Gettle Incorporated

Founded in 1954, Gettle Incorporated has grown from an electrical services provider into a multi-discipline design-build contractor delivering comprehensive interior and exterior electrical design and installation solutions, fire and security systems, data communications, automation and design-build services. With offices in York, Pennsylvania and Baltimore, Maryland, Gettle offers its broad range of services to businesses of all sizes in the commercial, industrial, healthcare, power generation and manufacturing sectors across the Mid-Atlantic.

Gettle’s multi-division structure and design-build capabilities offer clients a unique one-stop shop experience, which provides the convenience of a single point of contact able to manage all aspects of project management. From planning and engineering through installation and maintenance, the Gettle team can manage all aspects of every project, providing budget and schedule efficiencies. While many companies offer turnkey operations, many design-build firms hire subcontractors to perform the tasks — Gettle possesses the ability to perform everything in-house. The company even has its own central station services as well as a full engineering staff with professional engineers on-site.

With a full-service department for all of its divisions, Gettle offers its clients the latest technologies in remote system monitoring, diagnostics and data collection to provide real-time information that is crucial to ensuring systems are operating at peak performance. Other full-service maintenance solutions include system cleaning, testing and inspection, all with 24-hour service teams. “We are as much a service company as we are a construction firm,” says Mike Walburn, general manager of Gettle’s Baltimore, Maryland, office.

A history of customer-focused growth

Beginning as a small electrical contracting company, Gettle has grown exponentially over the past 60 years, driven by a philosophy of providing the most efficient and effective solutions for clients. When it was purchased by a large construction group in the 1980s, Gettle began to diversify and expand its multi-division structure, investing in top talent and technology across the electrical, automation, data communications, engineering and fire/security service areas. Gettle’s experienced team of professional engineers, programmers, electricians and low-voltage technicians are industry-certified and maintain strong relationships with top industry suppliers, allowing them to deliver sustainable and efficient designs that will grow along with clients.

Michael Walburn joined the company in 1992 as an industrial electrician. “When I started with Gettle it was just a few guys doing electrical work,” he says. The company has since grown to 270-plus employees and is licensed in 17 states. The company also recently acquired a Maryland-based company formerly known as Ernst Electrical Services.

“Acquiring a company in Maryland was a great opportunity to align with our growing client base in that area,” adds Walburn. “In addition to positioning us to best-serve our clients in the area, the Baltimore office offers the opportunity for us to grow the team in the area and foster connections with the communities we’re proud to serve around the region.” Walburn helped to jump-start the industrial side of the business and continues to help the company as it gains new clients and grows substantially.

“Recent projects include several large box warehouses and distribution centers as well as projects for companies of all sizes focused on upgrades, renovations and additions,” Walburn explains.

Measuring success

Success can have multiple meanings for different companies. For Gettle, success is steady growth of the company as a result of 100 percent customer satisfaction. Walburn looks at growth of the company as fulfilling certain needs of its customers. “We don’t want to grow just for the sake of growing,” says Walburn. “For example, adding our 24-hour service department spawned from a need generated by our clients.”

When it comes to growth, integrating new technological applications is a key factor. By providing in-house as well as outsourced training, Gettle is able to keep its people current on the latest procedures and safety requirements that accompany them. With the willingness to embrace new technology in the industry, Gettle is able to identify and utilize the value of each situation. “We’re not afraid to try new things and evaluate them, knowing that sometimes it might not be what our customers need and that’s OK; if we determine the need is not there we will reevaluate and find something more fitting,” Walburn explains. “The value of new technology to us is only measured in the value it presents to our customers.”

In moving forward, Gettle constantly looks inward to establish new and long-term goals for the company. By consistently focusing on strategic, customer-driven growth, Gettle strives to continually identify how it can continue to improve its services for not only its clients, but also create a great work environment for its employees. “We are always looking for qualified people,” says Walburn. “It all comes back around to how we can serve our customers better and make their day-to-day operations run smoother. Without our clients, we don’t exist.”

By embracing new technology, constantly seeking highly skilled people and growing for the sake of its clients, Gettle remains a leader in specialty contracting and service in the Northeast.