2027 MEP Innovation Conference
Call for Proposals! | | |
Your experience could shape how the MEP industry moves forward! Submit a proposal to lead an educational session at the 2027 MEP Innovation Conference, taking place January 25–27, 2027, in Tampa, Florida.
Co-hosted by NECA, MCAA and SMACNA, this conference brings together top professionals from the electrical, mechanical, and sheet metal industries to drive efficiency, performance, and profitability across the trades. Sessions take many forms — presentations, panel discussions, roundtables, and hands-on showcases — so there's room for your voice however you communicate best.
As innovation reshapes every corner of the industry, this is your chance to lead the conversation at one of the premier gatherings in the MEP world.
Submit your proposal by June 22, 2026 >>
Questions? Contact Andrea Herrera Hendricks at speakers@necanet.org
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"Navigating the Electrical Safety Compliance Triangle"
May 11, 2026
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The Joint Safety Forum sponsored by the NECA/IBEW 701 Safety Committee, PowerForward DuPage, as well as participation from the Electrical Contractors’ Association of City of Chicago (ECA) / Chicago & Cook County Chapter, NECA Safety Committee, featured a seminar called, “Navigating the Electrical Safety Compliance Triangle.” The session had 45 registrants and was held on Monday, May 11, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. at the IBEW Local 701 Training Facility in Warrenville, IL. Construction Safety Council instructor, Tom King delivered an informative 2-hour presentation addressing the codes and communications necessary to keep workers free from harm.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
| NECA Legislative Conference
May 4 - 6, 2026 | |
The NECA Legislative Conference was held May 4 – 6, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Chapter had the most representatives from the overall Illinois contingent. Eight ECA members and two ECA staff members participated with the numerous meetings with the Aides / Chiefs of Staff of the Illinois Representatives and Senators. We thank our members for their time at the Conference.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
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NECA's Safety Recognition Program includes two categories: Safety Excellence and Zero-Injury Achievement.
NECA’s Recognition of Safety Achievement program is an elite safety recognition focused on recognizing thriving companies that excel in multiple areas of their safety and health programs. Member companies that consistently show no injuries, illnesses or fatalities and implement internal company safety practices above and beyond basic compliance will continue to be recognized with the Zero-Injury Recognition program. New criteria for Safety Excellence were introduced in 2025. The new criteria follows the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) and overall safety industry focus on companies that implement internal company safety practices above and beyond basic compliance and show an absence of serious injuries and fatalities.
The NECA Safety Ambassadors Medal recognizes the top NECA member that has exemplified superior performance in the area of safety providing leadership, support and recognition to employees that lead by example. The NECA Safety Ambassadors medal recipient is selected for achieving a superior safety performance score in the NECA Recognition of Safety Achievement Programs. This cumulative score is based on a point system for having injury and illness rates and an Experience Modification Rate (EMR) which are better than the BLS Statistics, OSHA, insurance, and industry safety standards.
The ECA congratulates the following Chicago Chapter members!
2026 Recognition of Achievement in Safety Excellence (Chicago Chapter):
Hy-Power Electric Company
Malko Communication Services, LLC
McWilliams Electric Company, Inc.
Phoenix Business Solutions, LLC
Rocha Electric Company
Canino Electric Co.
Hartmann Electric Company, Inc.
JMS Electric, Inc.
Aldridge Electric, Inc.
Connelly Electric, Inc.,
Continental Electrical Construction Company
Gurtz Electric Co.
2026 Recognition of Achievement of Zero Injury (Chicago Chapter):
Hy-Power Electric Company
Phoenix Business Solutions, LLC
Rocha Electric Company
McWilliams Electric Company, Inc.
Malko Communication Services, LLC
Canino Electric Co.
JMS Electric, Inc.
Hartmann Electric Company, Inc.
| | Join a partnership with a track record of success /
Providing a Retirement Plan | | Western Regions NECA 401(k) Plan | | |
The Chicago & Cook County Chapter, NECA now has information to share from the Western Region, NECA, regarding how an organization can provide a quality retirement plan. Please review the following excerpt from a background document and if interested, please click the link at the end of the article for a detailed proposal.
Please click here for the background information.
