CREDIT: LAUREN DIETRICH
Aug. 15, marked the grand opening of the London branch of New Electric. The company is excited to provide employment opportunities for the city of London.

On Aug. 15, industrial electrical contracting company, New Electric celebrated the grand opening of a London branch to add to the eight other branches already existing throughout Ontario.

The company was established in 1970 and now has branches in Oakville, Cambridge, Stoney Creek, Mississauga, Belleville, Brampton, Barrie, Vaughan, Whitby and London.

New Electric has a team of over 250 electricians, programmers and support staff and is eager to grow their numbers at the new branch in London.

President of New Electric, Roland Van Olst, spoke at the grand opening about what the company offers and how New Electric’s pride is what fuels the company to go the extra mile.

“Our clients range from manufacturing, automotive, food and beverage, material handling, transit and pharmaceutical,” Van Olst said. “We firmly believe that when we become one, all parts become stronger. Our efforts here in London will only increase our demand to hire skilled trades people.”

In an Aug. 15 press release from New Electric, Van Olst spoke about how the London branch will contribute to the city and create a better customer experience for clients in southwestern Ontario.

“We take great pride in our ability to offer a high level of responsiveness and expertise and this new location will enable us to not only better serve our customers, but also create employment opportunities for skilled electrical trades in the region,” Van Olst said.

Matt Brown, mayor of London, attended the grand opening and discussed that opening new companies in London is key to the economic success of the city.

“When I see a company like this coming to London, I know that good things are going to happen,” Brown said. “I was thrilled to see a sign at the side of the road that said ‘now hiring’ because that is exactly what we need to do.”

Regional (branch) manager of New Electric, Dave Van Wijngaarden, spoke about his eagerness for Fanshawe applicants and how a college diploma would contribute to success at New Electric.

“What I always admire about any university or college graduate is that it teaches you how to learn on your own and how to teach yourself something,” Van Wijngaarden said. “The world is changing so fast, especially in our industry and you are constantly having to dig into resources to teach yourself the next level of whatever it may be you are looking at.”

In addition to electrical backgrounds, Van Wijngaarden discussed that New Electric has a need for sales, marketing and management level courses as it takes a variety of education and backgrounds to make the company run.

“We are very eager to hire people even if they do not have a lot of electrical experience,” Van Wijngaarden said. “You cannot teach attitude so if you come in with a positive attitude we can teach you the skill set. I am excited about offering individuals the chance to have good quality employment.”

According to Van Wijngaarden, the existing New Electric branches in Ontario have had success with co-op students in the past and the London branch is open to exploring that opportunity, but it will be driven by the amount of work that is coming in.

If you are interested in learning more about New Electric or finding out how to apply, visit newelectric.com.