Author Archives: necaibew







drone view of Stambaugh

University Electric lights up Youngstown’s Stambaugh Auditorium


The bright lights outlining the façade of Stambaugh Auditorium’s Fifth Avenue entrance are the work of member-contractor, University Electric. Eric Jay, Vice President for University Electric said planning for the project began in 2018, while execution did not begin until 2021 and their work on the project was completed in 2022. The overall project consisted […]

VEC provides voice of “Apprentices as Future Leaders” at NECA Convention


For the last five years, the VEC, Inc. team has attended annual NECA Conventions across the country to learn and grow as a company while also presenting their own expertise to peers on a national level through breakout session speaking opportunities. This past October, Mike Reiser, vice president for the Industrial Division, and Bruno Frate, […]

Grunau employees standing

Grunau shows when it comes to life and fire safety, you really should go with a specialist


Effective fire safety starts with who you hire to install your alarms. Since the 1920s, the Grunau Company has specialized in fire protection services including inspections, maintenance, and alarm and detection systems. Their local office in Boardman services roughly a one-hour drive radius of the Mahoning Valley. “I don’t care if it’s one fire extinguisher […]

turnpike work in progress

Dickey Electric powers new Ohio Turnpike plaza


NECA-IBEW Electricians member contractor “Joe” Dickey Electric is providing electrical work for a new toll plaza on the Ohio Turnpike. The work is visible when passing through Lordstown traveling West on I-80. The new plaza is different from existing ones across the state, with the operational purpose being to allow EZ Pass technology to become […]

VEC wins NECA Project Excellence Award for Ultium Cells work


Member-contractor, VEC has been awarded a National Electrical Contractors Association Project Excellence Award for its work on the Ultium Cells battery plant in Lordstown, Ohio in 2021. Mike Reiser, VEC Vice President for the Industrial Division, says the team, was “responsible for the switch yard, which is a 138,000-power volt, as well as the substation, […]

State of the Trades 2022: What do young people think about becoming an electrician?


Misconceptions about skilled trades have plagued the industry for years. Young people have been encouraged to attend college post high school graduation and continue to work long careers at a desk until retirement, without allowing opportunities for those who enjoy working with their hands or have natural mechanical talents to grow. Warren JATC instructor Mike […]

female electrician shows boys how to bend pipe

Skilled Trades Expo boosts electrician apprentice recruiting efforts


Students from across the Mahoning Valley were tradespeople for a day at the Skilled Trades Expo on Sept. 21 and 22, learning hands-on and interacting with workers to learn about opportunities in the building and construction industry. NECA-IBEW Electricians were represented by the Warren and Youngstown training centers, current apprentices and representative contractors who introduced […]

“Joe” Dickey Electric powers Akron Children’s ER expansion


Driving along Market Street in Boardman, work on Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley has been ongoing for about a year. While still seeing patients, an emergency room expansion project is underway, with “Joe” Dickey Electric running the electrical lines throughout the new space. Going with the flow Kurt Eisenbraun is job foreman for Dickey Electric. […]

IBEW Local 64 electricians take charge with EV training


As a new wave of technology strikes the globe, one industry is taking proactive steps to make sure everyone is ready ahead of the storm. Several journeyman electricians from the NECA IBEW Mahoning Valley chapter have completed an electric vehicle infrastructure training program, or EVITP. Mark Gentile of MG Electric, Eric Hassen of Tri-Area Electric […]

Faces of the Trade: Todd Ambrose, Local 573 business manager


There’s a “new” face at the IBEW Local 573 union hall in Champion. On Friday, July 8, Todd Ambrose was sworn in as the new business manager/financial secretary for a three-year term. At the top of his priority list: building on the “brotherhood” aspect of the organization. “I want to put the time and effort […]