In 2008,  the company was on fire. Operations in all three branches were bringing in higher volumes of worthwhile work. “There was a massive build-up of food processing for dairies in this area, and we got a couple of those jobs via bid. We also ended up doing design-build on one key project,” Bruce Turnupseed recalled.

In 2009, the company was listed as #1,023 on the INC. magazine list of the 5,000 fastest-growing privately held firms in the U.S. (the magazine used 2008 numbers for its rankings). After several years of rapid growth, the company had reached 200 field electricians and office employees.

Now, with work falling off of a cliff, the company has cut back to around 90 all told. “Cutting back was a hard thing to do, and some of the people we were forced to let go had been here 10 or more years,” Bruce Turnupseed said.

“But that’s part of staying conservative. Here in the Central Valley, in our experience of the slowdowns of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, usually we trail the national economy by about six months. We get into the hole six months after everyone else, and we generally stay in it six months later, too.”

What’s the plan? Stay strong. Wait for things to change. Grow with the local and California economy.

An industrial customer (such as a food processing plant) can obtain a lot of what it needs from Turnupseed Electric Service – motors, gear boxes, belt drives, design/build electrical construction, motor rewinding and repair, and service work.

Much of the company’s operation is founded on sound decisions made earlier – such as that “avoid debt like the plaque” thing. Another example is use of McCormick Systems software, which dates back to a visit company founder Jack McCormick made to the company some 20 years ago (after trying a “cold call” to the company’s chief estimator). 

“I was an estimator here when he came by, and I remember it,” said Bruce Turnupseed. “We had another estimating program in place. That other program was restrictive in some ways. When we saw the McCormick alternative, we liked it – it was pretty much an open database. We saw that we could move freely around in it.”

That decision stuck, too. The company still uses McCormick’s software, whether the work it is pursuing is open bid or design/build/negotiated. “On the design/build work, we have to make sure that we’ve got everything covered, We design it separately, and then give it to our estimator – and he does the take-offs involved.

“Does that sound unusual? You have to have checks and balances. When he does the take-off, it’s a double-check for us.”

Fourth generation in the house!

These days, Turnupseed Electric Service is home to a lot of changes. The estimating department now includes nine estimators and projects managers – “at one time, we didn’t have the project managers do estimating, but that’s changed. At this point in the economic cycle, anyone who can count dots and spots on the drawings is doing estimating,” Bruce Turnupseed explained.

What’s more, the Turnupseed family’s 4^th generation is now at work inside the company. David’s son Toby works with David in motor shop operations; Bruce’s sons Aaron (purchasing agent) and Adam (estimator) work with him on the construction side.

With the work comes a pass-through of certain ideas that Harley and Donald instilled in Bruce and David. It’s not just about debt and money; the company has served many customers for years, and plans to continue.

Here’s how Bruce Turnupseed explained it: “With some customers, when we finish the construction, the service department goes in there. There’s work for the motor shop, too. And when they do a remodel, the construction side gets back to work. The job is to make such customers happy.

“When the construction is completed, then the customer is introduced to our service department, and our motor shop department, and our power transmission products. The goal is to continue our relationship with that customer.

“We want to keep them for life.”

McCormick Introduces 'By Hand'

Estimating Classes

“These new classes will have nothing to do with how to use McCormick’s electrical estimating software. They are designed to be about helping a new generation to learn about the basics of electrical estimating – the nitty-gritty details,” explained Todd McCormick, the company’s president.

“We’ve been asked to provide this kind of offering, and we’ve thought about it, talked about it, and come up with a solution.”

Experienced estimators and estimating instructors who have assembled these courses (two will be offered) include Dick Manrod of McCormick’s staff in Chandler, AZ, and Erle Howard, the independent veteran estimator in MD who teaches the company’s classes in the East.

“I’m glad to see the company do this, because we’ve got a problem in the electrical industry,” Howard said. “The problem is pretty basic: No one is going into the field as an estimator. Where are they going to come from, if we don’t find some – or create some?”

McCormick will offer two classes: Basic estimating, which is an introduction to the subject, and an Advanced class – which essentially will be further instruction for those who have taken and liked the Basic class.

Each course will last two days. Please note that these classes will not have the same content as the Standard and Advanced classes offered by McCormick on how to use its software!

“Students will learn to do estimating the old-fashioned way, by hand,” Howard explained. “Those of us who have taught the McCormick Systems classes, like me and Dick, believe that if you don’t know how to do estimating by hand, you’ll never learn how to do it with a computer.”