For many organizations, providing a quality retirement plan may seem out of reach. But with the Western Regions NECA 401(k) Plan and Empower, you can deliver a cost-effective, practical retirement solution created specifically for your organization. Access the experience of a leading retirement plan that can help you navigate an increasingly complex legal and regulatory environment while offering resources that can help your employees get the results they deserve.
Attract and retain employees with a highly competitive retirement savings program. Save time on plan administration. Access a comprehensive universe of investment options. Rooted in workplace retirement, Empower helps more than 19 million people on their journey to financial independence. Empower’s people, technology, and approach provide individuals with a clear and simple understanding of where their finances are today and where they’re headed.
For a detailed proposal Click Here.
Contact Amber Restine (arestine@focusinvestment.com), Jacque Lam (jlam@focusinvestment.com), or call (760) 230-1880 with any questions.
| | 2026 NECA Project Excellence Awards
Applications Now Open! | | |
The NECA Project Excellence Awards recognize the most outstanding electrical construction projects completed by NECA contractors across 13 market sectors.
Projects must have been completed in 2025 and may be submitted in one of 13 categories. You can submit multiple projects but only one project per category. Categories include:
Commercial/Institutional
Design-Build
Energy Solutions & Green Building
Health Care
Industrial
Transportation & Infrastructure
Electric Vehicle (EV)
Winners are honored on stage at NECA’s Annual Convention this October, placing your company in front of industry leaders, peers, and future partners!
Submission Deadline: July 13, 2026
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
| NECA/ELECTRI Project Management Apprenticeship | |
NECA and ELECTRI International invite you to invest in your company’s future by sponsoring an employee in the NECA/ELECTRI Project Management Apprenticeship, a one-year, U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Program designed specifically for electrical contractors. This national apprenticeship program prepares aspiring project managers with the technical expertise, leadership skills, and business acumen needed to successfully manage complex electrical construction projects while they continue working full time.
CLICK BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.
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NECA Safety Professionals Conference
May 18 - 20, 2026
In a rapidly evolving regulatory and risk landscape, safety leaders need more than updates, they need strategy. The 2026 NECA Safety Professionals Conference (NSPC) is designed exclusively for safety experts who are committed to strengthening their company’s safety culture, improving compliance, and driving measurable results in the field.
If you’re ready to enhance your company’s safety standards and lead with confidence, NSPC is where you need to be on May 18-20 in Atlanta, GA!
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS / REGISTRATION INFORMATION!
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Advanced Executive Leadership Seminar (AELS)
May 31 - June 5, 2026
Duke University Campus, Durham, NC
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Now known as the Advanced Executive Leadership Seminar, CALS has been enhanced to provide a concentrated, high-impact learning experience for senior leaders in the electrical contracting industry. Providing focused executive-level education, this program is designed to strengthen strategic and operational skills through an immersive learning experience.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
| | NECA 2026 Future Leaders is Open for Registration!
June 15 - 17, 2026 | | |
The 2026 NECA Future Leaders Conference will be taking place on Monday, June 15, 2026 to Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA. This is your opportunity to sharpen your leadership edge, expand your influence, and bring real value back to your company.
Registration is officially open for the NECA Future Leaders Conference — NECA Future Leaders is committed to enhancing leadership skill through education, innovation, and collaboration. With access to Premier Partners and industry-leading companies you can learn from the best!
Stipend Availability
The Executive Committee approved the educational stipends of the Registration fees for up to two representatives and their guest and/or spouse, if applicable, of participating ECA member firms for the NECA Future Leaders (FL) Conference on June 15 – 17, 2026 in Pittsburgh, PA.
Benefits of attending:
- Networking with similarly positioned peers within the electrical industry for a broader network across the country.
- Professional and technical skill development opportunities.
- Unrivaled access to tours of Premier Partners and contractor member shops.
- Emotional intelligence development for a stronger skillset during career advancement.
- Collaboration beyond traditional networking to navigate industry evolutions and becoming champions of change.
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The ability to take key education and ideas back to your company for immediate implementation leading to personal and company growth.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION / REGISTRATION
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New Publications in the NECA Store
NECA has collected, analyzed and interpreted hundreds of data points, so our members can use these crucial reports to develop strategies, optimize processes, and improve decision-making, leading to better outcomes and a competitive advantage in the market.
