Pyramid Electrical Contractors Inc.

Pyramid Electrical Contractors Inc. (PEC) was founded in 1982 and grew to encompass a wide breadth of electrical expertise. PEC provides a balance of traditional electric and telecommunications services as well as specialties in solar energy and treatment plants. PEC has a history of delivering complex projects on time and on budget through teamwork, technical expertise and passion, and it is the company’s proactive approach to safety that further helps the team continue building steam.

The company’s 70 professionals work from PEC’s location in Fairview Heights, Ill., and service a 50-mile radius of the St. Louis area. PEC is affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; Ken Keeney, CEO of PEC, even graduated from the union’s apprenticeship in 1977. Keeney came to work at PEC in 1981 and quickly rose up the ranks to become one of the company’s owners only three years later. Keeney’s personal experience in the field has helped the company maintain a strong following of clients in many market sectors by never sacrificing customer service or quality workmanship.

The PEC team handles projects of all shapes and sizes, from a simple transformer replacement to installing three 800-horsepower pumps to the Gateway Geyser. Gateway Geyser is located in East St. Louis and happens to be the world’s largest fountain, capable of propelling water over 600 feet into the air. PEC discerned early on that propelling the water straight into the air would result in heavy utility costs, so the team installed three 4,160-volt, 750-watt generators, as well as a control panel that adjusts the fountain’s jet according to wind speed to ensure maximum efficiency. PEC even included an aviation obstruction light activated by the control panel to warn passing aircrafts of the fountain’s eruption ten minutes prior to activation.

The Proof is in the Power

The company believes that every project deserves an individualized approach, which smoothed PEC’s entrance as a full-service contractor into residential, commercial, industrial, municipal and institutional projects over the years. PEC added its solar division in 2008 in response to growing market demand for solar panel installations, which PEC backs up with a team of LEED Accredited Professionals on staff. Even if a project isn’t pursuing LEED certification, the PEC team can recommend and install high-efficiency electrical systems and help clients stretch dollars further.

PEC believes that working with the client is the only way to deliver the right results, and the company takes pride in keeping clients abreast of the most cost-effective solutions. PEC held a series of seminars through 2009 to introduce the company’s clients to the advances in renewable energy systems and the potential implications of investing in solar energy systems could have on a building’s bottom line. To prove the point, PEC even donated a 1-kilowatt ground-mounted system of six solar panels to Edwardsville High School in Edwardsville, Ill. PEC included a web box and data cabling to connect the system to the school’s computers so that students can monitor the panels’ performance in real time.

Beyond these successes, recent years have been tough for the PEC team and competition has become especially fierce in the regional markets. “I am very proud of our team for pulling through and succeeding the way we have over the past few years,” admits Keeney. Despite trying economic times, the PEC team still managed to stay busy and land a few major contracts.

Proven Expertise

PEC is currently at work for the U.S. Transportation Command, which is based out of Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, 20 miles east of St. Louis. The command is charged with responding to the needs of the U.S. Department of Defense’s (U.S. DoD) wartime commanders using both military and commercial transportation resources. The base is continually expanding as it serves two Air Force Commands and over 11,000 employees. PEC has completed work on four dormitories, one officer’s dining hall and several warehouses. The team also renovated a number of facilities on base and installed the complete electrical systems for a 66,000-square foot facility for the U.S. Army Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command.

But the crown jewel of PEC’s recent projects with the U.S. Transportation Command is the construction of a new BRAC ADAL facility. The facility will serve over 1,100 government employees and rings in over $23 million in electrical and communications systems alone.

The project adds to PEC’s diverse portfolio of projects and solidifies the company’s strong reputation in public- and private-sector markets. As signs of improvement arise within the industry PEC will be standing by – aided by the local union halls – to deliver a team of talented professionals to tackle available opportunities with experience and enthusiasm, which may prove the best way to celebrate Pyramid Electrical Contractors Inc.’s 30-year anniversary.