Utility poles are made of wood that is pressure-treated with chemicals. This protects them from insects and weather, and helps them last longer. But on the practical daily side, it makes it harder to hammer staples into them...
I’m excited to Kick off year 2 of Line Contractor. I hope I will meet more of you in person in 2022. I want to know how you think this magazine could have a positive impact on your work. We start this issue with Michael...
Just saw a play in New York, “Two’s a Crowd.” The songs by Jason Feddy were terrific. Set in a Las Vegas hotel, the lead actor played an electrical contractor from Cleveland. I cheered out loud when he said that. I asked the...
As promised, here is our NECA 2019 Las Vegas issue. We know we’re early. Did we catch you off guard? If so, we get it. Sudden change can be disruptive. But hey, sometimes you try something new and find it’s better. Change can...
Everything is getting so complicated. Computers without index fingers are flipping light switches. Data has broken the confines of the cable jacket and now flies freely through the air. Homeowners are not only cutting the...
“Make Do and mend” is the title of a British booklet published during World War II; it encouraged people to repair their clothing so the military could use the country’s fabric for uniforms. Making such an effort may sound...
It has been more than a decade since ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR partnered with tED magazine to run a special campaign raising awareness of counterfeit electrical products. Dangerous fakes are still being manufactured and purchased...
Remember the Clapper? If you do recall that 20th-century sound-activated power switch, you probably now have the jingle bouncing around in your head. We’re sorry. Lighting controls have gotten a lot smarter since then, and it...
Electrical contracting is all about connecting. Your company is out there every day installing, maintaining, servicing and controlling power. It’s not just about wires, though—it’s about interacting with customers and co...
Julie scooped ice cream at Baskin-Robbins. Tim took orders and cleaned bathrooms at McDonald’s. Matt poured sodas and told kids his own age to get their feet off of the seats at a Cinemark. Hannah was a cashier at a...
If you haven’t noticed, we think we’re clever. To begin each year, we publish our Construction Outlook, and we try to come up with a metaphor to illustrate the overall theme. This year, it’s running. What’s notable about the...
We learned from the 2018 Profile of the Electrical Contractor that lighting is the most important money-earning category for electrical contracting firms. So, this month, the magazine staffers bring you a special report with...
Earlier this year, Julie visited the Galileo Museum in Florence. She says, “You guys, this place is SO cool.” That’s where we got the cover photo. This late-16th-century box of measuring tools contains rulers, squares, a...
We’re not psychics, but we have an idea what the future might look like. For years, we’ve monitored a number of trends, and their confluence seems inevitable. For instance, earlier this month, attendees of NECA 2018...
Do you know where Ben Franklin flew his famous kite to test the nature of lightning and electricity? It was in Philadelphia. Coincidentally, the City of Brotherly Love also is where the biggest show in electrical construction...
When Julie’s kids complain about another student not doing their part in a group project, she tells them, “Get used to it. Life is a group project.” There are very few professions in which people don’t interact with or rely...
No, it’s not a new haircut. It’s a complete makeover. Thanks for noticing. We have two orders of business this month. First, the print edition redesign. Over the years, we’ve updated ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR’s appearance a few...
Renovation used to be the domain of carpenters, painters and interior designers. Now, more than ever, electrical contractors are renovating spaces with high-tech systems and the increased power that goes along with them. That...
May is Electrical Safety month. However, as Jim Phillips reminds us in his Arc Flash Safety column, every day is electrical safety day. We know you know that. This issue looks at safety and ergonomics for electrical...
Did you hear about the recent bomb cyclone? The storm clobbered portions of the Upper Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Here in the D.C. region, powerful, sustained winds knocked out power to hundreds of thousands. Most of...
