Edison Power Constructors

Founded in 2013, Edison Power Constructors delivers infrastructure services in the areas of electric transmission, substation and distribution construction. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Edison Power is a member of PLH Group Inc., a nationwide energy-focused construction and related services business comprised of entities across North America. Both companies are owned by Energy Capital Partners.

Building relationships

“We take a very collaborative approach with our customers,” says Mike Stefanik, founder and president of Edison Power. “We go into each job with an open mind and try to involve the community we’re working in as much as possible. We feel that is very important.” Stefanik was recently selected to be an executive on the board of directors for the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.

Edison Power continuously seeks to foster strong relationships with local Chambers of Commerce as well as small businesses throughout the country. With locations in Houston and Los Angeles, Edison Power will soon be establishing an East Coast presence in New Jersey. “We’re definitely a pro-union company so we look to be involved in places that are traditionally union areas,” Stefanik explains. “We like to involve the local smaller companies and mentor them to help them grow as well. When we leave a completed project we want the community to be stronger than when we got there.” As a member of the PLH Group, Edison Power utilizes roughly 5,000 employees nationwide. “We work in a collaborative manner with our sister company to make use of our resources available.”

With experience, equipment and capitalization, Edison Power possesses the capability to pursue large, complex transmission projects. Numerous members of the Edison Power team possess skill and experience in helicopter operations. “We prefer to do it that way because it’s environmentally friendly,” says Stefanick. “We tend to do things in a non-traditional way instead of tearing up landscapes and building roads all over the place to put up power lines. It’s a little more expensive that way but it’s much better for the environment.”

The senior executive management team at Edison Power not only possesses the skills to run the operation, but all members also have hands-on experience in the field. “We are all card-carrying journeymen linemen so we know how the work is to be performed,” says Stefanik. “Experience as a journeymen lineman is actually a requirement to become a member of our senior management team.”

Edison Power has developed strong partnerships over the years with helicopter companies such as Air2, which is also a PLH Group company. Other firms include Construction Helicopters Inc. and Erickson Inc. “We’ve done a lot of work with these companies and they’re all great,” says Stefanik. “We use Air2 for the smaller lightweight stuff.”

Stefanik refers to a recent project in which the company collaborated with Centerpoint Energy. The Houston-based firm utilized Edison Power to perform new construction, rehabilitation maintenance and repairs on the CNP transmission line system. “It was a very large project with a lot of complicated foundations and transmission replacements,” recounts Stefanik. Edison Power currently conducts ongoing maintenance and construction services via a long-term master service agreement through its office in Alvin, Texas.

In Southern California, Edison Power was recently a subcontractor for the Path 42 project. The project extended and upgraded the existing power network to enable access to new sources of renewable energy. “We reinforced and replaced 76 steel lattices on a 22-mile, double circuit 230kV transmission line while both circuits were energized,” Stefanik explains. “We were also responsible for the reconductoring of existing single conductor circuits with two bundled 1033 ACSS.” Challenges presented in the project included location, extremely tight time constraints and strict outage schedules.

Measuring success

While there are many measurements of success in the business world, Edison Power’s top priority is the level of safety that the company establishes within its work environment. “One of our key performance indicators is that nobody gets injured on our jobsites,” says Stefanik. “We take a personal interest in our employees and the community we’re working in. We always make sure that what we do today does not create a problem tomorrow.”

Stefanik says that the solid reputation that Edison Power has established is one of the most rewarding aspects of his job. “Seeing the business grow from an idea into what it has become today is what gives me the biggest sense of pride,” says Stefanik. “We’re very environmentally friendly. We’re working on sustainability programs with other environmental companies.” Edison Power has partnered with Environmental Planning Group LLC (EPG) and Stantec, among others.

As the company progresses into the future, Edison Power plans to continue on its current path. “For the next five years we’ll continue on our growth pattern and then begin to decelerate and enjoy some stabilization,” Stefanik explains. “We plan on being established throughout North America in the unionized states.”

While Edison Power Constructors continues to grow, the company will continue to build upon its reputation as an environmentally conscious company that maintains the safest possible work environment.