CarolinaPower

At Thanksgiving and throughout the year, we are truly grateful for the opportunity to serve our clients, our people and the communities in which we live and operate.

As part of our Careers in Construction series, we caught up with James Whitcomb, a Superintendent in our Columbia office. It is evident from our conversation that James loves what he does for a living and is dedicated to passing along his deep knowledge of electrical contracting to others. ???????? ?????? ???? ???????? ???????? ?????? ???? ?????? ???????????????????????? ??????????? Being in the military, I worked in the Communication field, which dealt with electronics and security. Knowing that the electrical field was a strong trade for a career choice, I chose to apply for a position with Albany Electric (now CarolinaPower’s sister company, MetroPower) and pursue a career as an electrician. ???????? ?????? ???????? ???? ???????? ???????? ?????????????? ??????????????????????? Most notable was the ability to train my son, Nathan Whitcomb, in the same electrical field (underground division). Watching him become successful has been a great honor. I’m all about training others to be successful and build careers. I had the honor of training Bradley Michie, Columbia Branch Manager, in the underground field back when he was a Management Trainee. It’s very rewarding to see his advancements and success at CarolinaPower. ???????? ???? ???????? ???????????????? ???????? ???? ?????????? ?? ?????????????????????????????? The best part of being a superintendent is teaching those under my supervision about work ethics, how to be professional, how to do a quality job, and how to complete a job in a timely fashion. I really enjoy building relationships with other supervisors and vendors. Through this relationship-building, they often reach out to us for other projects. ?????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ??????????????? I’ve been with the company nearly 30 years – more than 25 years with MetroPower and its predecessor company, and a little over three years with CarolinaPower. ???????? ???? ?????? ???????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????????? ?????? ???????????????? ??????????? I value the new relationships I’ve built and the positive encouragement I have received. I know that I am heard by my manager and supported. ???????? ???? ???????? ???????????????? ?????????? ???? ???? ?????????????? ???? ????????? I enjoy football, golf, spending time with my family, and being Pop’s to my growing family. ???????? ???? ?????????????????? ???????? ???????????? ?????????? ???? ?????????????????? ???? ???????? ?????????? ??????? I served in the United States Army. I also represented the State of Georgia in the Coca-Cola Youth National Bowling Tournament, in Memphis, TN in 1986.?

As National Apprenticeship Week comes to a close, we are spotlighting some of our Charleston branch apprentices on-the-job. Electrical Apprenticeships are a "Best-Kept-Secret" Career Option with their nearly limitless opportunities for personal growth! Learn more about CarolinaPower's four-year, "Earn-While-You-Learn" Electrical Apprenticeship Program. https://lnkd.in/e9mzjqC9 #NAW2024

Congratulations to Nakiy Gardner (center), Assistant Project Manager in Greenville, who graduated from CarolinaPower's four-year Electrical Apprenticeship Program last week. What better time to celebrate than during National Apprenticeship Week! Our state-registered "Earn-While-You-Learn" Electrical Apprenticeship Program – offered at all four CarolinaPower locations in South Carolina – is ideal for anyone interested in a career in electrical construction. Read this article for a detailed description of the program. https://lnkd.in/e9mzjqC9

