News

APG Electric Hosts Ribbon Cutting and Open House at New Lakeland Location

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:19:20 -0400

Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce

March 2012

On Friday, February 24, 2012, APG Electric, Inc. was joined by Lakeland Chamber of Commerce representatives Amy, Terry, Katie, Kayla and Kara for a ribbon cutting ceremony at their newest office location, 1804 Lakeland Hills Boulevard (corner of Lakeland Hills and Bella Vista). Formerly housed at 1507 Lakeland Hills Boulevard, this new location consolidates the APG Electric Lakeland and Orlando office operations into a larger Lakeland space, which is a testament to the company’s belief that Lakeland is “the place to be” in Central Florida.

More than sixty invited guests attended the Open House celebration, including representatives from local businesses, existing APG customers, vendors and employees, Chamber staff, and a few customers-to-be as well. Southern Gourmet served a delicious lunch and guests toured the renovated office space.

APG Electric is a state of Florida certified commercial electrical contractor (EC0000486), established in 1983. They have been members of the Lakeland Chamber since October 24, 1989, and are locally available to support Lakeland’s businesses in new construction projects, renovations, electrical service and maintenance, voice/data/video systems, fire alarm systems, electrical engineering, building automation, and much more. Call them at 688-0600 or stop by anytime to see how APG Electric can help with your electrical needs.

APG Electric, Inc.
1804 Lakeland Hills Blvd, Ste 101
Lakeland, FL 33805
(863) 688-0600

Boca Ciega High School New Campus Nears Completion

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:00:07 -0500

In 2008, APG celebrated an exciting milestone when we were awarded the Boca Ciega High School contract with Ajax Building Corporation, which included the largest structured cabling project in our history. Now, over three years later, the project is nearing completion and many are taking notice. During the recent grand opening celebration, officials, community members and students were wowed by the new 103,000-square-foot administration, media center, cafeteria and classroom building - the latest completed portion of this complex multi-phased venture. The new state-of-the-art facility offers a spacious, open environment for learning, with a media center nearly 10 times larger than the two jam-packed classrooms it replaced and a cafeteria that has quadrupled in size.

Once complete in early 2012, the entire facility will consist of 360,000 square feet of new and remodeled space and will have required nearly 90,000 APG man-hours. Included in the full scope of work are a brand new three story classroom building and a completely renovated auditorium, music building and gym that were finished a few years ago. Looking back, Project Superintendent Ralph Cordasco remembers how difficult that particular portion of the project was. "The summer of 2009 was the most challenging time of the project. We had three renovations and a three story new classroom building under construction at the same time. The renovation of the auditorium, music building and gym all had to be completed before school started in August."

Another significant challenge on the Boca Ciega project was the requirement to keep the school fully functional during construction so that students and staff could remain on campus. To accomplish this, the job was phased over approximately four years while replacement buildings were constructed and old buildings were renovated or demolished. For APG, this meant having to store three years worth of fixtures, gear, and miscellaneous material on site. We were also tasked with having to maintain fire alarm, security, and voice/data systems to the existing campus during construction and demolition. APG solved this problem by proposing the use of a temporary metal building to house the equipment needed for running these systems. Despite these challenges, Ralph still remembers how excited he was to be assigned to this job because he, his wife and his son all graduated from the school affectionately referred to as "Bogie".

Those who have seen the finished buildings are not only impressed by the new space, but also by the exceptional job of our APG team. Following an inspection of the voice/data portion, the supervisor of networking and telecommunications for Pinellas County Schools was very pleased and quick to give praise for the beautiful work of our skilled technicians. One of the engineers said that APG Voice/Data had set the standard for the entire county and planned to take photos of our work to serve as a specification for upcoming school projects. This was not the first time an APG structured cabling project left others in awe, and it definitely won't be the last!

Boca Ciega High School has been providing education to Pinellas County students since the early 1950s. Now, with a brand new campus, it is sure to remain a valuable landmark in the community for years to come. So many of our employees, including our entire Voice/Data Division, helped bring this project to its successful completion, leaving behind a beautiful example of the excellent work APG consistently provides.

APG Awarded USF Sun Dome Renovation

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 14:31:57 -0400

We are pleased to announce that APG Electric was recently awarded the $5.1 million University of South Florida Sun Dome Renovation Project! Construction is now underway for completion by April 15, 2012. This is a very compressed schedule which will require a significant amount of over-time and skill on the part of our team.

