NECA-IBEW Electricians Give Back to Valley

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The 2017-2018 calendar years mark milestones for NECA-IBEW Electricians as the national IBEW and NECA organizations observed 90- and 115-year anniversaries, respectively. These dates were leveraged with marketing themes locally that resulted in a steady stream of digital content throughout the year.

NECA-IBEW Electricians is an association of IBEW Local 64, Youngstown, IBEW Local 573, Warren, and signatory electrical contractors in the Mahoning Valley.

Self-published content and media coverage chronicling the histories of legacy electrical contractors such as “Joe” Dickey Electric, Santon Electric and University Electric fueled the social media marketing program that saw a 179% growth in Facebook followers and a more than doubling of unique website visitors.

Also contributing to the digital marketing success was content about the association’s community relations activity.

Giving back to the Mahoning Valley is a priority and the association continued its strong presence in 2017 by contributing to scholarship funds and performing outreach projects.
“Collectively, we have a unique story to tell as signatory contractors and union electricians, and we leveraged our digital platforms effectively to share how active we are with charitable causes in the communities where we live and do business,” says Jack Savage, executive director, Mahoning Valley NECA.

Among the group’s community interests were initiatives that supported education and veterans. Among them:

• The first Mahoning Valley LMCC Scholarship through the Youngstown State University Foundation was awarded to Joshua McGoogan, a mechanical engineering major at YSU.
• Looking to the future labor needs within the building trades, member contractor VEC Inc. and the Warren Electrical JATC partnered on a pre-apprenticeship program through Trumbull Career and Technical Center to interest more high school students in careers in the electrical trade. TCTC became just the seventh school in Ohio with a pre-apprenticeship program with this criteria.
• A $5,000 donation to the YSU Foundation helped establish a fund earmarked for the unique needs of veteran students.
• In September, NECA-IBEW partnered with YSU to co-sponsor its first annual football jersey auction. Eighty military-themed, game-worn jerseys were auctioned to benefit student veteran scholarships at the university.

“We’ve had back-to-back strong years in terms of man-hours worked, and that’s really what allows us to give back at the levels we do,” says Jim Burgham, business manager, IBEW Local 64. “It’s a testament to our members’ dedication to their craft that we’re able to secure major projects and perform the work, and in the end, the community also benefits.”
As it heads into 2018, the group’s marketing focus will expand to include telling the stories of individual electricians who comprise the membership and increasing the use of video production in its marketing efforts.

“We’re looking forward to showcasing some of the personalities and faces within our trade, and through that effort, we hope to attract more qualified individuals to the electrical industry,” says Jack Morse, business manager, IBEW Local 573. “Over time you’ll see that we’re quite a diverse, talented and devoted group of tradesmen and women.”

NECA-IBEW Electricians member contractors cover Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties. Member companies include Becdel Controls, Boot Electric, Bruce & Merrilees, CR Electric, Cretella Electric, Datacomm Inc., Falls Electrical Contractors, Grunau Company, Gulu Electric, “Joe” Dickey Electric, Keeling Brothers Electric, Liberty Electric, Main Lite Electric, MG Electric, Penn-Ohio Electric, Rafoth Electric, RLM Electric, Roth Brothers, Santon Electric, Tri-Area Electric, University Electric, VEC Inc. and Zenith Systems.

Editor’s Note: This story was published in The Business Journal’s Growth Report 2018. The 144-page edition features growth reports from more than 200 local businesses and organizations. It was published this week. If you are not a subscriber, CLICK HERE to purchase a copy or call Eileen Lovell at 330 744 5023 Ext. 1008.

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