In the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region, the electrical construction industry operates within a framework that extends well beyond individual contractors. At the center of that framework is Rochester NECA, the regional chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association, which serves as both a representative body and a practical support system for union electrical contractors across the market.
As Peter Stoller explains, the organization’s role is both broad and highly specific. “We’re the regional voice in the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region for our professional contractors,” he said. “We bring our contractors together to help strengthen the industry through labor management partnership, workforce development, safety, leadership, business resources.” In practice, that places Rochester NECA in a position similar to a chamber of commerce, but with a focused membership base made up of electrical contractors working within a union labor model.
That focus allows the organization to engage directly with the day-to-day realities of construction. Rather than operating at a distance, Rochester NECA functions as an extension of its members’ businesses, supporting both immediate operational needs and longer-term development. “We help them in their day-to-day operations to solve real problems,” Stoller said, pointing to challenges such as navigating collective bargaining agreements and interpreting state and local regulations. In a regulatory environment that does not always account for the complexities of unionized construction, this role becomes particularly important.
“We help them in their day-to-day operations to solve real problems.”
New legislation, for example, may be written with a standard private sector model in mind, but implemented in a way that creates unintended complications for union contractors. In these cases, Rochester NECA acts as a conduit between its members and regulators, translating policy into practical application while also feeding back industry concerns. “The law says one thing, and then how it gets implemented and interpreted is through regulation after the law gets passed,” Stoller explained. “I’m hearing and fielding the problems, concerns and hurdles that they’re facing in our world, and I can relay that back to the regulators.”
This ability to bridge the gap between policy and practice is one of the defining characteristics of NECA-affiliated contractors. Alongside this, workforce development and safety standards form a key point of differentiation. “The big thing is probably workforce development, our workforce and our safety standards and the resources and education that we provide our contractors,” Stoller said. Through a structured system of apprenticeship training, office-based education, and ongoing professional development, contractors are supported across all aspects of their operations, from field execution to project management and leadership.
Workforce development, in particular, remains central to the organization’s work. Like much of the construction industry, electrical contractors in the Rochester region are operating within a tightening labor market, where demand for skilled workers continues to outpace supply. Rochester NECA addresses this through a combination of apprenticeship programs and partnerships with pre-apprenticeship initiatives that prepare individuals for entry into the trade.
These pre-apprenticeship programs focus on foundational skills, helping candidates understand what a career in construction requires before they enter formal training. “They’re teaching them the soft skills to prepare them to be good students of their career in the next phase,” Stoller said. “When we get them, they understand already the expectations about showing up on time, ready to work.” This early exposure helps bridge the gap between education and employment, particularly for individuals who may not have previously considered a long-term career in the trades.
At the core of this pipeline is the partnership between NECA and IBEW Local 86, which underpins the region’s apprenticeship and training programs. “The partnership between NECA and the IBEW is essential for us to succeed. It’s a symbiotic relationship,” Stoller said. Through joint training committees and collaborative governance structures, both organizations work together to shape curriculum, respond to industry trends, and ensure that training reflects the needs of the field. This includes adapting programs to account for emerging technologies, from electrification and low-voltage systems to more advanced building integration.
Training itself has evolved significantly over time. While core electrical principles remain consistent, modern programs incorporate flexibility to address new demands. “There are always some core elements to electrical construction training that are required to teach,” Stoller said. “But we allow for space in our program to bring in and teach the latest trends and how the technology is changing.” This approach is supported by additional evening classes and continuing education opportunities, allowing both apprentices and experienced electricians to expand their skills as the industry evolves.
Despite these efforts, the workforce pipeline presents a more complex challenge than simple supply and demand. While interest in the trade remains strong, with hundreds of applicants seeking entry into apprenticeship programs, structural constraints limit the number of individuals who can be trained at any given time. In New York State, regulations governing the ratio of journeymen to apprentices create a bottleneck in workforce development. “We have over 200 apprentices in our program and over 300 applicants waiting to get in,” Stoller said. “We have the ability to bring on and train more apprentices, but we’re being hamstrung with a policy that limits on-the-job training ratio of three journeymen to one apprentice.”
This restriction has broader implications for the industry’s ability to meet future demand. As experienced electricians retire, replacing that workforce becomes increasingly difficult within the existing framework. “Somebody can retire overnight from a 35-year career. It takes us five years to create one journeyman to replace that,” Stoller said. While the training infrastructure exists to expand capacity, regulatory limits prevent that expansion from taking place at the required pace.
Alongside workforce development, safety remains a foundational element of Rochester NECA’s work. Over time, safety has evolved from a compliance requirement into a core part of industry culture. “It’s become part of the culture and to not get complacent,” Stoller said. “We all want everybody to go home to their families at the end of the day.” This cultural shift is reinforced through a combination of training, digital tools, and on-site practices designed to ensure consistent standards across all projects.
Rochester NECA supports this through a range of resources, including safety management tools that allow contractors to deliver and track training across job sites. These systems enable companies to monitor participation, ensure that all workers receive relevant safety briefings, and maintain alignment between field activity and office oversight. The emphasis is not only on delivering safety information, but on ensuring that it is applied consistently across each project.
The importance of this approach is reflected in the level of responsibility given to workers at all stages of their careers. As Stoller noted, some contractors have embedded a culture where any individual, from a first-year apprentice to a senior foreman, has the authority to stop work if conditions are unsafe. This level of accountability reinforces safety as a shared responsibility rather than a top-down directive.
The work undertaken by NECA contractors also reflects the broader economic activity within the Rochester region. Healthcare and higher education continue to be major drivers of construction, supported by a concentration of hospitals and universities. Projects such as the expansion of the University of Rochester Medical Center, including new critical care facilities, highlight the technical demands placed on electrical contractors, from advanced power systems to integrated communications infrastructure.
Industrial development is also playing an increasingly significant role. A major $650 million Fairlife production facility is currently under construction, representing a shift toward large-scale, technically complex manufacturing projects. At Eastman Business Park, redevelopment efforts are attracting new investment, including a proposed $390 million textile regeneration facility. These projects build on the region’s industrial heritage while introducing new forms of advanced manufacturing.
Infrastructure and public sector investment continue to contribute to overall demand. Ongoing upgrades at Greater Rochester International Airport are focused on improving passenger experience through advanced lighting and smart systems, while a $600 million program to modernize city schools is addressing aging infrastructure across the district. Together, these projects reflect a market that remains active across multiple sectors.
Looking ahead, the outlook for electrical contractors in the Rochester region remains positive, driven by a steady pipeline of work and continued investment in infrastructure and development. However, the ability to deliver that work will depend heavily on workforce capacity. “There’s a lot of work forthcoming. We’re not seeing a major slowdown,” Stoller said. “The issue is going to be the manpower.”
With major projects underway not only in Rochester but also in neighboring regions such as Buffalo and Syracuse, competition for skilled labor is expected to intensify. In this context, the role of organizations like Rochester NECA becomes increasingly important, providing the structure, training, and advocacy needed to support contractors in a changing market.
As the industry continues to evolve, Rochester NECA’s role remains grounded in its core purpose: strengthening the capabilities of its members while supporting the long-term sustainability of the electrical construction sector. Through a combination of workforce development, regulatory engagement, safety leadership, and industry collaboration, the organization continues to shape both the present and future of the region’s construction landscape.