CLICK HERE for the latest additions to thestore.
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Industry Alliance Network (IAN) Education Hub
Introducing the Industry Alliance Network (IAN) Education Hub, a central resource connecting members with top-tier training, professional development and certification programs from our Premier Partners and Ambassadors.
Why it matters: The Hub offers a unified platform for members to access high-quality educational content.
- Through NECA's partnerships with leading manufacturers and service providers, members gain access to specialized courses, technical training, and emerging technology insights
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NECA Business Development Information
NECA is updating its Business Development contact list for 2025! This list will be notified about Business Development resources, events and exclusive sessions. Please complete this short form and let NECA know the Business Development contact person(s) for your company.
Complete Business Development Contact List Form >>
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NECA: 125 Years, Spotlighting Acts of Service
As NECA prepares to celebrate its 125th anniversary, they are looking to honor the remarkable service projects by NECA members.
From organizing drives to volunteering at shelters to beautification projects, these acts exemplify the spirit of giving back. The ECA encourages members to share their story of service, regardless of the year of completion.
Complete the form linked below to submit your content for a chance to be featured before a NECA 2026 Las Vegas General Session.
CLICK HERE FOR SUBMISSION FORM.
NECA Gives Back - Tunnels to Towers 2026
In conjunction with NECA's 125th Anniversary, NECA is promoting the "Tunnels to Towers" Charity organization throughout the year. Please click the link below regarding the "Tunnels to Towers" effort.
CLICK HERE FOR TUNNEL TO TOWERS CONTRIBUTION INFORMATION.
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NECA Government Affairs
Please click the link for a recent update from NECA Government Affairs.
NECA Government Affairs 4/2/26
If you have any questions regarding the update, please reach out to NECA Government Affairs at: (202) 449-8418
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DOCUMENT CRUNCH
ECA Has Renewed for 2026
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The Electrical Contractors' Association of City of Chicago (ECA) has renewed the Document Crunch service for the membership for 2026. Please review the information below and register for this unique service!
Document Crunch’s mission is to empower construction teams to confidently make informed decisions that reduce risk and deliver better project outcomes. Their AI Risk Reduction Platform is built specifically for construction and gives teams the power to review documents in seconds, guide decisions with best practices, and assist with on-the-job questions and tasks. Document Crunch and NECA/ELECTRI have partnered to offer an exclusive solution that enables those better project outcomes for your business.
Faster Reviews
CrunchAI greatly reduces contract review times, typically done in just a few minutes!
Unmatched Insight
Deep and thorough AI-driven analysis of your contract gives a holistic view, benchmarked against 12 common areas of risk for electrical contractors.
Top 12 Contract Issues for Trade Contractors:
1. Pay if Paid
2. Right to Stop Work
3. Consequential Damages
4. Liquidated Damages
5. Liability Caps
6. Indemnity
7. Delays
8. Subsurface Conditions
9. Hazardous Materials
10. Design Responsibility
11. Payment Terms
12. Material Price Escalation
Understand Major Issues
Generative AI summaries provide easy consumption and understanding. Quickly learn if the contract language meets NECA best practices.
Suggested Redlines
For issues that fall short of best practice, CrunchAI creates and suggests language alternatives to bring the contract up to standard.
ECA members, who sign up for the service have exclusive access to an ELECTRI-specific solution of Document Crunch that will assess your contracts and quickly identify these top 12 critical risk provisions within your contracts. As part of the ELECTRI Document Crunch partnership, the platform’s enhanced benchmarking service is available to you to understand your levels of risk related to your peers.
Document Crunch
Click Here for Demo Video
Sign Up for Access
Click Here for recent Update.
If any questions, please contact Miah Veselinovic, Document Crunch at: mveselinovic@documentcrunch.com.
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April Recap
In case you missed anything in April, attached is a recap of ELECTRI events, updates, and key highlights from the month. Take a moment to catch up on the latest news and activity across the Foundation.
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May Webinars
ELECTRI International’s webinar series continue to draw strong participation across the industry. Programs including Service & 70Brew, Best Practices in Offsite Construction, IT/ConTech & Coffee, and our Council Room Sessions are providing timely insights and practical takeaways for contractors and industry partners alike.
