NETA’s Corporate Alliance Partners (CAPs) are industry-leading companies that have joined forces with NETA to work together toward a common aim: improving quality, safety, and electrical system reliability.
Switchgear Manager/Sales Bill Hill and his team run a 20,000-sq-ft switchgear shop to accommodate the high demand for fully reconditioned switchgear lineups. President/Sales Manager Cody Whisenhunt manages the office, and Buddy Wilson’s crew of breaker technicians runs the breaker repair shop. BCS does its repair, rebuild, and custom switchgear work in Krugerville, Texas.
NW: What is something readers don’t know about BCS Switchgear?
Hill: BCS Switchgear houses over 100,000 square feet of inventory including manufacturers from the 1940s to the present day. We offer replacement parts or even an entire lineup to keep our customers operating with little to no downtime. Our switchgear shop, breaker repair shop, and metal fabrication/powder coating shop all work together to minimize the lead times we see in the industry today.
NW: What recent company achievement or milestone are you particularly proud of?
Hill: One of the achievements we are most proud of is our 25 years in the industry, and we are continuing to grow every single year. We are expanding our knowledge, we continue to have more involvement in the market, and we are growing our family of employees. We credit all of that to our staff and customers. Our success would be short-lived without them.
NW: What are the biggest challenges facing your customers right now?
Hill: Our customers and our suppliers are facing challenges in supply and demand. The decrease in manufacturing has had an impact worldwide, including our industry as a whole.
NW: What evolution do you see on the horizon that will have a positive impact on your work?
Hill: For our industry, the biggest thing we see is the growth of the country in general. We have always seen demand for electricity and its components, but in today’s economy, there is more need than ever. With that demand comes more investment in our industry, which leads to improvements in all aspects of the electrical market. Electrical testing equipment and all the knowledge required to support it has been a huge help in the success of not only our company but many others as we continue to face the challenges of day-to-day operations.
NW: What challenges do you see going forward for the industry?
Hill: We would like to be able to say we are seeing better availability of materials to help to facilitate our daily tasks, but I think we have all adapted to what is quite possibly the new normal in our market. The availability of new equipment is and will be a challenge as we move forward in the industry.
NW:Is this a good time to be in the electrical power testing business — why or why not?
Hill: This is a great time to be in electrical manufacturing and testing! Everyone in our industry is operating at 100% and looking every day to add to their staff as they grow to keep up with demands in the industry.
NW: What advice do you have for young people entering the field?
Hill: Take advantage of career opportunities in this industry and absorb as much knowledge as you can from all aspects of the trade. Don’t be afraid to challenge and apply yourself so you stand out as a leader willing to complete any task put in front of you. In my case, I came into the company in 2013. I worked in our parts department reconditioning parts that were needed for breaker repairs and parts orders. That led me to a sales position in the company. During my time in sales, I wanted to know more about the breakers we reconditioned and repaired, so I helped in our breaker shop whenever I could. I reconditioned a few breakers myself and helped diagnose repairs that came into the shop. Along the way, I continued to apply my drive to get more knowledge, and that helped me move into a special projects position in the company.
NW: What are your strategies to keep growing and learning as a professional?
Hill: In my opinion, the only way to really learn this profession is to get your hands dirty. As a leader for BCS Switchgear, I can’t set an example and be a leader without working knowledge of what I expect my team to perform for our company. I continue to stay involved with the work being performed at our facility along with keeping myself up to date with what is new in the industry. We are always implementing new hands-on learning with our technicians so they can be more efficient and knowledgeable in testing the extensive line of equipment we currently work on and can also be as prepared as possible as new technology comes along.