Posts Tagged ‘electrical installation’

Not Just Power—Partnership: How Egan Electrifies Construction Projects

Tuesday, August 12th, 2025

Whether it’s powering a high-rise, streamlining a hospital expansion, or ensuring round-the-clock performance at a mission-critical site, Egan Company’s electrical teams deliver more than just power—they bring strategic foresight, technical precision, and unmatched collaboration.

To uncover what truly sets Egan’s electrical services apart, we sat down with three key leaders: Grant Price, Senior Vice President of Electrical; Jason Rosati, Vice President of Electrical Special Projects; and Jason Brown, Electrical Business Group Manager. Together, they offered a comprehensive, behind-the-scenes look at how Egan’s electrical divisions work seamlessly to deliver industry-leading results across sectors.

A Full-Circuit Approach
“We’re not just wiring buildings,” Price shared. “We’re enabling businesses to operate more efficiently, safely, and reliably.” Egan’s electrical capabilities extend across multiple interconnected groups—including Industrial Controls, Outdoor Electrical, Electrical Special Projects, Electrical Construction, Southern MN,  and teams dedicated to commercial and mission-critical builds. While scopes range between installing a single outlet and powering massive data centers, every group contributes to a broader, unified electrical offering.

“The goal is for customers to see the full picture,” said Rosati. “They might know we install lighting or build control panels, but it’s the coordination between our groups that truly unlocks more value.”

Whether it’s a power distribution and lighting system or low-voltage infrastructure and advanced control integration, there’s hardly a system Egan’s teams haven’t tackled. We design, build, and support a wide range of environments—corporate campuses, healthcare facilities, manufacturing plants, and more—all while adhering to strict safety standards like NFPA 70E, NFPA 70B,  and energy code compliance.

Design Smarts Meet Jobsite Strategy
As the conversation shifted toward how Egan approaches Design/Assist and Design/Build projects, one principle became clear: partnership is everything. “We aim to get involved as early as possible,” said Brown. “The sooner we’re at the table, the better we can align expectations, navigate constraints, and help future-proof the system.”

The team detailed how they balance owner expectations with budget requirements—often drawing on their broad experience and internal resources to recommend long-lasting, cost-effective solutions. This includes participating in walkthroughs, interpreting vague narratives, and asking the right questions to ensure the delivered system meets performance needs. “Would you install it in your grandma’s house?” Rosati joked. “That’s our gut check.”

Prefab That Powers Productivity
Prefabrication is another area where Egan excels—especially when it comes to compressing timelines and enhancing safety. Whether it’s assembling conduit racks, underground duct banks, or room-in-a-box electrical kits, prefab ensures field teams can stay focused on installing, not assembling. “When prefab is done right, it accelerates everything,” Rosati emphasized. “Our jobsites are safer, cleaner, and more efficient. That’s what GCs and customers care about—and so do we.”

Staying Ahead of the Curve
Technology and sustainability trends continue to shape Egan’s work. Lighting controls, daylight harvesting, and all-electric buildings are becoming more common, especially as local and national codes evolve.

“We’re seeing the electrification of everything,” said Price. “We worked on a 400,000-square-foot research facility that runs completely on electricity—no gas. That kind of project is paving the way for what’s next.” Still, the team was quick to note that while sustainability is critical, they focus first on meeting requirements and delivering solutions that last. It’s about balance—not buzzwords. 

Relationships that Matter
One often overlooked value-add for Egan customers? Strategic relationships—not just with vendors, but with a robust peer network across the country. Backed by preferred vendor certifications with trusted manufacturers like 3M and Rockwell Automation—and strengthened by long-standing partnerships with peer firms—Egan leverages an expansive network that brings tangible benefits to every project. These relationships aren’t just symbolic—they create real advantages in the field.

“These relationships mean faster procurement, better pricing, and access to specialized resources,” said Rosati. “They can be the difference between delay and delivery.”