Offsite Construction: Logistics, Sequencing & Scheduling in the Fab Shop
On May 15th at 1:30PM Eastern join us for a webinar focused on best practices in offsite construction.
Service & 70Brew: Agreement Planning
The May session will be held on the 19th at 3PM Eastern led by Toby Mitchell with Classic Electric.
Contech & Coffee: Data & Analytics,
Join us on March 27th at 3PM Eastern for a discussion led by David Mueller with B&D Industries and Mica Ashmore with Alterman, Inc.
Council Room Session: - Successfully Managing Change Orders
Join us on the afternoon of March 28th at 3PM Eastern, for the ELECTRI Council Room Session. This session will feature Jerry Hayes with United Electric.
Watch for a calendar hold or connect through this link on the 28th.
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ELECTRI Research Request: Please Share with Your Contractors
ELECTRI needs contractor participation to make this ELECTRI research project successful, and they ask for your help. ELECTRI is developing a Financial Maturity Toolbox designed to help electrical contractors better track performance through dashboards for Project Managers and Executives. To make these dashboards truly valuable, we need real-world contractor input on which KPIs matter most.
Researcher Hala Nassereddine has created an Excel tool with two tabs: one for Project Manager KPIs (MGPS) and one for Executive KPIs (STABLE). Contractors are asked to provide feedback on the criticality, frequency of use, and accessibility of each KPI.
Please complete both tabs in this Excel file and return it directly to Hala Nassereddine at hala.m.nassereddine@gmail.com at your earliest convenience. ELECTRI cannot do this work without contractor participation, and they appreciate your help in getting this into the right hands.
Thank you for supporting ELECTRI research.
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Registration is Now Open – ELECTRI Summer Council Meeting
We’re excited to announce that registration is now open for the ELECTRI Summer Council Meeting, taking place July 20–22 at The Henry Hotel in Dearborn, Michigan. Rooms are available through a link that will be provided once you register. You may book rooms from July 18–24, and only king and 2 Queen rooms are currently offered. If you need to extend your stay or require a different room type, please let us know.
Please note that the last day to book your room is June 28. Register Here!
This year, we’ve made a few updates to streamline the registration process. When registering, you will:
- Select the ticket(s) you would like to purchase
- If you are registering more than one primary attendee, please count them under the “Registration” ticket so that they receive all the meeting materials and notices.
- Please only use the guest ticket for spouses or other personal guests
- Then you will be directed to enter the attendee information for each ticket
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The assistant completing the registration (if logged into ELECTRI) will receive a confirmation email, and a confirmation will also be sent to the attendee email provided in the form
Both registration and payment will be completed within the registration section of the event page.
We have a strong lineup of events planned, including a highlight experience—a tour of the Ford Rouge Factory on Tuesday afternoon. This is a unique opportunity to see one of the country’s most iconic manufacturing operations up close. All primary attendees are expected to participate, and we’re pleased to extend this experience to guests (adults and children) as well.
Please be sure to indicate for each attendee whether they will attend the tour so we can plan transportation accordingly.
To view the full meeting agenda and additional details, please visit the event page.
Note: A coupon code field appears during registration; however, this is intended for select invited participants.
If you have any issues completing the registration form or payment, please reach out to Laura Holmes at laura.holmes@electri.org.
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Get Involved: Join a Task Force
We invite you to help shape the direction of these projects. Volunteer to serve on a research task force: Sign up here!
Lend Your Expertise: Participate in Surveys
ELECTRI needs contractor input to ensure our research is grounded in meaningful, real-world data. Take the surveys
Share Your Tools
PCA Researcher Deniz Besiktepe is developing resources to support onboarding and project planning. If you have sample onboarding guides or project checklists, please send them to denizb@purdue.edu.
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Share Your Insights on Jobsite Safety For a New Study
NECA is partnering with CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training and Dodge Construction Network on a new study focused on jobsite safety, and your input is essential. This survey will help track trends in safety practices across the U.S. construction industry. Please click the link below. Thank you for your participation!
CLICK HERE FOR NECA SAFETY SURVEY.
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