Heller Electric installs power for the 11th consecutive ceremony
A job as prestigious at the Presidential Inauguration calls for the work of an Electrical Alliance Contractor, and Heller Electric Company, Inc. (Heller) was happy to oblige for the 11th consecutive time.
Heller began work on the 57th Presidential Inauguration immediately following the 2012 election. The installation included three separate structures for the ceremony: the Presidential Reviewing Stand, Media Stand, and Mayoral Parade Reviewing Stand.
In the Presidential Reviewing Stand, where the Presidential family watches the parade, Heller installed 600 amps for lighting and heating the entire stand and bulletproof enclosure. The three-story Media Stand is powered by 800 amps that supply approximately 192 electric outlets that the worldwide media in attendance utilize. Finally, Heller completed the heating and lighting work for the Mayoral Parade Reviewing Stand that holds the mayor and all Washington, D.C. government officials and guests.
Electrical Alliance contractors and electricians receive intense classroom and on-the-job training from the time they are apprentices until they are experienced journeymen through the Electrical Alliance’s Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC). Journeymen continuously partake in the latest training such as alternative energy systems. This prepares all members of the Electrical Alliance for jobs like the inauguration.
Michael Ritchey, Heller’s president, said, “It is a bit challenging because of the definitive end and start date, ordering of custom materials, and allotment of only ten people to work on the project because of security, but our team thrives on fast-paced jobs and we feel honored to work on such an esteemed job.”
Work for the ceremony began the week before Thanksgiving with a completion date of January 7, 2013. An average of nine electricians worked ten-hour days, up to seven days-a-week. While Heller finished the labor ahead of schedule, the inauguration work didn’t end there. Four Heller workers manned each structure and the materials trailer on the day of the ceremony, January 21, 2013, and ensured all operations ran smoothly and safely.
Andrew Porter, Washington, D.C. Chapter of NECA executive director, said, “The Electrical Alliance trains for excellence and superior safety. It is a particularly historic project and a distinct honor to be a part of the inauguration for the 11th consecutive time. It shows our contractors deliver high caliber work, on time, safely, and within budget.”
“The Inaugural Stands have been a huge part of our company history since 1973, when we were selected to light President Nixon’s second term inauguration. Each inaugural project brings us not only new challenges, but stories and a tremendous sense of pride among all of our employees who work tirelessly to complete the projects on time. We look forward to the opportunity every four years and proudly celebrate our ability to participate in such a historic event,” said Heller’s Executive Vice President, Brian J. Heller.
Electrical Alliance contractors deliver quality work on a consistent basis. Their employees, skilled craftsmen and proud members of IBEW Local 26, are intensely trained through its JATC, which is nationally recognized by The U.S. Department of Labor as a 21st Century Registered Apprenticeship Trailblazer and Innovator.
View more of the inauguration work in the Project Showcase.
