B&B Electrical and Utility Contractors Inc.

B&B Electrical and Utility Contractors Inc. (B&B) provides electrical, utility and substation construction to Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and beyond. The team operates from B&B’s headquarters in Brandon, Miss., augmented by additional Mississippi locations in Saucier, Canton and Horn Lake, and coordinates all efforts to produce quality work at fair, competitive prices.

The team at B&B works tirelessly to execute the company’s mission of “striving to be the safest, most efficient and valued company to our business partners, customers, employees, colleagues and the communities where we live and work.” The team maintains a sterling reputation by pursuing every project with drive, passion and honest, hard work.

B&B boasts commercial and industrial electrical services, as well as sports complex lighting crews to provide new construction, renovation and service upgrades. The company is also capable of performing electrical control and plant maintenance, in addition to horizontal directional boring for undisturbed site preparations. Recognizing that safety is key, trained technicians perform every service, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and technology to ensure each job is done safely and correctly.

The company also provides professional engineering and computer-aided design (CAD) services from on-staff, licensed electrical engineers. On the opposite end of the spectrum from conceptualizing projects, B&B offers 24-hour emergency service. The company is also equipped for emergency response during natural disasters, as its qualified mechanics maintain a large fleet of vehicles and tools in the companies shop, and also support mobile repair capabilities. This has proven particularly valuable in the wake of recent events such as Hurricanes Irene, Isaac and Sandy, and B&B – which is licensed, bonded and insured in multiple states – has ventured as far as the Mid-Atlantic, New Jersey and New York to assist in overhead power line restoration as well as post-storm infrastructure repairs.

A Shining History of Evolution

B&B’s vast array of capabilities has come through a carefully paced series of strategic expansions. Brien Blakeney founded what is now B&B in 1982 after graduating college and obtaining his Master Electrical Contractor’s License. B&B began as a small, residential electrical service provider with only two employees operating out of a basement, but Blakeney’s foresight lit the path for a bright future. The company soon ventured into the commercial and industrial markets, in addition to beginning work with various municipalities and counties to install ball field lighting. The company’s successes multiplied, and B&B incorporated sister company B&B Electrical Contractors in 1985.

With further success came further expansion. The company tackled the electrical utility industry in 1994, incorporating sister company B&B Utility Contractors Inc. soon thereafter. The team expanded its services to include overhead and underground power distribution, lighting, design-build contracts and traffic signalization construction. Though the team’s list of services was already impressive, B&B also took on airfield lighting, which includes taxiway, runway approach and beacon tower installations.

The two sister companies gained respect throughout the industry, and were combined and incorporated in 2002 as B&B’s current inception. B&B added to its core competencies yet again in 2004 with the substation construction and maintenance division. The company did not stop adding to its specialties there, as B&B then successfully acquired a branch of seasoned and well-informed substation veterans. The new division compliments the company’s existing services, solidifying B&B as a one-stop electrical contractor.

Blakeney, who remains CEO of B&B, reinforces the company’s capabilities and opportunities through membership in associations and organizations including the Mississippi Associated Builders and Contractors (MABC), the Electrical Council Board of the MABC, the Association of General Contractors (AGC), the North Mississippi Home Builders Association (NMHBA), the International Municipal Signal Association, the International Red Cross CPR and First Aid, as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Blakeney has also attended the General Electric Institute for “Outdoor Lighting Design School” and the “Lamp and Lighting School,” and he uses all these resources to continually keep B&B up to date and to modify the company for the better.

Satisfying Projects of all Shapes and Sizes

Led by Blakeney’s example and the many divisions’ extensive service offerings, the B&B team of 180 employees self-performs at least 85 percent of all work, ensuring the company is able to deliver the utmost quality control on a wide range of projects with ease. Dozens of B&B staff members have five or 10 years employment with the company, and some even hold 15 to 20 years with Blakeney. Experienced managers lead the teams.

An established history of successfully completing projects cost-effectively and on schedule has resulted in several longstanding relationships. One of B&B’s most prized working relationships is with Entergy Corporation (Entergy), an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations, for which the company has completed multiple projects. The B&B team provided all of the electrical work for the new 83,376-square foot Entergy Transmission Corporate Headquarters Building in fall 2009.

In addition, B&B’s team recently assisted in completing an upgrade for Entergy’s Grand Gulf Nuclear plant, which is now the country’s largest power-producing single boiling nuclear reactor plant. The project included a 13-percent power upgrade with a cost around $724 million for the total project. B&B’s overhead, underground and substation departments combined expertise to achieve completion.

B&B also completed a 138 kV line for North American Coal, which was estimated at 6.5 miles for two large draglines. The team finished the job about a month early, and is now working on another project consisting of two, three phase and one 8 kV project.

Such complex projects would not be possible without recognizing the importance of safety on site. B&B is continually working to ensure safe and healthy conditions for workers and customers alike, conducting audits, setting standards and offering training and assistance. For example, the company currently has 62 employees who have successfully completed the 3-D Driver Improvement Program, which was brought to B&B from its insurance carrier. The program is geared toward driver behavior modification, as well as to enforce driver improvement in order to eliminate poor habits. Not only does the company work to assure there are no equipment-related accidents, but also it provides education as to how to react in case of emergency. The company currently boasts a 98-percent rate on employees trained in CPR. Brien made a decision to set the company’s goal at 100 percent, surpassing the minimum OSHA requirement.

Promoting safe and efficient practices ensures B&B is on track for continued success. The company celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2012, and is positioned to continue in its tradition of comprehensive, coverage, providing top-notch service calls to large-scale power distribution. The company’s dedication to a prestigious level of service proves B&B Electrical and Utility Contractors Inc. will continue to light the way for its valued clients.