The Sun Dome has been an icon of USF's campus for decades. Original construction was completed in the early 1980s, when our very own John Kavula and Jerry Lightner served as project manager and general superintendent for the project while working for Aneco. John and Jerry remember the many difficulties faced during the arena's initial build and have often used the Sun Dome as an example of how challenging some projects can be.

With that in mind, APG is especially excited to take on this extensive renovation and it is our intention to count it as one of our best projects. Every APG employee is due a measure of credit for our success in being awarded the job since this project is about three things we do exceptionally well: performance, performance and performance!

APG Electric is proud to have been selected and is committed to giving the very best service to Skanska, Populous, Henderson Engineers, and the University of South Florida.

APG Electric Wins ABC Platinum STEP Safety Award-3 Years in a Row!

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:03:59 -0400

On July 28, APG Electric was awarded a 2011 STEP Platinum Safety Award by the Central Florida Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. Julie Bennett was present at their annual luncheon to receive the award on our behalf, marking the third year in a row that APG has garnered this prestigious honor. This year we were one of only two electrical contractors in Central Florida to achieve the Platinum level. In fact, this year the Platinum award was the highest level attained by any electrical contractor of the six available awards: Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Participant.

STEP (Safety Training and Evaluation Process) is a benchmarking tool that helps ABC members improve and build upon their safety and training programs-key programs for construction companies due to the increased risk of injuries and the higher rate of incidents compared to other business types. STEP provides contractors with a consistent, effective tool to evaluate their safety training program using 20 standard key components of safety. Each key component focuses on specifics essential to a successful, effective safety program. Participants complete a lengthy application, including a safety self-assessment worksheet. It was an honor to receive the Platinum level award for the third consecutive year and be recognized as some of the best in our business.

We appreciate the commitment of every APG Electric employee, whose hard work and diligent pursuit of safety every day is what enabled us to reach this milestone. We encourage you to continue these efforts, helping to ensure a safe work environment for our customers, our employees, and ourselves. Thank you, and congratulations to all.

Project Spotlight

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:47:02 -0400

St. Joseph's Hospital - South
Hard work pays off!

Another milestone in APG history was achieved March 10, 2011 when we were informed of our selection as the electrical and systems contractor for the new St. Joseph's Hospital-South project! We owe this accomplishment to one thing - a skill that has proven to be a hallmark of APG Electric: TEAMWORK. The foundation of our success was laid by the craftsmanship of all those who worked on the St. Joseph's Hospital-North project. Our preconstruction department worked tirelessly into the evening hours and on weekends to put together the best possible proposal to compliment our already proven performance record.

Ultimately, APG personnel from every area of expertise came together on this proposal to address the full scope of project requirements, including engineering design assist services, electrical, fire alarm, voice/data/video structured cabling, security, and numerous hospital support systems. We want to recognize the following employees who contributed to our proposal and presentation:

Bruce Balcombe

Justin Foster

Kevin Gerhart

Jim Hardy

Mike Henley

Jonathan Henley

Yvette Hoffnagle

Chris Johnson

Hank Johnson, P.E.

Rachel Kotsch

Dennis Kuhns

Kate Leahy

Matt Mendrala

Tommy Poore

Scott Riedy

Trina Rodriguez

Terry Ryan

Andy Schaefer

Corey Schiller

Gene Snyder

Stephen Tallyn

Lester Weil

This facility will be a four story 305,510 square foot hospital complimented by a 30,115 square foot central energy plant and a 98,967 square foot medical office building. The project is slated to begin construction in May 2012, utilizing the Integrated Project Delivery method.

APG is proud to be selected and is committed to provide the very best service to Barton Malow, Gresham Smith and Partners, Smith Seckman Reid, and of course the owner, BayCare Health Systems. Watch for future updates in the Pipeline as this exciting project progresses.

APG Wins ABC Award

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:06:15 -0400

Congratulations to our St. Joseph's Hospital-North project team, which has once again been recognized for "Excellence in Construction", this time by the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors. Project Manager Scott Riedy and Project Superintendent Jim Hardy gladly accepted the 2011 Eagle Award during the ABC banquet on April 8th. Scott and Jim were among over 400 in attendance and were joined by their wives Kim and Linda along with fellow APG representatives Mike and Charmin Henley, Chris and Dawn Johnson, and George and Sue Loop. Some of the other projects receiving high recognition that evening were Glazer Children's Museum, Tampa Museum of Art, and the Dali Museum. Every other year, the ABC Gulf Coast Chapter recognizes the best work of general contractor and subcontractor members in an effort to highlight their achievements in construction, including the quality of work, size of projects and the amount of different materials used. The "Excellence" program is a vehicle that offers the opportunity for members to showcase their finest work completed within the previous 24 months.

