Helix Electric of Nevada

Repeaing the rewards of reputation┬áHelix Electric of Nevada is now enjoying the results of its steady growth and track record for solid work, with its name up in lights on some of Las VegasÔÇÖs highest-profile projects, as Keith Regan explains. In 1995 Helix Electric was the new kid on the block in the Las Vegas electrical contracting market, a startup eager to prove its merit with the cityÔÇÖs top builders and project owners.  Thirteen years later, Helix has grown into a firm that recorded more than $110 million in revenue in 2007ÔÇöa number it hopes to match in 2008, despite a sharp downturn in construction activity in Las Vegas.  Helix of Nevada (San Diego-based Helix Electric is a partner in the Vegas firm) now employs more than 400 people, including some 360 workers in the field, making it the largest merit, or non-union, electrical shop in the city. That size helps make it a go-to firm for many clients, says president and owner Victor Fuchs. ÔÇ£It gives us the ability to do complicated jobs and do them quickly,ÔÇØ Fuchs says, noting that the next-largest merit shop in the city employs around 100 people. ÔÇ£When somebody wants a job done on time and on budget, itÔÇÖs pretty clear that weÔÇÖre the choice.ÔÇØ Being large also means Helix can secure bonds for large-scale projects, with bonding capacity to cover projects of over $100 million or more. Electrical contractors are key to the success of large projects, Fuchs argues, because they are one of the first subcontractors brought onto a site (to set up power systems for the construction itself) and one of the last to leave after all the finish work is completed. On large-scale projects in particular, itÔÇÖs difficult for large national companies to move enough manpower into the city. ÔÇ£If itÔÇÖs a quick project of a couple months, thatÔÇÖs one thing. But Las Vegas is a unique city, and itÔÇÖs not that easy for people to move workers here for a year or more,ÔÇØ Fuchs notes. HelixÔÇÖs track record covers large-scale commercial projects, condominium projectsÔÇöuntil recently, a booming market in Las VegasÔÇöand has recently been extended to include working on projects designed and built to the LEED standards of the US Green Building Council. The company has worked on projects that have won Platinum and Gold certification in recent years. ÔÇ£Electrical components can be a huge part of a green project, so our experience is something a lot of project owners are seeking out these days, and we expect that to continue.ÔÇØ As it has grown, Helix has carefully cultivated the right culture among its employees, sending all new employees through an internal university to finish their training and seeking to identify leaders from within. ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖve got a number of people who have been with us since 1995,ÔÇØ Fuchs says. ÔÇ£Those people are committed to our organization because they know weÔÇÖre committed to finding high-quality work and to treating them right and making sure they have solid continuous employment through the good times and the lean times.ÔÇØThat longevity is important because it makes for smooth operations within the company and strong relations with project owners, construction managers and others with whom an electrical contractor must work closely to be successful. ÔÇ£Everybody can come with a competitive price. If you donÔÇÖt have the right organization and the right people in place to do the work and build those relationshipsÔÇöthatÔÇÖs what it all comes down to in the end.ÔÇØDuring the building boom, Helix was facing pressure from sharp increases in commodities prices. Copper in particular was pressuring profit margins and causing uncertainty in bidding work. ÔÇ£At one point, you had no idea when you bid a job what the price would be tomorrow, let alone in eight months to two years when the work was being finished,ÔÇØ Fuchs says. Now the challenge is in keeping the work flowing, something Helix has managed to do, with 2008 revenues expected to keep pace with last yearÔÇÖs record levels. The firm is looking to secure more public-sector work as the condo market remains dormantÔÇösomething Fuchs expects to be the case for another year at leastÔÇöand continues to derive ongoing revenue from smaller negotiated commercial work; its service department dispatches electricians and a fleet of 30 trucks around the clock. Already, HelixÔÇÖs track record and reputation have helped it win some high-profile projects in the city, work that has helped it weather the overall downturn in construction in the desert city. It is currently wrapping work on the Frank Gehry-designed Lou Ruvo Brain Institute, a high-concept building that is bound to become a landmark for its unique design. The brain institute, which will include an AlzheimerÔÇÖs museum, is set to open in April 2009. The firm also recently won the right to become the main electrical contractor on the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, which is being hailed as one of only two or three centers of its type in the nation. Millions of Las Vegas visitors see the firmÔÇÖs work first-hand each year as they fly into the city and pass through the massive 650,000-square-foot Terminal D at McCarran International Airport. Fuchs calls such high-profile projects ÔÇ£reward for all the hard work weÔÇÖve put in over the years. If we didnÔÇÖt have a good reputation,ÔÇØ he adds, ÔÇ£we wouldnÔÇÖt be invited to take part in projects like those.ÔÇØ