• Posted: September 28, 2020
• AOSC, better construction, Eric Darlinger, Sharlen Electric

In 2010, Asphalt Operating Services of Chicago (AOSC) purchased a portion of the former Wisconsin Steel Works property in Chicago’s South Deering community on the city’s far South Side, continuing an industrial legacy in the community that stretches back to the 1870s. Almost immediately, work began to redevelop the property to meet AOSC’s needs as a liquids terminal service company that provides safe and efficient storage, handling and shipment of bulk liquid products for customers in the petroleum industry.

From its beginnings, Powering Chicago member Sharlen Electric played a key role in the construction of the LEED certified facility, installing much of the equipment that enables AOSC to receive asphalt cement from the BP refinery in Whiting, IN, by barge, load it into storage tanks on-site, and distribute the product to customers in the petroleum industry throughout the region via trucks, rail cars and barges. In the decade or so since then, the Chicago-based electrical contractor’s expertise during initial construction has continued to pay dividends as it has continually been brought in to help the facility operate smoothly and continue to grow.    

Last summer, as the facility underwent its second expansion, Sharlen provided design-build and engineering services, installing instrumentation power supply on the tanks, providing power to pumps and lighting for the facility. AOSC operates 24/7 365 days a year, which means that there’s no opportunity for this type of work to be completed without causing downtime at the facility. For that reason, getting projects done efficiently without sacrificing on the quality of the work is paramount. Because Sharlen was involved in the original construction of the facility, its electricians knew exactly what was involved in the work, allowing them to pick up where they left off during the recent expansion. 

“The outage that was planned for the expansion ran like clockwork,” recalled AOSC Facility Manager Eric Darlinger. “We had a plan going in for what we were going to do, and by lunchtime, we were back up and operating again.”

It was just the latest display of Sharlen’s expertise with industrial work on behalf of AOSC, as the company has also provided routine maintenance at the facility over the years and completed smaller electrical projects like adding power supply to a rail loading area and troubleshooting various power supply issues around the facility. 

“Sharlen has a can do, will do type attitude, and the electricians to back that up.The electricians that Sharlen has on staff are all top notch and with the familiarity they have with our facility, there’s a comfort level for us that is valuable,” said Darlinger. “When they’re at the facility for a project, I meet with them quickly in the morning to make sure everyone is on the same page and again at the end of the day to make sure everything went according to plan, and don’t have to worry about following up on the project during the day.”

To learn more about the unionized electrical industry’s capabilities in the industrial sector, contact us today.