When it comes to choosing an electrical contractor for a project, it is critical to differentiate between an Industrial Contractor and a Commercial Contractor.
While both professions have a foundation in electrical systems, the nature of their work is quite different in many ways. This article is going to dive into those differences so that one can be sure of entrusting the next project to the right team of electricians.
Education And Experience
The journey to becoming an electrician or electrical contractor begins with a solid education followed by field experience. Commercial electricians gain experience primarily on service entrance, power distribution, facility power, and facility lighting.
Industrial electricians share these same experiences and also are required to have knowledge on instrumentation, controls, and automation related to process machinery installations.
Environment
Commercial electricians work in facilities such as retail spaces, office buildings, hotels, and churches
Commercial electricians work in facilities such as retail spaces, office buildings, hotels, and churches. Industrial electricians like those at Hill Electric work in manufacturing facilities, including pulp/paper, chemical, textile, automotive, pharmaceutical, plastic/thermoforming, food/beverage, and also municipal water/wastewater.
Hill Electric maintains focus on its niche of process machinery installations and does not compete in the commercial market space.
Project Scope And Duties
Industrial projects typically have complex systems due to the varying facility requirements. Because work occurs in an operating production facility, safety training is essential to ensure adherence to facility requirements.
Many industrial projects occur when the facility has downtime around major holidays. Hill Electric understands their critical role when projects must be completed for production to return to normal.
The reasons to differentiate
The capabilities between Commercial Contractors and Industrial Contractors vary greatly. It is important that the Industrial Contractors train their electricians for the complex environments in which they work.
It’s important to not only recognize the expertise of the electricians you’re working with, but also acknowledge the risk factor involved in the work they do.
The team at Hill Electric is fully qualified and highly experienced in taking on industrial projects.
