Disaster Planning
Jun 1, 2008, By Beck Ireland, Staff Writer
On Aug. 30, 2005, Jimmy Haynes, owner of JH Haynes Electric, Gulfport, Miss., returned to his shop after weathering Hurricane Katrina...
Recession-Proofing Your Business
Jun 1, 2008, By Bradley Dawson, LTV Dynamics
It's no secret that the U.S. economy is on the brink of another recession. A faltering financial industry, escalating energy costs, and sky-high material costs all play into our economic insecurities....
Real Ways to Reduce Material Handling Costs
Jun 1, 2008, By Philip E. Nimmo IV and Heather M. Moore, MCA, Inc.
The main goal of any contractor is achieving a high-quality installation on time and on budget. According to in-house research, MCA, Inc....
Mastering Production Tracking Methodologies
Jun 1, 2008, By David Brown, D. Brown Management
The process of tracking production is arguably the most important skill a project leader can master. Whether you're a crew leader, foreman, superintendent, or project manager, learning the skills necessary for effective production tracking will help your career immensely....
Starting Over
Jun 1, 2008, By Michael Eby, Editor-in-Chief
Imagine waking up one morning and finding the business that you've spent years, maybe even decades, pouring your heart and soul into has just disappeared....
Wind Turbine Maker Fined for Safety Violations
Jun 1, 2008,
On August 25, 2007, the collapse of a wind turbine tower at the Klondike III Wind Farm near Wasco, Ore., killed one worker and injured another. As a result...
Safety in Numbers
May 1, 2008, By Michael Eby, Editor-in-Chief
Safety is job one. Put safety first. Safety is no accident. These are all slogans you've probably heard a hundred times before. Unfortunately, each and...
Tool Trouble
May 1, 2008,
A forgotten tool proved to be more than just a minor inconvenience for one unfortunate electrician. Working in a power distribution panel that contained...
NFPA 70E: Revising the Standard
May 1, 2008, By Beck Ireland, Staff Writer
With 568 proposals and 817 comments, the latest revision cycle for the NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, published by Quincy,...
The Soft Sell
May 1, 2008, By Beck Ireland, Staff Writer
Early in his career, Jamie Wilkie, owner of Mister Sparky of Greenville, S.C., learned a valuable lesson. Eight years ago, Wilkie already a licensed master...
Picking the Proper PPE
May 1, 2008, By Larry Altmayer and Kenneth Cybart, Littelfuse, Inc.
When working on energized equipment, electricians and maintenance technicians can find themselves in a catch-22 situation: Wearing too much personal protective...
Battling the Big Apple and Winning
May 1, 2008, By Tom Zind, Freelance Writer
New York, New York. I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps, to find I'm A-number-one, top of the listIf I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere...
10 Project Pre-Planning Ideas That Work
May 1, 2008, By David Brown, D. Brown Management
During a typical construction day, more than 35% of a contractor's time is spent on activities other than actual installation work. This could be anything...
Playing it Safe
May 1, 2008, By Bob Mitchell, Integrated Management Group
Electrical contractors should not need to be told about the importance of a well-defined and laid out safety program. It's no secret that construction...
The Case of the Shocking Sealing Machine
May 1, 2008, By Andrew Paris, P.E., Anderson Engineering
When a graphics production company found itself busting at the seams, it planned to move to a larger facility that offered more space to produce its signature...
Beyond Web Sites
Apr 1, 2008, By Beck Ireland, Staff Writer
For more than four years, Phoenix-based Watt Masters, formerly Buehler Brothers Electric, a third-generation, family-owned electrical service business...
Simplifying the Search for Unwanted Ground Current
Apr 1, 2008, By Tom Shaughnessy, PowerCET
Ground fault circuit breaker problems look simple on the surface: Too much current and bang, breakers trip. And when they trip, everyone pays attention....
Switching Sides
Apr 1, 2008, By David Moye, Moye Electric Co.
Just as an NFL cornerback would face tribulation from teammates for playing wide receiver, an engineer turned contractor knows he must run the gauntlet...
Improving Estimation Accuracy
Mar 1, 2008, Heather M. Moore & Philip E. Nimmo, IV, MCA, Inc.
Accuracy of estimation in construction can be viewed from two different angles one from an accounting or exactness accuracy standpoint and the other from...
Top 10 Steps to Schedule Management
Mar 1, 2008, David Brown ,, D. Brown Management
What if someone told you that you could save thousands of dollars on your next project before you even break ground? Would you believe such a grand statement?...