APG Wins NAWIC Safety Excellence Award

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:08:18 -0400

APG was happy to accept the 2011 Safety Excellence Award for the Florida Region of the National Association of Women in Construction. Orlando Office Manager Julie Bennett is a member of the Greater Orlando Chapter of NAWIC and was responsible for submitting our entry at the local level. Each of the 12 Florida NAWIC chapters selected three contenders to advance to the regional level and our entry was selected among all of them as Florida's best. Our entry will now advance to the upcoming National competition as one of not more than 14 total contestants. Congratulations to the staff of APG Electric, and thanks to our management team for their commitment to safety and to their support of NAWIC. To learn more about the National Association of Women in Construction, which was started in 1953 in support of women at all levels of the construction industry, visit www.nawic.org

Fourth Generation in Electrical Contracting

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:43:02 -0500

Independent Electrical Contractors Foundation Journal

Kip Goulder is the fourth-generation of his family to be involved in electrical contracting. His great grandfather opened a small appliance repair shop in Cleveland that, over a century, grew into one of the largest electrical contractors in the area where both his grandfather and father worked. "I would often go down to work with my dad, who was an estimator and project manager. My dad would let me do easy tasks in estimating, such as quantity take-offs and other similar administrative functions that a large business could trust a 12-year-old with."

Kip is now in his senior year at Purdue University where he is pursuing a degree in Construction Management and is specializing in electrical and healthcare constuction.

He has worked the past two summers with APG Electric in Clearwater Florida, first in the field and most recently in the estimating department. "I am proud to say that the first real job I assisted on estimating, we won - a new performing arts center for the University of South Florida."

The IECF scholarship will help him through his final year at Purdue University. Kip says he was "very excited and very humbed" by the scholarship grant that will help with "what is becoming a very expensive college career."

"This education is very important to me, and I hope to gain new knowledge that I can bring back to the company when I start full-time", like Building Information Modeling, LEED, and Integrated Project Delivery.

"I know it is training me to be a future leader in the electrical construction industry."

APG Recognized at PHCC Completion Luncheon

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:14:12 -0400

on Tuesday, October 26th, APG Project Manager Anthony Ciquera and Project Superintendent Bill Palaski received special recognition for their outstanding leadership on the newly completed Pasco-Hernando Community College Spring Hill project. This recognition came during a completion celebration luncheon held on site and sponsored by Construction Manager Skanska USA Building, Inc. Also present to congratulate us on a job well done were the PHCC District Board of Trustees, PHCC President, PHCC facilities team and the project's design consultants. The new campus was finished in August 2010, just in time for fall classes to begin. With approximately 1,500 students currently enrolled, this new state-of-the-art campus has begun filling the need for access to more higher education opportunities in Hernando and northern Pasco counties. Phase II of the project is now underway and includes a new parking lot and some additional upgrades.

APG Wins National Award of Excellence

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 23:10:06 -0500

Loyal Pipeline readers will likely remember our proud announcement in the January 2008 issue - that we had been awarded the $24 million electrical contract for the new St. Joseph's Hospital-North in Lutz, Florida. This high profile project would be our largest contract to date and would require a significant portion of our skilled workforce throughout much of the construction phase. We were ready for the challenge. Our initial excitement turned to focused determination as work began on this technologically advanced, three-story, 360,000 square foot acute-care, greenfield hospital. By its completion in January 2010, APG had received many compliments for our exceptional craftsmanship and careful management of this challenging project. Now we are excited to announce another achievement for our work on this hospital - the IEC National Award of Excellence in Commercial Electrical Construction.

The prestigious Award of Excellence is presented to only a handful of companies each year at the annual IEC National Convention and Electric Expo. This year, APG Division Manager Tim White attended the convention and Awards Gala in Phoenix, Arizona where he accepted the prize on our behalf. The St. Joseph's Hospital-North project was the winner in the category of commercial projects over $5 million. To be considered for the award, APG submitted an entry package that included a multi-page narrative describing the project and its unique features, photographs of the project, letters of endorsement from the owner, the architect and the construction manager, and additional supporting materials. The team effort involved in compiling the entry materials was a feat in itself, but our primary congratulations go to the APG crew for their outstanding work in physically bringing this award winning hospital to life.

