| | | | | | See what Trevor Ottmann got up to during his second full day at the NECA show in Chicago, including exploring the show floor with a local friend. |
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| | Sponsored | For over a century, Schneider Electric has been committed to delivering reliable solutions and valuable industry insights to electrical contractors to help them adapt and grow their businesses. Our connected circuit breakers and switchgear deliver real-time insights to help you make confident decisions — and keep your projects on schedule and on budget. See how our solutions can help you meet and exceed your business needs for today and prepare for what's next. |
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| | | NECA 2025 continues in Chicago. The editorial team of EC&M hit the show floor once again on the second day. Click through these slides to see the products that caught Group Editorial Director Mike Eby’s attention. |
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| | Sponsored | Electrical contractors are switching to Griplock cable suspension systems for faster, simpler installs. Eliminate cutting, threading, and leveling frustrations—install in a fraction of the time. |
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| | | The Everyday Electrician, Trevor Ottmann, and Managing Editor Ellie Coggins are back at the EC&M booth to show you what NECA Day 2 looks like. |
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| | Sponsored | Champion Fiberglass® is the leading supplier of fiberglass conduit and according to NECA, offers the lowest labor rates across conduit types for contractors in the electrical industry. While being the only fiberglass conduit manufacturer that is ISO 9001: 2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 certified, Champion Fiberglass focuses on quality, state-of-the-art manufacturing. |
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| | | NECA rolls on in Chicago! The editors of EC&M hit the show floor for Day 2 to scope out the latest and greatest product innovations. This gallery highlights interesting EV products that caught the attention of Editor Michael Morris. |
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| | Sponsored | GlenGuard’s insanely lightweight, seriously soft AR/FR fabric is engineered to handle whatever the workday throws your way. American-made and moisture wicking, it delivers next-level comfort and durability that stands up to the grind. When the job demands more, GlenGuard gets it done without compromising compliance or comfort. |
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| | | Visit booth 3726 by tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT for a chance to win a free e-bike from the EC&M team and its sponsors before NECA 2025 officially ends. |
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| | Sponsored | ABB’s first one-piece Ocal® PVC-coated to PVC conduit adapter simplifies underground electrical installations. Designed from installer feedback, it eliminates extra parts and manual adjustments—saving time and labor. Ideal for fast-paced projects like data centers, it ensures a strong, seamless connection from underground to above ground. |
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| | | One of the NECA highlights for any electrician is to walk the show floor and visit all the unique booths. The Everyday Electrician Trevor Ottmann took the opportunity to visit some booths and get a hands-on look at various products on display. This gallery showcases some of Trevor’s booth visits and the products that caught his eye. |
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| | Sponsored | Qikshear® shear bolt connectors eliminate the need for compression tooling or a torque wrench for installation. The unique design results in the correct clamping force. The bolt shears off in a way that leaves no exposed edges above the surface of the connector. A simple Allen head socket wrench is all an installer needs for a secure connection. |
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| | | Download EC&M's 2025 Top 50 Electrical Contractors table. Again this year, a collection of the nation’s largest and most influential electrical contractors showed that it’s possible to grow revenue, despite ongoing industry challenges such as rising material prices, long lead time on equipment, supply chain struggles, skilled labor shortages, tariffs, and delivery delays. |
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| | Sponsored | Cut time, save materials, and simplify your setup with RACO’s flat box conduit support plate. This 12-inch galvanized steel plate supports boxes and conduit with ease. Bendable tabs, alignment markings, and pre-punched holes make setup fast and secure. See it in action in booth #2031 at NECA 2025. |
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| | | The 2025 EC&M 30 Under 30 have wrapped up their apprenticeships, earned their degrees, and sharpened their skill sets. As they continue to advance in their careers, a few of this year's honorees offered the following tips for other up-and-coming electrical professionals aspiring to be leaders in the industry. |
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| | Sponsored | Compare your estimates to the completed project to see where you over or under bid. Accuracy is important when your estimate can be the deciding factor between a profitable job or a killer one. With Estimation Analysis Enhancement Software, you can get data from the field on how your estimates panned out, allowing you to see crucial performance information to build better estimates. |
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| | | RVE takes home first runner-up honor for its DCC-9 load controller in this year's Product of the Year competition. Representing the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment category, this product's Its patented direct-to-meter wiring approach ensures seamless integration with the dwelling’s existing electrical infrastructure. |
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| | | A day in the life of a residential electrician is about more than just wiring homes — it’s about problem-solving, precision, and building lasting connections within the community. As this essential role continues to evolve with new technologies and growing demand, residential electricians remain the foundation of the electrical trade, offering a rewarding career path with real-world impact. See what it takes to become a residential electrician. |
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| | | Job-site ingenuity and creative problem-solving are essential for enhancing profitability in electrical contracting. Learn field-tested ways to improve efficiency and increase profit margins. |
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| | | The only thing worse for construction contractors than failing to consistently win enough profitable new business might be sinking resources into projects that never advance beyond preconstruction. |
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| | | The largest electrical distributors in Electrical Wholesaling’s annual ranking continue to invest in their businesses in a big way despite an uncertain economic outlook for 2025. |
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| | | Episode 79 features an audio-only version of a popular gallery that recently ran on the EC&M website called "What's Driving Women Out of Construction?" This gallery offers statistics from a survey conducted by The National Center for Construction Education and Research. The findings offer insights on some of the elements that are keeping women from entering and remaining in the construction industry. |
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