Students in the Basic class will take off a small job from start to finish. They’ll price the job, apply overhead and profit. In other words, they’ll estimate a “typical” electrical job . . . getting armpit-deep into the details, methods, processes, and alternatives. The final result will be a bid.

“The thrust here is to get people involved in estimating,” explained Todd McCormick. “No one will come out of a two-day course as a full-fledged estimator, of course. But we are hoping these classes will open some eyes – that those who attend will come out understanding what the possibilities are.”

As designed, neither the Basic nor Advanced estimating courses will delve into the realm of software (McCormick’s offerings, for example). Those who complete the class will, McCormick’s people believe, have a better idea of what estimating is – and whether it is something they can enjoy.

“I’ve taught classes like this before, for the Electrical League of Maryland for example,” Howard noted. “Typically, what I hear from students afterward is that – ‘there is a lot more to this than I ever imagined.’ Some say they learned that estimating is something they do not want to do in the future. But others say they like it, and they want to go ahead and pursue a career.”

Who will take the class? Todd McCormick answered that a full range of people is likely to attend. “Many times, we meet electricians – people with experience in the field – who think they might want to become contractors. Well, you won’t win many jobs without knowing how to estimate and bid. And if you don’t estimate correctly, you might come to regret winning some of those bids.

“There are others who might want to learn estimating. In our 31 years as a company, we’ve seen electrical contractors turn people who knew nothing about electrical work into estimators. We’ve also seen veteran electricians come into the office and become estimators and project managers.

“We’ve designed these courses so that, after two days of the Basic class, you’ll have a good idea of what estimating is. The Advanced class will take the student further – and might also serve as an excellent refresher for those already in the field.”

 For details on these new estimating classes, contact McCormick Systems at 800-444-4890.

Walsh Electric Improves Project Management Efficiency and Change Order Approval Success

Yorktown, Virginia–based Walsh Electric Company, Inc., specializes in the installation and service of power distribution systems, emergency generator and transfer systems, fire and smoke detection systems, full data and networking systems, horizontal boring, and exterior site lighting.

As the company began to experience rapid growth, staying on top of project documentation became a challenge. To create and track documents, project teams were using spreadsheets and the company’s accounting system. But it soon became obvious that this approach was both cumbersome and inadequate.

“The accounting system’s document management module was too rigid,” said David T. Walsh Jr., director of project administration for Walsh Electric. “Plus, you could tell that it was built for a general contractor, so it lacked critical tracking functionality we needed to manage our documentation and our projects effectively.”

After looking into a number of options, Walsh Electric implemented Project DocControl, a document management software solution built for electrical contractors and a McCormick PowerLink Partner. Project DocControl replaces stacks of three-ring binders, spreadsheets and file folders, storing all project information and documentation—everything from RFIs to submittals, transmittals, correspondence, change order requests, payment applications and more—in a secure centralized database.

According to Walsh, since implementing this easy-to-use system, he and his team have been able to document projects much faster while greatly improving the quality and depth of their documentation. This has enabled the company to continue to grow and to confidently tackle large, complex projects.

“Knowing that our project documentation is complete, centralized and easy to find—that’s a huge burden off our shoulders,” said Walsh. “It means that we can respond faster to questions from the architect, engineer or GC. It allows us to more easily justify change order requests. And it helps us stay on top of submittals and other outstanding items so we can avoid costly delays and problems.”

To illustrate the impact of having this level of project control, Walsh pointed to a large hospital project his company is currently working on. “We’re now up to about $500,000 in change orders in this project,” he explained. “Had we not had complete, centralized and easy-to-access documentation, there’s just no way we could have been successful explaining and justifying these changes.”

Every time there’s a question on a change order, Walsh’s team can find all related items to that issue within minutes. That’s because Project DocControl provides a means to create documentation more easily. Plus, the system allows for easy linking of all items related to a specific issue, making it easier to produce a clear audit trail and to justify the company’s actions.

When asked about the impact the Project DocControl solution has had on project performance, Walsh replied, “This system is not a luxury; it’s a must-have in today’s environment—especially if you’re a small or midsize electrical contractor. In fact, Project DocControl has been one of the best software investments we’ve ever made.”

Did you know that Energy Secretary Stephen Chu has a Facebook page?

(yeah, yeah - who doesn't?)

http://www.facebook.com/stevenchu