St. Joseph's Hospital-North is the first new hospital in Hillsborough County in the last 30 years and is the first all digital hospital in the Tampa Bay region. The integration of technology and patient care has never been greater. The hospital has also applied for LEED certification, which would make it the first new LEED certified hospital in Florida. Since opening earlier this year, the hospital's patient volume has already exceeded expectations and this state-of-the-art facility is proving to be a real asset to the North Tampa community.

One of the more innovative aspects of the St. Joseph's Hospital-North project was the utilization of the Integrated Project Delivery method of construction. BayCare Health Systems and Bovis Lend Lease implemented a team approach and involved the mechanical and electrical subcontractors from the very beginning of the design process. This proved to be a critical element of the project's success. Subcontractors provided design and budgeting assistance during the preconstruction phase and ultimately saw the construction process through from beginning to end.

Letters of endorsement received from the owner, architect and construction manager for award submission were very complimentary. The owner had much to say about the high quality of work that APG performed throughout the entire job, referring to our conduit installation as "artwork, even sculpture." They were pleased too with our commitment to safety and noted how impressed the state inspectors were with the care and effort put into all aspects of our installation. The construction manager said that our "workmanship on site was second to none . . . I have not worked with a better electrical subcontractor. Their knowledge of healthcare construction in the State of Florida is unsurpassed." Passing every AHCA inspection the first time further demonstrated our commitment to exceptional workmanship and to keeping the project on schedule.

APG is truly proud of winning the IEC National Award of Excellence for St. Joseph's Hospital-North. We see this as a significant achievement not only for ourselves, but for everyone involved in the construction of this beautiful new hospital. The ultimate winners, though, are the people of the North Tampa community, who will be using this facility for many years to come.

APG Has Your BIM Solution

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 21:48:36 -0400

APG is pleased to announce that our Engineering Division has successfully integrated BIM into the list of services we provide to our customers. BIM is an acronym for Building Information Modeling, which is a powerful technology that allows you to fully construct a 3-dimensional, virtual building before actual construction has even begun. In its simplest form it is a 3-dimensional model of the electrical installation, with powerful tools such as Collision Detection and Component Visualization. APG is proficient in utilizing AutoCad, Revit MEP and Navisworks software to ensure a cohesive project with all disciplines.

Our BIM modelers are APG electricians certified in AutoCAD in addition to their BIM experience. They have worked directly with our project superintendents for many years, enabling them to quickly produce accurate installation drawings.

It is noteworthy that significant costs are involved with any BIM project, yet these up front costs can be off-set by the even greater potential savings in construction costs. Additionally, BIM can be utilized in varying levels of complexity. The level selected will affect the overall up-front costs and should be weighed carefully at the very beginning of the project.

The electrical industry has taken a tremendous leap with BIM technology and APG is proud to be among the first to offer this service to our clients.

APG Electric Wins ABC Platinum STEP Safety Award

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:38:45 -0400

On Thursday evening, July 8, the Central Florida Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors presented APG Electric with a "2010 Platinum STEP Safety Award" at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando.

The STEP (Safety Training and Evaluation Process) program was developed "by contractors, for contractors" and uses a scoring system to objectively evaluate safety performance. Awards are given in four categories: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, with the top three categories being recognized at the annual Safety Awards Banquet.

This year, 100 Central Florida contractors attended the dinner and award ceremony in celebration of their outstanding workplace safety records. A total of 22 Silver (including four electrical contractors), 52 Gold (including four electrical contractors), and 26 Platinum awards were presented during the event. APG Electric once again ranked at the top, as one of only two electrical contractors to earn a Platinum award in 2010.

APG is proud to have earned the prestigious Platinum level STEP award for the second consecutive year, after first earning a Gold award in 2008. Repeating as a Platinum STEP award winner demonstrates that our extraordinary attention to safety pays off. This tremendous achievement is a feather in the cap of every APG Electric employee, because each of you has helped contribute to this success.

Tampa Bay's Top Workplaces 2010

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:04:33 -0400

Tampa Bay's Top Workplaces 2010

On Sunday, March 21st, the St. Petersburg Times published a special article naming the top workplaces in Tampa Bay. APG was thrilled to find itself ranked 2nd among the 29 other midsize companies participating in the program, all due to the many positive survey responses from our employees. The announcement created quite a buzz Monday morning, as fellow employees discussed the achievement. According to an APG team member in Orlando, “there was a great deal of pride and excitement generated by this article. While we all know we work for a ‘Top Workplace,’ it is wonderful for our company to be officially honored as such.” Words of congratulations also came pouring in from our vendors, customers, business associates, friends, family members, and even some past employees. Here are a few notable comments:

Congratulations on being chosen 2nd best company to work for. Quite frankly, I'm surprised you didn't come in first. In the ten years that I worked for you, you have always shown compassion, integrity and honesty in everything you have done. It was an honor and a privilege to don my APG shirt and work for you and the entire crew. You are number 1 in my eyes.

