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...

While a number of low-voltage contractors specialize in one or more types of low-voltage (structured cabling, security, audio/video, etc.), some of them emphasize combining their offerings into a single integrated package for...

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...

As technology continues to advance, more companies are realizing the future is all about comprehensive and complete integration. Rather than operating a number of technology systems in parallel, the way to get the most from...

While almost all electrical contractors that do low-voltage work focus their efforts on large commercial, industrial, healthcare and government projects, Berwick Electric Co. in Colorado Springs, Colo., also likes to focus on...

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...

There are many low-voltage contractors in the United States, but few of them embrace the future and opportunities for deployment of new technologies as actively and passionately as Seattle-based McKinstry Electric, which...

BW Systems is a systems integrator capable of providing turnkey solutions anywhere in the United States. Based in Colorado with 38 employees, it provides assessment, systems engineering and design, installation, and...

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...

These days, it is becoming more common for low-voltage contractors to specialize in a specific type of work (such as security or audiovisual) or a specific customer base (such as hospitals or schools).
 While the Network...

Ferndale Electric Co., Ferndale, Mich., which employs an average of 130 electricians, performs electrical work for automotive plants, power plants, bottling plants and other industrial facilities. It also renovates electrical...

All electrical contracting companies—especially those involved in low-voltage work—rely on technology. Sprig Electric considers technology to be one of its most important competitive advantages, along with efficiency and...

Since its humble beginnings in 1981, Metropolitan Electrical Construction in San Francisco has grown to a staff of almost 300 (250 field staff and 40 office employees) by ensuring that it can offer a number of competitive...

When small companies promote their businesses, they often mention that their size makes them more efficient. One electrical contractor that would take exception to that claim is Santa Clara, Calif.-based Redwood City Electric...

Comtel Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., has been in business since 1982. It employs about 100 people and does virtually all types of low-voltage work. Comtel tends to specialize in physical security (access control, data...

Lloyd F. McKinney Associates, Hayward, Calif., may be a small business, but in the eyes of project manager Ty McKinney, its size is one of the company’s major strengths. However, the company isn’t small because it’s a new...

Point 1 Electrical Systems Inc. in Livermore, Calif., employs 25–30 people. The company, started in 1998, focuses exclusively on low-voltage work.
 Unlike many contractors that perform low-voltage work and specialize in only...

Commercial Controls Corp., Valencia, Calif., has about 30 employees who work out of three locations in California and one in Nevada. Fred Scripture, who continues to be the owner and president but is no longer as active in...

McClure Electric, San Francisco, has been in business since 1966, but it wasn’t until the mid-1990s that it got involved in low-voltage work.
 “The company saw an increased demand for these services from our customers, so it...

Paganini Electric Corp., 
San Francisco, was founded in 1948 as a traditional electrical contractor. Since 1998, the company has maintained two divisions: Paganini Electric Corp. (traditional electrical contracting) and...