This is part one of a two-part installment on Bruce & Merrilees Electric. The year was 1948. J. Howard Bruce returned to New Castle, Pa. from Pearl Harbor, where he repaired damaged ships as a civilian electrician. With a family background in the electrical field, he looked to forge his own path. “His brother had…
It’s all about giving back to the community. For Brian Crumbacher, he gives back with a clipboard and a whistle. “I have been coaching football since 1994, with my 24th year coming up this season,” Crumbacher said. “When I graduated high school, I was in shellshock that I was done. So, I started coaching at…
It’s all about the roar of the engine in racing competitions. And for Pat Klingeman, he has been around engines since he was a child. “I can remember being involved with an engine dynamometer at four years old,” said Klingeman, a member of IBEW Local 573 in Warren. “My father built two-cycle engines, so I’ve…
Having a good memory is a requirement in the electrician field. It’s also a big key when playing guitar in a band. For fifth-year apprentice Garrett Chetock, he puts his mind to good use to perfect his electrician craft and musical passion. When he was young, he started to gravitate toward music and his favorite…
Giving back to the Mahoning Valley has been an emphasis for NECA-IBEW Electricians member contractors and IBEW electricians. The association continued its strong presence in 2017 through contributing to scholarship funds and performing community outreach projects, largely to support veterans causes. The 2017-2018 calendar years mark historical milestones for NECA-IBEW Electricians as the national IBEW…
Honor. Courage. Commitment. Those are the values of the United States Marine Corps. They’re also the values Mark Richmond brings to the jobsite everyday as a union electrician apprentice. Mark spent six years in the Marine Corps Reserves 3/25 out of Akron, OH. He was on active duty for a little more than a year-and-a-half,…
Applications are being accepted now through May 1 for the Mahoning Valley LMCC Scholarship through the Youngstown State University Foundation. Eligible applicants include IBEW Local 64 members and employees of signatory electrical contractors in the Mahoning Valley. “Scholarships like the LMCC scholarship at the YSU Foundation are special,” said Brian J. Wolf, development officer for…
One of the characteristics that differentiates NECA-IBEW Electricians member contractors and IBEW electricians is the positive impact we make in the community. And one cause we’ve taken head-on in recent years is our support of area Veterans. To that end, we’ve: Helped rebuild local VFW halls Raised money for Veterans scholarships at YSU Promoted NECA…
This week the Warren and Youngstown LMCCs were able to spread some Christmas cheer for two local Veterans who have fallen on some hard times. A group of contractors and IBEW representatives invited Dana Cianciola and Christina Williams, both of Youngstown, to the Youngstown Area Electrical JATC to present them with gift cards to purchase…
John Rafoth had just finished an electrical engineering technology degree from YSU and was about to move to Florida to start a pressure washing business. Instead, he applied to the electrician apprenticeship program before leaving. He decided if he was accepted into the program, he would stay in town. Having worked through high school for…