

We’ve been hard at work on that and have come up with some creative solutions, especially via what’s available with today’s technology.

Without divulging any secret competitive advantages, can you give us an example?

Sure; we furnish all of our service electricians with a tablet computer. When they need to reach out to our engineers about something that they have encountered at a customer’s location, they can take a picture of the equipment that they are working on. Then they can set up a video call with someone else at Newkirk so that they can think through a solution together.

That could come in handy with NFPA 70B electrical equipment maintenance.

Yes, it could. Since it was elevated from a recommendation to a standard, NFPA 70B has become a new focus of discussion with many of our customers. We have made it an increasingly important part of our full range of service and maintenance activities.

So, you see NFPA 70B as a source of growth for your service and maintenance business?

Definitely. And we plan to continue to improve our services around it, and pursue it as a “consultative offering.” In addition, NFPA 70B can provide us with an [entrance] into new markets.

Obviously, you are bullish about the future prospects for continued development and growth of electrical service and maintenance for your company.

Absolutely, especially as the world rushes forward into the electrification of everything.

Mike Donahue