Successful entrepreneur, Mike Cox, reveals what it takes to be a union electrician through the National Electrical Contractors Association.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA, USA, March 16, 2016 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In a recent interview, Sean Reynolds with Energy Independence spoke with Shane Cox, president of The Mike Cox Electric Inc., a National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) member, to get his take on emerging technologies, the technicians who make it happen, and what it means to be a NECA contractor in today’s energy efficient environment.

Shane Cox is confident in his business and his profession, and he should be. Shane is a third generation electrician, and president of The Mike Cox Electric Inc in San Bernardino. Started in 1959 by Shane’s grandfather, Mark Cox, the business passed to Shane’s father in 1994 and Shane “took the reins” in 2014.

They are a signatory contractor with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) partnering with the Southern Sierras Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). Within this alliance they work on competitive bid projects involving government works such as public schools, police and fire stations and federal installations. Located in the city of San Bernardino, Mike Cox Electric services the greater Inland Empire. Presently, they are completing a project for the Victor Elementary School District in the high desert city of Victorville. They have several on-going jobs in Moreno Valley, another in Corona, and are also working on a new facility for the Fontana Unified School District.

Cox says although they install the necessary cost-effective electrical infrastructure that his company has been doing for generations; there is now an increasing demand for more efficient upgrades. More and more, his technicians are outfitting buildings with LED fixtures and energy management systems designed to get the most out of air conditioning and heating, along with advanced lighting controls, that cut energy costs to the consumer and benefit the environment.

Cox says that’s where his participation as a signatory contractor really pays off. The demand for highly trained, highly qualified electrical workers is increasing. “Being a NECA contractor is a huge advantage for us,” Cox explains. He says not only do they provide cutting edge training programs, like the ones taught by the National Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (NJATC), additionally, NECA supports him with sophisticated “business specific” training, and in-depth seminars that help him and his staff to educate their employees. Cox says, “They keep me on top of the latest technologies.”

The Mike Cox Electric Inc. normally employs between 15 and 25 workers, but Shane has the ability to pull skilled technicians from the IBEW’s membership pool as needed. He says that’s another great advantage as a signatory contractor. As for what the customer gets, Shane Cox puts it this way: “They get access to a workforce that they know is qualified, that they know is trained ... and we’re going to stand behind that work. We’re going to stand behind what we install as a NECA contractor, and with the IBEW standing by our side we’re going to give them the quality workforce they need.”

David Shankle
Labor Management Cooperation Committee
(909) 792-0387
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