To work with a group that takes such great pride in and has such concern for its employees is truly an honor. Thank you, APG Electric, for what YOU do for US every day. Working with APG Electric is the pinnacle of my career.

What an accomplishment! It was a special treat for us at Jefferson Bank to see some of our own loyal customers make the top workplaces list. We are proud to be associated with a company like APG.

My family and I are very proud to be part of such a great place and great people! Awaking early Sunday morning and seeing the front page announcing Top Workplaces, my grandmother said she looked through it, secretly wondering if by chance she’d see APG Electric listed. Sure enough – there it was to her delight! Grandmother is almost 92.

Gulf Coast Business Review Top Contractors

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:48:32 -0400

March 5-11, 2010 Edition

Consistent Contractor

In Continuing to value quality during a down market, John Kavula's patient persistence is helping APG Electric continue to grow.

John Kavula may not realize it, but his company has a lot in common with Google.

It's not that they're in the same industry - Kavula runs an electrical contracting firm. Nor is his $30 million business quite the same size as the Google behemoth.

But both companies invest heavily in their employees. It's not quite the same scale, obviously, but it's the first thing Kavula points to when asked about how he runs his company.

Kavula is founder and chief executive officer of Clearwater-based APG Electric, one of the Gulf Coast's top 50 contractors in 2009. Although year-over-year growth was low at 1.4%, the fact that it was positive made the company stand out during the recession-plagued year.

According to Kavula, the key to that growth was maintaining a consistent approach to doing business.

Sometimes, that's harder to do than it might sound - like when you commit to paying for 75% of your employees' families health care, matching their 401(k) contributions at a 50% clip, and guarantee bonuses at the end of every year (including 1991, the one year out of 25 in which APG failed to turn a profit).

But Kavula insists that continuing to invest in the people that work for his company pays off. "People are energized," he says, "and we're very efficient."

In return, Kavula demands consistency from his employees. So long as the annual company picnics and parties celebrating safety continue, he expects his employees to be at the ready at 7 a.m., on the dot, every day.

He's confident that they will be. And it's that same confident patience that motivates Kavula to stay committed to high quality work. He's had enough clients contact him after cheaper competitors failed to deliver a good product to know the value of spending a little more to make sure the job's done right.

And in a metro like the Tampa Bay area, doing good work can often eliminate the need for an aggressive sales strategy. "If you have a good product", Kavula argues, "the sales are going to be easy."

Indeed, the sales have been there for APG. Major projects include work with the Tampa Museum of Art, Boca Ciega High School, and a multi-year job for St. Joseph's Hospital. The St. Joseph's job alone will end up being worth a total of $25 million when work is completed in 2010.

Working with hospitals has been APG's focus in the past. But to keep busy in a difficult economy, the business has expanded its reach into new venues.

The most notable example of that expansion effort has been the company's foray into service contracts, rather than straight construction deals. That work generated roughly $8 million for APG in 2009.

Kavula is confident that diversifying will help the company weather the effects of the downturn on its own business, which he doesn't expect to feel for another year yet.

That expectation - knowing there's a bit of a delay between when most people feel a recession, and when his company's bottom line does - is built on 26 years' experience leading the company he founded. It's one of many lessons he's learned over the course of growing his company from scratch.

He's learned enough, in fact, that he feels ready to begin the process of training new, young leaders for an eventual transfer of management responsibility.

Since his company's inception, Kavula has worked with co-founder and current Chief Operating Officer Jerold Lightner to build APG into the company that it is today, from about $1 million in revenue in 1984, to $11.7 million in 1995, to more than $31 million in 2009.

Now it's time to think about a leadership transition. Says Kavula, "We've got younger blood" - in this case, current President Michael Henley - "that we're trying to get going."

The delegation process has been successful thus far, to the point where Kavula feels like he's getting close to being able to use the big "r"-word.

Occasionally, he'll joke with friends about already being most of the way there. "I am retired," he claims. "I only work 40 hours a week."

