Excellence Embodied

Helix Electric
Written by Jessica Ferlaino

There are many characteristics that are shared by good contractors, not the least of which are careful planning, on-time delivery, compliance with regulatory and budgetary restrictions, expertise and a commitment to quality and safety on all projects. Helix Electric embodies all these aspects and more.

As a contractor that offers exceptional design-build, construction and engineering services, from preconstruction to project completion, Helix Electric exemplifies what it means to bring value to clients.

With President Victor Fuchs at the helm of its Nevada operations, Helix Electric has positioned itself to meet and exceed its targets for growth in a very short time, which speaks to the degree of success the company has enjoyed and the strategies for growth it employs.

Keeping busy
As a leading engineering electrical contractor, Helix Electric strategically established its reputation in the Las Vegas market before expanding to establish a presence in the Reno market, which has served the company well. In both the Las Vegas and Reno markets, there is enough work available to keep Helix Electric busy, and as the team continues to deliver exceptional project results, they are securing high-profile projects along the way.

As such, Helix Electric’s portfolio exhibits outstanding work, including some very large and complex projects across countless sectors including industrial, healthcare, education, mission-critical, multi-family residential, renewable energy, commercial and retail, government and military projects. And of course, as Nevada is a tourist hotspot, some highly reputable hospitality clients.

A feather in the company’s cap has been its selection as one of Tesla’s preferred contractors on its Gigafactory facility. After three years, work on that project has completed, and it remains a source of pride for the company and a relationship it looks to replicate with other standout names across the industries it serves.

In reality, there is no shortage of exciting projects on the go at Helix Electric. While no names were mentioned, Fuchs highlighted a data center project taking place in Reno that exemplifies the value the company brings to projects of a mission-critical nature, where mistakes are costly and must be avoided. From the outset, Helix means business and delivers results. This is where it shines brightest.

On the residential side, there are nearly 3,000 units currently under construction, proving Helix Electric is also a leader in the high-density residential market. Multi-family, mixed-use developments are keeping the team quite busy, though this is only one of the markets that are driving growth.

Be it industrial, residential, mission-critical or military, Helix Electric is experiencing success across each of the markets it serves and across each of the geographies where it is present. “The work is happening,” said Fuchs, and Helix Electric is taking full advantage, on track to finish 2019 with the largest revenue experienced to date in the Nevada market: $153 million.

A strong team
Fuchs explained, “We are fortunate enough to have growth in every marketplace,” but he noted, “with growth, it puts more pressure on us to be sure that when we bring new people on, we definitely want to engage them in our culture as soon as possible.” This is achieved through educational bootcamps and programming administered through Helix University, the training arm of the company.

Helix Electric has and will continue to invest a significant amount of money into training and professional development internally. Last year alone the company spent over $350,000 on educating its workforce to ensure it provided the best of the best in terms of project and service delivery, a figure that is expected to grow year after year.

By investing in Helix University, Helix Electric can mitigate the impact of the skilled labor shortage that has been plaguing construction and industry as these sectors try to grow. With a full-time education director at the helm, safety, quality and service are reinforced in the culture and day-to-day operations. Weekly training, bootcamps and the like are offered to help Helix employees reach the top of their game.

For Fuchs, Helix Electric’s greatest asset is its people. “Our company is only as good as the people, so we’re very focused on our culture.” The company continues to double down on its investment in that regard to sustain its growth and stay on track in meeting its goals. “We cannot rely on the outside world to educate our workforce,” Fuchs said. “As a merit shop contractor, our people are our people. They’re our asset and we need to put a lot of effort into making sure [their success is] on track.”

Though the company doesn’t rely on external training, Helix Electric has identified several partners it can work with to source talent and offer training opportunities, including local high schools and post-secondary institutions, as well as Veterans’ Affairs and other workforce development organizations.

Goals for growth
From training to output to the relationships it builds, Helix Electric is firing on all cylinders and as a result, is on track to meet both its short- and long-term strategic goals. Looking forward, Helix Electric seeks to facilitate steady ten to fifteen percent growth each year for the next three to four years, statistics Fuchs feels are reasonable and can be supported by the market both now and in the near-term.

When asked if these growth plans were tangible, Fuchs responded, “We hope so. We’re also looking at other neighboring markets that will be worth some additional opportunities to grow because you want to grow under control as much as you can,” while sustaining the culture and commitment to excellence that its success has been built upon.

“Basically, what we offer is on-time projects within budget that are hassle-free: that’s our goal and we’re trying to sustain that. That’s why our customers keep coming back to us,” said Fuchs.

Helix Electric not only takes advantage of every opportunity to grow, it creates philanthropic opportunities to give back, doing so in appreciation of the support it has received from the communities it serves. Some of the company’s charitable efforts include annual spring and fall golf tournaments, which celebrated their seventh consecutive year this year. With 131 participants, the largest attendance to date, over $25,000 was raised for local charities including the 22 Warriors Foundation, Those Left Behind Foundation and Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada.

Helix Electric was also part of a group including developer Reno Land Inc. to collect and donate $25,000 worth of toys and holiday cheer to the Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows, in addition to internal efforts to collect and donate over $15,000 in toys and donations, including over 100 bikes, for families and children in need in Las Vegas, which demonstrates how deep its commitment to community runs.

It is clear that in all that it does, Helix Electric strives to be the best in class, and to do so, it will stop at nothing to ensure that its people, its projects and its approach are second to none. The company invests in itself – in its capacity and its people – and takes every opportunity to improve as an employer, a contractor and a member of the community.

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