• Posted: October 19, 2021
• All Tech Energy, Ashburn Electric, better careers, better communities, better construction, Electrical Contractors' Association of Chicago and Cook County, Gurtz Electric, Hy-Power Electric, IBEW Local 134, IBEW-NECA Technical Institute, rocha electric

At the heart of Cook County’s unionized electrical industry are three key principles that drive the day-to-day operations of Powering Chicago and its members: Better Construction. Better Careers. Better Communities. These values allow the industry unique opportunities to give back to those in need within the community, to connect with Chicagoland residents to help them better understand the men and women within the industry, and how they too can become part of Chicagoland’s union electrical industry.

As part of an ongoing partnership with Northwestern University, Powering Chicago was once again able to hold a STEM Day competition at the IBEW/NECA Technical Institute and introduce hundreds of Illinois high school students to the electrical industry. After taking a year off last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Powering Chicago was able to safely have 31 high school teams from around the area compete during an all-day competition to design job specifications on an autonomous camping vehicle and complete physical tasks that mimic what Local 134 electricians do in the field.

“The STEM students were in the same school environment where IN-Tech apprentices learn, giving them a glimpse into what the life of an IBEW electrician is like,” said Gene Kent, IN-Tech director. The experience gave them an understanding of how their STEM studies could be applied to a potential career in the electrical industry.

This year’s competition builds on the success of the inaugural event in 2019 and Powering Chicago hopes to continue to build the event into a larger success as the ongoing partnership with Northwestern University moves forward.

One of Powering Chicago’s main goals is to increase awareness and recognition of the industry to Chicagoland residents, and a way to do that is through targeted advertising partnerships. Through partnerships with Comcast Sports Net and the Chicago Cubs’ Marquee Sports Network, Powering Chicago has opened new doors to help those within the community achieve their goals.

Through its partnership with Marquee Sports Network, Powering Chicago was introduced to the St. James Food Pantry on the city’s southside and learned of its need for electrical upgrades to enhance cold food storage at the pantry. Powering Chicago’s electricians surveyed the space to determine what upgrades were needed and tapped member contractor, Ashburn Electric, who was willing to help by assessing what the property needed and if they could increase the load capacity. Ashburn’s skilled electricians installed new outlets in the space as part of the project as well.

The Food Pantry’s hardworking team couldn’t be more appreciative. “The work Powering Chicago and Ashburn Electric is doing allows us to add more cold storage for milk, eggs and other essentials. This will give our clients a better experience and improve it for the future,” said Peter Wawire, the pantry’s program director.

Another community imitative in partnership with Marquee Sports Network will feature Gurtz Electric assisting the S.O.S. Children’s Village with electrical upgrades. That project is slated to begin this month and finish by year’s end.

All of this work could not be done without the skilled men and women from IBEW Local 134 and the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Chicago and Cook County. Thanks to their tireless efforts day in and day out, the industry is able to help individuals and organizations across the Chicagoland area who are in need. Whether it’s the multiple generations of the Kostek family of Hy-Power Electric or Alberto Rocha of Rocha Electric, Powering Chicago members dedicate significant amounts of their time to giving back to the community and providing the best possible electrical work to its customers.

In an effort to stay in front of its customers and detail how Powering Chicago members are best suited to perform any and all electrical tasks, Powering Chicago’s Executive Director Elbert Walters III recently spoke on a panel titled “Back to the Suburbs,” where he discussed trends that happened due to the pandemic and where the suburban market currently stands. The event happened in July and was put on by Bisnow.

“We have to incorporate technology going forward. If we can graft something wonderful out of this pandemic it is that it forced us to look at things differently,” said Walters. “Incorporating different technology, specifically contactless technology, allows for us to continue to operate in spaces, while addressing social distancing issues.”

The pandemic has continued to alter how work gets done, but the unionized electrical industry remains committed to providing the necessary resources to its customers to ensure their projects get completed as needed.

Looking ahead to the fourth quarter of 2021, Powering Chicago will again be lighting this year’s Chicago Christmas tree. Last year, All Tech Energy was selected to light the city’s tree and put a smile on the face of all Chicagoans who saw the 107^th official Christmas tree in person. Powering Chicago member contractors will continue to provide support to various organizations throughout the holiday season and members of IBEW Local 134 will provide help to those in need as well. Finally, with the ongoing pandemic not fully in the rearview mirror, union electricians will continue installing components of the contactless office to ensure the safest work environment possible for Chicagoland workers.