10 Tools To Gain Electrical Contractor Efficiencies

An increase in high-tech demands combined with the overall aging of the American population has led to a shortfall in electrical workers. Luckily, products and services exist to help contractors improve jobsite efficiency and safety.

According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of electrician jobs will grow by 23 percent between now and 2020. McGraw-Hill Construction found that nearly half of all general contractors say they are worried about recruiting enough skilled tradesmen to meet the coming demand.

Now, more than ever, contractors are forced to think differently and find ways to gain efficiencies in order to stay competitive. A licensed electrician who spent years working in the field, himself and now a Contractor Services Manager at Van Meter, Garry O’Leary, shares his top picks for tools you won’t want to work without.

1. RACO STAB-IT Box contains built-in cable connectors, designed to lock the cable in place quickly and easily to increase production.
2. B-Line 4Dimension™ Strut System, ideal for new and retrofit applications, profiles with two-sided and four-sided functionality. It saves space and weight, all while cutting installation times.
3. B-Line KwikSplice™ Cable Tray features a patent pending splice retention groove I-beam side rail which allows installers to easily guide and snap the splice plate into position.
4. Eaton 60-Circuit Plug-On Neutral Loadcenter enables more circuits to be wired in a single installation, eliminating the need for a subpanel.
5. Wheatland SpeedCouple is a pre-installed swivel coupling. Instead of turning the elbow, simply turn the coupling and let the lead-in threads do the work.
6. Pre-installed Pulling Heads installed locally from Van Meter’s certified team can increase job safety, as well as eliminate the need to manually strip wire and marry multiple heads in the field.
7. Southwire SIMpull REEL is a maneuverable payoff system that makes it possible for one worker to safely and efficiently maneuver a 6,000-pound reel through spaces as narrow as a 36-inch doorway.
8. Southwire SIMpull Rope is UV resistant, lightweight, ultra-low stretch and comes standard with dual factory-installed pulling eyes. It does not absorb water, therefore eliminating rope rot. With a breaking strength of 32,000 pounds, contractors need only one rope for pulls up to 10,000 pounds.
9. Southwire Circuit CoilPAK™ provides inertia-free pulling and versatility on the job. All coilPAKs are less than 50 pounds and can be stacked or laid flat directly on the floor, eliminating the wire tree.
10. Southwire MCap® Cable, both UL-listed and NEC-compliant, can replace conventional AC or MC cable in a broad range of applications, saving up to 30 percent in installation time and costs.

In addition, Van Meter’s customized wire and cable services are focused on creating jobsite efficiencies and a total project savings for you. Services include SIMpull Reels, paralleled reels, stacked runs, compartment reels, customized small-circuit bundling, custom labeling and pulling head installation. For more information on any of the products or services mentioned, please contact a member of our sales team at 1-800-247-1410.

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