Discover the secrets to Amteck’s growth, driven by innovative prefabrication and a peer-driven safety culture
Founded in 1977, Amteck started life as a commercial and industrial electrical contractor. Today, the company continues to excel in this work, but with an expanded workforce of about 1200 employees across the US. The Amteck team specializes in a broad spectrum of commercial and industrial electrical services, including new build projects, maintenance, service and renovation work. With expertise that spans electrical design and build, low voltage systems, security, structured cabling, fiber optics and data center projects, the company stands as a versatile presence in the electrical sector. Daren Turner, Amteck’s CEO and the son of company founder, Ron Turner, discusses Amteck’s recent growth, which was achieved both organically and through acquisition.
“Based in Lexington, KY, we have a long history of successful growth and acquisitions in various states, having purchased multiple electrical contractors in both South Carolina and Tennessee. These acquisitions have resulted in significant growth, allowing our operations in these states and across the country to thrive. Even though this growth is exciting, we remain committed to investing in existing operations rather than merely buying into success. To that end, we have done a lot to invest in our prefabrication, our virtual design teams, and all our people across the company. Our prefabrication group is very large now, with several dozen employees dedicated to pre-build materials and setups in controlled environments that are extremely clean, safe and efficient. Rather than assembling materials on job sites with unpredictable weather and circumstances, we have found that investing in our virtual design and our prefabrication teams has resulted in faster and safer project completions,” he begins.
Safety culture
Evidently, safety is a key concern for Amteck, which consistently fosters a strong safety culture throughout the organization. As a result of this commitment, the company recently won the Diamond Safety STEP Award from the Associated Builders and Contractors of America, recognizing its outstanding safety reputation. Amteck employs a variety of safety strategies on every job site, requiring each employee to undertake OSHA training before setting foot on site, as well as adhering to PPE safety protocols. Additionally, Amteck offers several safety incentive programs, including safety observation competitions. Every employee is granted stop-work authority, and they are encouraged to make records of any unsafe practices, whether involving Amteck personnel or other trades. When employees go above and beyond to uphold safety standards, they are rewarded with safety chips, which they can collect and then redeem for various rewards and gifts. In doing so, Amteck is dedicated to ensuring the safety of its workforce, regardless of their tasks or where they are on the job site. To support this mission, the company tracks all safety observations in a comprehensive digital database.
Safeguarding the wellbeing of its employees and partners aligns with Amteck’s core values and company culture, and Daren explains what the organization expects from its employees. “Our core values are defined by the ‘Amteck Way,’ with each letter representing a different value. First, ‘A’ stands for Accountability, as we believe that being accountable to one another, to our clients and to our safety reputation is vital for us to continue delivering our work to a high standard. Next, ‘M’ represents Mentorship, highlighting the importance of guiding new employees. Those of us with more experience have a responsibility to uplift others, fostering a culture where everyone’s success is interconnected. Then, ‘T’ stands for being Trustworthy, since without trust among fellow employees and clients, relationships can grow fragile very quickly.
“While ‘E’ for Effectiveness speaks for itself, it also emphasizes our commitment to excellence; my father used to say that we only satisfy clients 99 percent of the time, we have ultimately failed. Our culture is centered on Caring, which is what the ‘C’ of the Amteck Way stands for. We instill this value at all levels, from the president down to every apprentice, ensuring that everyone cares about each other, the quality of their work, and those around them. Finally, ‘K’ stands for Knowledgeable. We encourage everyone to continue to grow in knowledge, exemplified by our Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship program, which is among the best in the country. We proudly celebrate those program graduates every year,” he continues.
People focus
As Amteck continues to grow, the company is determined to preserve its culture, even as more employees join the team. “With any company’s expansion, there is a risk of diluting its culture. However, our culture is incredibly healthy right now, and we do not want to risk losing our safety record or alienating employees who might feel disconnected. That is why our number one goal this year is to invest in our existing workforce, from those who have been with us for over 25 years, to the newcomers just starting. We want to ensure they understand what it means to be part of Amteck, to know the principles of the Amteck Way, and recognize it as our guiding light. Ultimately, we are a people company, not merely a service provider,” Daren concludes. “Our expertise lies in working alongside people to build things, so if we do not invest in our workforce and retain our talent, we risk losing out to our competitors and doing a disservice to our employees.”
