Bruce Phillips, the founder of the 10-year-old Electrical Prefab Systems, Chandler, Ariz. became a believer in prefabricated electrical systems when he first started working in the electrical field decades ago, and he parlayed that interest into a business that supplies other electrical contractors with prefab products. He shared some of what he learned about prefab products with other electrical contractors during a technical seminar on Day 2 of the 2016 NECA Annual Convention.
Phillips said contractors need to be willing to devote adequate planning, space, quality control and personnel to a new prefab business — and get buy-in from electricians in the field — for it to provide the expected cost savings and installation process improvements. Field buy-in is critical, he said, and if electricians lose confidence in the prefab systems produced in the shop, they will do the work themselves on the job-site. “You need quality control during every step of the process,” Phillips said.
