This is part two of a two-part installment on Bruce & Merrilees Electric.
The motto at Bruce & Merrilees Electric is “Going beyond the expected, since 1948.” For Jay, Justin and Jonathan Bruce, that motto is a way of life.
“Throughout our history, we’ve focused on how do we provide a valued service for our customers,” said Jay Bruce, president of Bruce & Merrilees Electric. “That’s what [the motto] means, we strive to support our customers and our team.”
“We like to think of ourselves as providing our customers more than they expect on each and every job,” said Justin Bruce, executive vice president, Bruce & Merrilees Electric. “From a standpoint of knowing when they hire us, we are going to give them more than they expect.”
The company was started in 1948 by J. Howard Bruce when he returned to New Castle, Pa. from Pearl Harbor. To read more about the history of the company, click here
As a family-owned business for 70 years, Bruce & Merrilees strives to provide premier electrical services to residential, commercial and industrial customers.
“We provide a very broad range of electrical services,” Jay said. “We have to provide services to a breadth of different industries, customers and market types because of the nature of the area.”
For Justin, he believes the best way to go from a construction and professional installation standpoint is selecting a union contractor.
Bruce & Merrilees Electric Co. was started in 1948 by J. Howard Bruce when he returned to New Castle, Pa. from Pearl Harbor. Robert Bruce (far left) has now passed the business down to his three sons Jay, Justin and Jonathan.
“We are proud to be a union member, and proud to have that quality and expertise on our team.”
Five core values are ingrained into the fabric of the company and are reflected daily. Those are safe, integrity, dedicated, productive and professional.
“Our core values for Bruce & Merrilees are really what we’re all about as an organization. Our team lives and breathes our five core values,” Jay said. “We have a strong commitment to safe work in our company. Everything we do first starts with how do we do it safe.”
Over the years, Bruce & Merrilees has expanded its footprint beyond Western Pennsylvania. The company has offices in Abingdon, Md.; Columbus, Ohio; Sunbury, Pa.; and Pittsburgh.
“Over 90 percent of our business is repeat business,” Justin said. “As those customers expand, many times they want us to go with them to perform work.”
Jay feels fortunate about the number of projects the company has worked on and the great team members that are building those projects. Two specific projects stick out in his mind.
“One might be a large project we did in southeast Pennsylvania on I-95,” he said. “We implemented technology that helps give drivers much better information as they travel down the highway to know what’s coming ahead.”
Another project was being involved with the construction of the Covelli Centre in downtown Youngstown.
As they look to the future, Justin and Jay will strive to keep an emphasis on a family culture.
“Our goal is to continue to operate as a family-owned business,” Justin said. “As we expand, we want to still carry that same culture.”
“Hopefully the first 70 years are just the beginning or building block to many more successful years that come,” Jay said. “We look forward to continuing to develop a team that can really portray and deliver that Bruce & Merrilees brand of core values and services to our customers.”