Ecmweb 8479 Phillipsprefab595
Ecmweb 8479 Phillipsprefab595
Ecmweb 8479 Phillipsprefab595
Ecmweb 8479 Phillipsprefab595
Ecmweb 8479 Phillipsprefab595

Tips for Starting Up Your Own Prefab Business

Oct. 9, 2016
Contractors need to be willing to devote adequate planning, space, quality control and personnel to a new prefab business
Bruce Phillips, founder, Electrical Prefab Systems, Chandler, Ariz., told NECA attendees on Day 2 that they must be 100% dedicated to quality control in their prefab shops. Electricians in the field will quickly lose confidence if the shop puts out poorly constructed prefab electrical systems.

Bruce Phillips, the founder of the 10-year-old Electrical Prefab Systems, Chandler, Ariz. became a believer in prefabricated electrical systems when he first started working in the electrical field decades ago, and he parlayed that interest into a business that supplies other electrical contractors with prefab products. He shared some of what he learned about prefab products with other electrical contractors during a technical seminar on Day 2 of the 2016 NECA Annual Convention.

Phillips said contractors need to be willing to devote adequate planning, space, quality control and personnel to a new prefab business — and get buy-in from electricians in the field — for it to provide the expected cost savings and installation process improvements.  Field buy-in is critical, he said, and if electricians lose confidence in the prefab systems produced in the shop, they will do the work themselves on the job-site. “You need quality control during every step of the process,” Phillips said.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EC&M, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations

Electrical Conduit Comparison Chart

CHAMPION FIBERGLASS electrical conduit is a lightweight, durable option that provides lasting savings when compared to other materials. Compare electrical conduit types including...

Fiberglass Electrical Conduit Chemical Resistance Chart

This information is provided solely as a guide since it is impossible to anticipate all individual site conditions. For specific applications which are not covered in this guide...

Considerations for Direct Burial Conduit

Installation type plays a key role in the type of conduit selected for electrical systems in industrial construction projects. Above ground, below ground, direct buried, encased...

How to Calculate Labor Costs

Most important to accurately estimating labor costs is knowing the approximate hours required for project completion. Learn how to calculate electrical labor cost.