Jacob Karanovich

Job Title: Area Superintendent

Company: Rosendin Electric

Location: Westfield, Mass.

Age: 28

Years on the Job: 6

Interests: Spending time with family, practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, lifting weights, and working around the house

Jacob Karanovich’s father-in-law, who worked for a non-union contractor in building maintenance, encouraged him to get into a trade, and he applied for the IBEW Local 26 apprenticeship.

“I ended up loving being in the trade and getting to work on new things and learn from new people,” he said.

Born and raised in Damascus, Md., he graduated from the apprenticeship program in 2021, completed leadership courses, and received on-site mentoring from Rosendin leaders.

“It has been extremely valuable to soak up skills from those around you,” he said. “Also, being able to see what not to do from other individuals in the past has helped propel my career to a new level.”

As an area superintendent, he is managing two tenant fit-out (TFO) projects worth $40 million and two combined base-build/TFO projects valued at $210 million. He is ensuring adequate staffing and resource allocation across all sites while maintaining Rosendin's standards for safety, quality, and efficiency.

“I have been doing this on a smaller scale for about five years, but it just keeps getting bigger,” he said. “I’m focused on keeping our people safe while constantly tracking production and ensuring our teams have appropriate manpower. I’m also making sure we’re seizing schedule opportunities to get ahead where we can.”

He said technology is very important, especially in the fast-moving construction industry. With the latest tools and technological advances, he can have most answers at his fingertips or find the right person to answer the question.

“We will try just about anything to streamline the process of being able to turn over a quality product in a safe, timely manner to our customers,” he said.

He has had endless opportunities for growth at his company and never wants to be stagnant.

“I intend to keep learning new ways to perform our trade and make a lasting impact on the people around me,” he said.

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