• Posted: September 27, 2021
• Alberto Rocha, better careers, better construction, Hispanic Heritage Month, IBEW Local 134, rocha electric

 

Powering Chicago is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and our hardworking Hispanic contractors and electricians in IBEW Local 134 and the Electrical Contractors’ Association of the City of Chicago and Cook County.

Alberto Rocha is CEO and Founder of Rocha Electric. As a student at DePaul University, he switched his career path to become an electrical apprentice at IN-Tech. He learned the skills and how to navigate the electrical industry and started on a 21-year journey working his way up from becoming a journeyperson electrician and apprentice with Commercial Light to a foreman with Continental Electric, and finally working with Hartman Electric.

“From there, I decided to take the leap of starting my own shop. I went from working for Hartman on a Friday to working for myself on Monday. I was a union employee, so I was 100% union. Now my company is evolving naturally because you can’t fake good work and a good attitude,” Rocha said.

He credits his parents and the community with helping him to get started.

“Just as my parents came in here with generational support for us, I’m taking it to the next generation. Rocha Electric’s going to be here. If one of my three sons decides to take over Rocha Electric, I’m going to have them do it the right way, by going into the apprenticeship, working for others,” Rocha said.

Trained as both a commercial and industrial electrician, Rocha is currently working in The Powhatan, a high end luxury apartment complex located 4950 South Chicago Beach Drive. He credits his availability and workforce and the quality of work for keeping the high-end building as a key customer. Rocha and his associates have upgraded The Powhatan’s elevator system with freight and two carts, supplied temporary power, updated the line, lighting and power feeds and most importantly, the ground to the elevators. The complete elevator upgrade took almost two and a half months from start to finish.

His team also just wrapped up a project at Mount Sinai, where they installed the control loop for the building’s automation system. They’re keeping busy with a new job helping the OS Mechanical Group to help repair a failed chiller by installing seven variable speed drives, incorporating new panels and new controls to pumps and motors.

They have close ties to the Latino community in Humboldt Park and Little Village, giving back whenever they can. His team is actively involved in Latino organizations such as the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA), the OHMS Club with Local 134, as well as the Latin American Motorcycle Association (LAMA).

“One of our favorite events every year is a Pens and Paper Run for Valore, which is a Latino-based school that is Spanish speaking,” Rocha said. “We supply them with all their pens and papers, backpacks and everything that they need for the whole year. And that event has a special place in our hearts.”

Rocha’s advice for those starting out? “You need to network and you need to know that you are a 134 employee. Rocha Electric is the contractor. But if you don’t understand that you’re a 134 employee, then this is all going to be worthless.”

All of us at Powering Chicago are proud to introduce the work and brotherhood of Alberto Rocha of Rocha Electric.