Today’s conversation is with Edson Moo, VDC Manager, based in Greenville. Edson supports all CarolinaPower offices and recently took on an expanded role as a shared resource for sister company, MetroPower. ???????? ?????? ???? ???????? ???????? ?????? ???? ?????? ???????????????????????? ??????????? I always dreamed of working in construction, even as a kid. I thought it was cool to build things. Having a family member already in the industry gave me an opportunity to get involved. Plus, I was looking for a way to bring more income to my family. At that time, construction – especially the electrical field – was known for better pay than most other industries. ???????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ?????????????? ????????????????????? The first challenge I had to overcome was the language barrier (I’m originally from Merida Yuc, Mexico). It was tough trying to understand a language I couldn't speak fluently. One of my greatest career successes as a superintendent was working at Greenville Memorial Hospital, where I ran all healthcare projects successfully for five years. ???????? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ???????? ?????????? ?? ???????????????????????????? ???? ??????? I have a deep love for technology, and I’ve always enjoyed creating 2D layouts to hand over to my electricians on site. 3D modeling is the best. Every project is unique and comes with its own set of challenges. The sense of accomplishment, knowing I contributed and gave my all to helping the team, is hard to describe. My VDC team is the best!! ?????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ??????????????????????????? I’ve been working with CarolinaPower for the past 18 years, and I’m super grateful for everything the company has done for me and my family. ???????? ???? ?????? ???????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????????? ?????? ??????????????????????????? The people I work with every day and the company culture make it a great place. The opportunities – from internships to career paths – are incredible. The employee shares are a great investment too. We have great leadership, and the future looks bright! ???????? ???? ???????? ???????????????? ?????????? ???? ???? ?????????????? ???? ????????? I’ve been coaching youth soccer for the past nine years, and it’s always nice to see kids I’ve coached over the years all grown up, playing at a higher level, and still remembering me. I’m a big fan of MLS, Premier League, and international soccer – honestly, anything soccer-related! I also love playing video games with my kids and spending time outdoors. ???????? ???? ?????????????????? ???????? ???????????? ?????????? ???? ?????????????????? ???? ???????? ?????????? ??????? I recently became a U.S. citizen, which is a huge milestone for me. I met my wife when I was just 18, and at the time, she didn’t speak my language, and I didn’t speak hers. We actually used dictionaries to translate our conversations throughout the day! Now, all these years later, we’re both bilingual.

CarolinaPower won ABC's highest-level award in the Electrical ($2-$5 million category) for the Clemson Memorial Stadium Renovations project. Cameron Lipe (left) and Chip Wilson (middle) proudly accepted the Eagle Award on behalf of our project team during last week's ABC Carolinas Chapter Excellence in Construction (EIC) Awards gala. Congratulations to everyone who played a role in delivering this exceptional project, which was also a Project-of-the-Year Finalist! Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC Clemson Athletics Clemson University

For Veterans Day 2024, we are spotlighting Mike Anderson, a Safety Specialist based in our Columbia office. Mike joined the U.S. Army on his 17th birthday while still in high school in 1986. He retired from the military in 2001 after dedicating 15 years to serving his country. Mike was an Infantryman who worked his way up the ranks to become a well-decorated Soldier. He completed the special operations training required to become an elite Army Ranger, and he later joined the Reserves. He is currently a member of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) – trained Soldiers who may be called upon, if needed, to replace Soldiers in active duty and Army Reserve units. We chatted with Mike about his time in the military and?beyond. ???????? ?????????????????? ?????? ???? ???????? ?????? ????????? My cousins all served in the Army and that’s what got me interested. I was able to do a split-option program during my junior and senior years of high school. I went to bootcamp at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, then returned home to finish high school – going back each month to train until graduation.?My first active-duty station was at Fort Drum in New York (on the Canadian border). I was with the 10th Mountain Division assigned to the 222nd Infantry for the first six years of my military career. ???????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ???????????????? ???????? ?????? ?????????? ?????? ???? ???????? ???????????? ???????? ???????? ??????????????????????????? As a Solider, you learn from the beginning how to help people – how to help them and take care of people. I am thankful for where I am and appreciate and enjoy every day in life. ???????? ???? ?? ?????? ???????? ?????????? ???????????????? ???? ?????????????????? ???????????? ?????????? ???? ?????????????????? ???? ??????????? I grew up hunting and I have had the opportunity to go to Africa a couple of times to hunt. Also, I have a house in Peru, South America and look forward to going again next year!

At Greer High School's 10th Annual Career Expo, Rashad McGowan, electrician, encouraged students to consider joining our industry and provided valuable information about CarolinaPower's Apprenticeship program, from which he graduated several years ago. The Upstate South Carolina high school offers a Manufacturing and Engineering program that focuses on developing college and career readiness, teaching with hands-on activities, and building in-demand skills.

Our Columbia office recently hosted a lunchtime cookout for the City of Cayce’s Police & Fire Departments. As you can see, our guests enjoyed the food and fellowship. CarolinaPower appreciates all of the first responders who stand ready to help where we work and live!

The next-generation workforce is ready to go to work. Happy Halloween!