Over these past 9 months, the majority of us have been sheltered away from our routine daily lives as the coronavirus raged through our cities and towns, across the country and the world, taking now more than 1.4 million lives worldwide at the time of this post. And much focus has been given to the debate of working from home in the future and what our new normal will look like, knowing it will be anything BUT “business as usual”.

We have witnessed literally millions of Americans become jobless overnight. We have watched businesses large and small shutter and close, many who have been in business for generations. We have applauded the countless men and women who have been on the frontlines of this pandemic, namely our first responders and all the essential workers who have kept America functioning and moving forward during this crisis.

Now, as plans are being put into place to return to the workplace in the new year, there are those who never left the routine of their workday, the exceptionally skilled tradesmen and women of the unionized electrical industry. There are scores of stories of our member contractors and electricians who have not only continued with their important daily electrical work, but who have also taken on extraordinary projects all over the country to help their fellow man.

Since the crisis began, NECA contractors and IBEW locals have been:

• Powering facilities being repurposed to produce life-saving ventilators
• Supplying massive amounts of PPE to local hospitals and medical facilities
• Distributing groceries and meals to retirees and those who have lost their jobs
• Organizing volunteers to construct and sew surgical-grade masks for local hospitals
• Providing critical power to structures being repurposed as overflow hospitals
• Constructing face shields and masks with personal 3D printers for health care workers
• Sequestering at work sites to protect and maintain critical power infrastructure
• Donating funds to purchase medical equipment and in support of COVID-19 vaccine research

As essential as you can get, these dedicated workers have gone to work each day with the threat of contracting the virus and potentially bringing it home to their families. But in reviewing the list above, who else was going to do such crucial and necessary work? Such work can only be accomplished by the most highly skilled and trained electrical workforce. Our workforce.

So we offer this essential THANK YOU to our PowerForward DuPage member contractors and electricians, and to all who will continue to play a critical role in the coming months as businesses adapt and prepare to welcome back building tenants and employees:

  • Thank YOU for continuing to work despite great personal risk, providing critical electrical services at any hour of the day, any day of the week.
  • Thank YOU for having the knowledge and expertise to keep DuPage County connected.
  • Thank YOU for caring enough to go above and beyond to help those in your communities.

We remain deeply grateful for your knowledge and expertise and your remarkable contributions throughout this crisis.

Should you have any electrical needs as you prepare to re-open your business, please call the PowerForward DuPage office at 630-791-2660 during normal business hours of 7am – 4pm, Monday – Friday to be connected with the best and the brightest electrical talent in and around DuPage County.

 

Updated November 2020