Everyone in electrical contracting will confirm that the industry has evolved immensely over the last several decades in new and nontraditional ways, from controls and low-voltage technologies to wireless systems that make...
Hartmann Electric Co. Inc., Elk Grove Village, Ill., has approximately 100 employees. About a dozen of these employees are on the company’s low-voltage side, called Hartmann Technology Group. “We started Hartmann Technology...
Opportunity knocks for electrical contractors involved in low-voltage, security and integrated systems contracting. You’re in demand. Offer your customers a litany of services using these six ideas to expand your offerings...
Handling a range of power and low-voltage work, Jamerson & Bauwens Electrical Contractors is based in Northbrook, Ill., with a second office in Urbana, Ill. “We have about 165 steady employees with about 17 on the low-voltage...
Every discussion about why electrical contractors should enter the low-voltage segment of the business omits the most important consideration: The day is fast approaching when they will have no other choice but to do it. For...
As I've mentioned in the past, Kirchhoff’s Laws hold the key to determining the source of power quality phenomena. They apply to nearly every PQ investigation I encountered. The few that didn’t were because something else was...
In the 1880s, Tesla (not the car) and Edison (not the city) debated which method of electric current distribution should be used to deliver electricity from generators to homes and businesses. It was a less-than-friendly...
What is happening in low-voltage work? And what do contractors expect for the future? “We are currently experiencing a couple of significant trends,” said Joe Carey, registered communications distribution designer (RCDD) and...
Whether in ASSISTED-LIVING facilities or at home, seniors are at greater risk of health incidents and falls than any other population segment. To help protect elders living in their care, assisted-living facilities have been...
It’s shaping up to be an exciting, and maybe challenging, year for low-voltage contractors. Hot topics this year are building occupant safety, smart buildings and cybersecurity. Occupant safety According to Kurt Brinkman, CEO...
Allison-Smith Co., Smyrna, Ga., has been doing low-voltage installations since the 1980s, when it began working with IBM to install cable on its projects that involved connecting personal computers to each other. The company...
We don’t “build” buildings anymore. We assemble them. Most of what we have always categorized as “material” now more accurately deserves to be called “products.” Consequently, today in new construction or service work, the...
On February 15, at 2 p.m., ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR and Belden partnered to present a free webinar, "Connecting the Digital Building." The recording is now available below. It's recommended for electrical and low voltage...
Looking forward, low-voltage contractors face many challenges in 2018, but there also are a number of exciting opportunities. Challenges For Minneapolis-based Low Voltage Contractors, the biggest challenge relates to cyber...
Wire and fiber. Rigid and flexible raceways. Twisted copper wire and category (Cat) cable. Welcome to a new world where traditional power and low voltage meet. For some electrical contractors, their shops reflect this...
Based in San Jose, Calif., Integrated Communication Systems (ICS) has been building its success as a low-voltage integrator for 15 years. The 80-employee firm, founded in 2002 by Aaron Colton, president and CEO, serves low...