Peer group connections, in particular, allow Egan to collaborate on best practices, stay ahead of market trends, and extend capabilities when needed.

One Team. One Electrical Story.
In wrapping up the conversation, the leaders circled back to a common challenge: telling the full story of Egan Electrical. “Customers—and even some internal folks—sometimes only see one piece of the puzzle,” said Price. “But when you zoom out, you realize how much we actually do.”

Whether it’s installing critical infrastructure or solving complex, no-shutdown electrical cutovers, Egan’s electrical group is built to support every stage of a building’s lifecycle—with one point of contact and a whole lot of capability behind it. After all, when it comes to electrical, there’s more to leverage.

The End of an Era

Tuesday, November 14th, 2017

Since 1946, a Minnesota manufacturing facility has relied on the same two synchronous motors to power its plant. But now, after 70 years, the time has come to get an upgrade. Egan provided its expertise in constructing the electrical installation of two, newer, more modern squirrel cage motors at the manufacturing plant.

“Given the age of the motors, the price to replace instead of repair them was actually more cost effective,” said Paul Meier, Egan Company Project Manager.

Facts about the motors:

  • The synchronous motors had a voltage rating of 2300 volts and ran at a constant rate of 200rpm. These have now been replaced with modernized conventional motors that can function up to a rate of 1800rpm.
  • In addition, the new motors have a voltage rating of 480 volts. With the help of gear reduction, they can still maintain the desired rate of 200rpm while providing much less stress on the machine.
  • The horsepower of the synchronous motors was 350hp and 500hp while the new motors are each 400hp.
  • Lastly, the new motors are half the size! The synchronous motors towered at seven feet high while the squirrel cage motors stand around three feet.

 

 

 

 

Pictured above: old synchronous motors (left) and new squirrel cage motors (right)

Egan’s team provided all pre-installation wiring of distribution gear and soft starters for the project. The soft starters temporarily reduce the load and torque of the power and electrical surge of a motor during start-up. In turn, this reduces the mechanical stress on the motor and shaft, which extends the lifespan of the system.

“The soft starters for these motors are an important piece to this project,” said Meier. “These will be a big factor in the longevity of the new systems.”

In addition, Egan helped coordinate the facility shut downs to install each of the motors. This included the logistics and functionality of allowing the facility to run off of one old motor and one new motor congruently in-between the two shutdown periods.

Transforming public transit

Tuesday, December 27th, 2016

Public transit in the Twin Cities has been evolving over the past decade with the addition of light rail to the sprawling Metro Transit bus system. This summer, a new kind of bus service started along the busy Snelling Avenue corridor, combining the best of both methods of transportation.

The first of its kind in Minnesota, the A-Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) uses buses in tandem with unique, multi-component stations – installed by Egan Company – to provide a more train-like experience for riders. Fast and frequent, the route runs from Rosedale Mall to the 46th Street Station in Minneapolis, and connects to both Blue and Green Light Rail transit lines.

Modeled after the light rail stations, the bus stops feature security cameras, emergency phones, LED lighting, and heaters. Other added conveniences include real-time NexTrip LCD displays, providing current bus route information and bus tracking, along with pylons for paying fare. To connect and power all of these systems, Egan installed the fiber optic and copper backbone, and new electrical and communication service cabinets.

Installing the stations required crews to dig in areas surrounded by traffic and existing utilities, so careful planning was critical. The two-year project was coordinated with Metro Transit to keep disruption to drivers, bus traffic, pedestrians, and businesses to a minimum.

More BRT lines are being planned, branching out into different areas of the metro, including North Minneapolis, and South Minneapolis to the Mall of America.

“This project was the first of its kind in Minnesota,” said Steve Nelson, Egan Company Project Manager. “It was an enjoyable challenge learning to tie all the systems together. BRTs are a great addition to Metro Transit’s transportation options.”

Project Team: Metro Transit, Global Specialties
Services Provided: Outdoor Electrical, Low Voltage, Fiber Optics, Cabling