—Alex Walsh, Gulf Coast Business Review

Choosing a Nontraditional Career: Women in the Electrical Industry

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:52:00 -0500

IEC Insights magazine

December 2008 issue

Imagine an electrician. What image does your mind capture first? Do you picture a man? Most people do - and understandably so. According to the U.S. Department of Labor's list of nontraditional occupations for women, of the 912,000 electricians employed in 2007 only 1,700 were women. However, with each passing year, statistics show that women are increasingly entering careers in the electrical industry - earning a good living and enjoying their work. What motivates a woman to choose a nontraditional job such as those offered in the electrical industry?

Nontraditional jobs are careers for women that are higly-skilled, have high wages and have traditionally been held by men. The U.S. Department of Labor defines this as an occupation in which women make up 25% of less of all workers. More and more women are drawn to these careers because, unlike some jobs traditionally held by women, the nontraditional jobs have opportunities for paid training (electrical apprenticeship), wage advancement, benefits, and career advancement. Women in nontraditional careers are able to earn 20 to 30 percent more than women in traditional careers. For example, a daycare worker earns an average of $7 to $12 an hour, but a journeyman electrician earns $15 to $22 an hour, and once she advances, she can earn upward of $30 per hour. In addition, women in nontraditional jobs often receive better benefits than traditional jobs offer, such as sick leave, paid vacation, and health insurance.

Judith Nicita, a fourth-year, electrical apprentice with the IEC Florida West Coast Chapter's program, claims that pursuing her high school diploma at age 41 "opened a door" that eventually led to a position with what she considers to be the number one electrical firm in the state of Florida, APG Electric. After 29 years of waiting tables and struggling to raise two children, Judith was motivated to make a career change by her daughter who asked, "Is this really what you want to do all your life?" When offered several elective courses during high school registration, Judith chose two: electrical wiring and auto mechanics. After graduating, and in an effort to break out of her career rut, she applied for two new positions - one with an electrical firm and one with an auto repair firm. She was hired by the electrical firm and has never looked back.

As an electrical apprentice, she does not find it difficult to grasp electrical concepts and "the hands-on seems to come to me naturally." She emphasized that women have the physical or mental strength to be successful in the electrical field, and that is has been the men with whom she's worked who have encouraged her the most to persevere in the career. Always looking forward, Judith hopes to someday earn the master electrician designation. Her only regret is not starting the career earlier in life, thereby attaining economic security for her family; but she feels that "women are programmed to take the traditional job routes" and it took the maturity she gained over time to resist the limits of a conventional career path.

Women may also experience an increased sense of job satisfaction in a nontraditional career. The work offered in these jobs is often interesting and challenging. Most nontraditional jobs require math and science skills. The math required is usually hands-on and is very different from classroom mathematics. Nontraditional jobs may allow women to exercise skills that they enjoy but previously may not have been able to utilize in the workplace.

For Trina Rodriguez who, as a teenager, helped out as a summer receptionist at the electrical contracting firm where her father serves as president, the lure of the electrical industry came only after following what she thought was a logical career path that built upon the academic excellence she demonstrated in her high school science classes. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Furman University (Greenville, South Carolina), Trina worked as a chemist in the research and development department of a firm concerned with improving chemical formulations of various building supplies. When that company relocated out of Florida, she decided to return to the business which employs her friends and several family members. As an assistant to the head estimator, the attention to detail so valued in the scientific community worked to serve her well in her new career. She learned the materials of the electrical trade by "starting with very basic tasks such as counting fixtures and outlets." Once Trina became comfortable with the estimating process, her duties led to interactions with suppliers and general contractors. Shortly, she took charge of complex proposals, bid forms, qualifications statements, and history management. In her current role as the firm's accounting manager, she continues to implement quality control processes and has made necessary changes to streamline processes. According to Trina her past prepared her for a future career in the electrical firm. "Scientific education and experience helped to develop my analytical thinking and processing skills, all of which allows me to continually learn something new, expand my skills, and contribute to an awesome company."

Each year the United States alone adds more than $600 billion worth of new construction projects. That means that there are over 240,000 jobs available annually in construction. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average age of workers in the skilled trades nationwide is 48. Combined with the fact that the first wave of baby boomers will start retiring within the next five years, it's no wonder that labor statisticians are forever warning of an impending shortage of workers in the skilled trades.

Who better to fill this void than the labor force that's historically "stepped up to the plate" in an era of need? With women now regularly working their way to the top of the financial, commercial, military and government sectors, it's time for the construction industry, school counselors, and ambitious women to recognize and embrace the potential of a nontraditional job such as those offered in the electrical industry.