BY IEC STAFF
Nick Russell is one committed guy. Merit shop electrical contractors in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill North Carolina area look forward to growing their business due to Nick and the team of dedicated volunteers who led the charge to form the Triangle IEC.
After successful efforts during its provisional status period, IEC granted full chapter status to Triangle IEC in late 2024.
Nick’s Journey
Nick, himself a graduate of the IEC Apprenticeship Program, believes wholeheartedly in the IEC program approach and extensive curriculum. This is based on his experience determining what his career would be. He first went to college to pursue computer engineering, and learned he would not be content behind a desk. Next, he took community college trade courses, while working a variety of jobs, to obtain some of the basics of becoming an electrician.
It was after a move to Texas from his home state of North Carolina that he found his path. Nick landed a job with IEC Texas Gulf Coast member, Wired Electrical Services, which led him to the IEC Apprenticeship Program.
“When I hired on with them, they asked if I would go to the school apprenticeship program, and I jumped in,” Nick says. “I learned so much in the program and that is why I feel it’s so important to have an IEC school here in North Carolina.”
He graduated from the program and a short time later he and his wife moved back to North Carolina. They settled back into their small rural lifestyle in Ellerbe, NC, a short distance from their hometown of Hamlet and about 90 miles southwest of Raleigh. He worked in his brother’s automotive shop at first.
“I helped my brother for a while, but I could tell that something was missing,” Nick says. “I felt that pull to get back into the electrical field. I went out on my own as there were very few companies around here and they were mostly residential. I wanted some commercial work. I also liked the idea of striking out on my own.”
That meant seeking jobs in Raleigh which Nick says started slowly but then took off. While doing some work for the Rockingham Speedway (formerly the North Carolina Speedway and a staple on the NASCAR circuit), Nick collaborated with another company. That resulted in the partnership that is now CDC Carolina Electrical, his current company based out of Raleigh.
“Raleigh is the bigger marketplace so it was really a no-brainer that we establish our company there,” he says. “Usually, I’m in Raleigh Monday to Wednesday, traveling back to Ellerbe Wednesday night to be with the family. Thursday and Friday I’m either working in my home office or traveling back up to Raleigh for the day. It’s about an hour and a half to two-hour drive depending on traffic.”
As CDC Carolina Electrical found itself positioned for expansion, Nick sought additional electricians to hire. He was looking for those trained well — like he was through IEC. Struggling to find that caliber of worker set the stage for Nick’s volunteering to help start the IEC chapter.
The Road to Triangle IEC
“I could add plenty of work to our load, but I’ve been limited by having enough people; there’s more work than we can handle,” Nick says. “When I got an email last year from IEC about a meet ‘n greet to gauge the interest of people in the area for an IEC chapter, my heart kind of skipped a beat. I called my wife right away and told her ‘You are never going to believe what I just found out.’ I went to that meeting.”
Among the people he met there were Jason Parks and Bethany Lerch, president and executive director of the then newest chapter, Greater Charlotte IEC. Hearing of their recent experiences encouraged Nick.
“From that first meeting I knew that whatever I could do to make sure we get a chapter started in Raleigh was what I wanted to do,” Nick says. “There were three of us that were in from that initial meeting and we picked up the other two companies to get our provisional status shortly thereafter.”
With the guidance of IEC, Nick and team got to work. After the five signed the letter of intent as board members wishing to start a chapter, they worked on chapter bylaws, dues structure, membership recruitment, necessary forms and processes, gaining approval on standards through their state to start the IEC Apprenticeship Program, apprentice recruitment, setting up a training facility, hiring an instructor, and the list goes on.
Left to right: Nick Russell, CDC Carolina Electrical, president; Aric Norby, Romanoff Electric Residential, treasurer; Harvey Beard, Ace Electric, vice president; Ivan Hernandez, MSF Electric, secretary; and Alan Miller, Darby Electric, board member. Today, Alan has moved to the secretary role; Cray Burrell, Romanoff Electric Residential and George Williamson, MSF Electric sit on the Triangle IEC Board of Directors replacing Aric and Ivan from those founding companies.
“We were learning as we went along and put it all together,” Nick explains. “IEC is one of those things so near and dear to me. We all saw the value in having a school — a place where we could send new apprentices for the best training. The only option we had previously was community college courses. I had one of my guys in those classes and by the questions he was bringing back to me it seemed to me that they were really not covering much ground in those classes. Based on my experience in IEC Texas Gulf Coast, I knew we could do better.”
Triangle IEC will open its doors to its first apprentice class in January 2025; Nick himself plans to send a number of his employees to that inaugural class.
“The IEC Apprenticeship Program did so much for me,” he emphasizes. “Classes in the evening paired with paid field experience on the job was a game changer. I could put my hands on what we were talking about in class, see it on the job, and bring questions back to the teacher. IEC Texas Gulf Coast also had a great workshop for hands-on experience. My knowledge, my understanding was greater. People tell me all the time — you really understand how to troubleshoot and make this work. It’s the fundamentals that I learned in an excellent training program.”
As a company owner now, Nick needs to be able to offer similar training experiences so his apprentices have those same opportunities to learn, grow, and prosper. He acknowledges that he also wants to be a part of changing the narrative that going to college is not the only route and that being part of the trades is a great place to be.
“Those considering an electrical career need to know that there are great places to learn the field. CDC Carolina Electrical could expand greatly when we get more trained people,” Nick says. “I know by speaking with other contractors that I’m not alone in this need. Triangle IEC is attempting to fill a big void in the area.”
Is Nebraska Next?
Much like the meeting Nick attended late in 2023 to gauge interest in a new chapter in Raleigh, IEC held a meet ‘n greet in Lincoln, NE, in October this year. Interest and enthusiasm were high, as shown in these photos.