1 • Action Electrical Ltd. • 40 Years

The year was 1973. A young man in Sherwood Park had a love of working with his hands, an aptitude for business and a basement that was begging to be turned into profitable space. Don Bunting

combined these three things to create Action Electrical Ltd. Fast for-ward to 2013. Action Electrical Ltd. now operates out of a massive two-storey building in Edmonton and employs nearly 100 people – many of whom have been with the company their entire career. This is the story of how a man with a passion for his business, an unshakeable set of goals and values and a healthy appetite for manageable risk created a family-run business that has lit up Edmonton for over 40 years.

Don Bunting was always a man with a mechanical mind. From a young age he enjoyed taking things apart to see what made them tick. After he secured employment with his friend’s father, who was an electrical contractor, Bunting discovered he could channel his desire to make things work into a career. Between the Southern and Northern Alberta Institutes of technology (SAIT and NAIT), he completed his education to become a master electrician.

The start of Bunting’s business was humble, but the trajectory was nothing short of amazing. After only two years of running Action Elec-trical Ltd. from his house, the company moved into a larger, rented space. The growing company moved again in 1981 before settling into their current location on 7931 Coronet Road in 2002. “It suited our needs,” says Bunting of the move. “There is good warehouse and of-fice space and it’s a great location.”

There are three main sectors of electrical work: industrial, residential and commercial. All three sectors have vastly different requirements and regulations. One of the many reasons Action Electrical Ltd. is so

successful is because the company focuses solely on one sector: com-mercial. This allows for streamlining of training, skills and equipment; they are not spread thin trying to cover different aspects of the industry.

Over 30 schools, 70 churches, numerous office and commercial buildings have benefited from Action’s services and so have notable landmarks, Manulife Place, Telus Towers, Sun Life Place, ATB Tower, The City of Edmonton, Bell Tower, NAIT, WCB, Grant MacEwan and many more.

Action Electrical Ltd. has three distinct departments: service, TEGG and projects. A separate company, Custom Lighting Ltd., designs and manufacturers lighting fixtures. These fixtures are sold through dis-tributor channels.

The service department takes care of electrical maintenance, light-ing maintenance/service and lighting retrofits. “Lighting is one of our niche markets,” says Blake Bunting, general manager and Bunting’s son. “We have done more lighting upgrades in the city than any other contractor.” Lighting services include washing, re-lamping, inspec-tions, and outdoor sign and pole lighting maintenance. Lighting retrofits include energy audits, energy analysis, layout and design, mock-ups and installation. The service department has twelve fully stocked vans allowing the service technicians to respond to any type of electrical service request.

Action Electrical Ltd. is northern Alberta’s only licensed TEGG ser-vice provider and under this division, they have been providing special-ized electrical testing (infrared, ultrasonic, voltage/current diagnostics, arc flash studies, guaranteed maintenance agreements) since 2010. The TEGG method is focused on electrical distribution preventative

By Nerissa McNaughton

Springing into Action

“ ”“We are committed to excellence in the electrical field, earning our customers’ long term trust through prompt, skilled and personalized service.”

maintenance, which is of vital importance as more and more com-panies realise it is more beneficial to do preventative maintenance than to experience business interruptions. Action Electrical Ltd.’s man-agement and technicians receive training at TEGG’s headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The projects department oversees new build or bid process con-struction, design build, design assist, fire alarm and energy upgrades as well as other projects of all sizes. Design build projects involve Action Electrical Ltd. dealing with owners, architects, engineers and general contractors to manage projects. By utilizing a design build ap-proach, an owner will reduce total project cost and project timelines. The benefits include, receiving cost effective designs, meeting owner requirements with a team design approach, reducing unforeseen cost changes, and saving time and money without sacrificing quality or scope. Action Electrical Ltd. has also completed projects with the cut-ting edge Building Information Modeling (BIM) design process.

The construction industry as a whole has been moving further and further to a safety-first approach and so has Action Electrical Ltd. As a COR certified company for several years, Action has always been in pursuit of an incident and accident free work place. All staff work with the thought in mind to get home safely each night. Regular training of all staff in first aid, fall arrest, WHMIS and various other training, aid in keeping their employees accountable for the safety of themselves and others. Action works closely with WCB and other partnerships in injury prevention to aid in the reduction of injury and incidents on the job.

While there are three main departments, Bunting is quick to point out that all the departments share resources and all are considered of equal importance. For example, Action Electrical Ltd. has two bucket

trucks, numerous stocked service vans, 27 scissor lifts and a tilt deck truck, all of which can be sent along with their operators on a routine maintenance run, service call or to a project site. Staff are also shared among the departments or transferred if they express a desire and/or aptitude for a particular skill.

Action Electrical Ltd. has completed many projects in Ontario and all western Canadian provinces, but Bunting prefers to keep things close to home. “We find there is enough work in Edmonton and we find most of our journeymen are family people and want to work in town,” he explains. They make an exception when non-profit organizations need services, such as Brightwood Ranch in Entwistle and Sunset Point Family Camp in Alberta Beach. While services are not offered for free, the philanthropic company is known to “extend services” in some circumstances.

2 • Action Electrical Ltd. • 40 Years 3 • Action Electrical Ltd. • 40 Years

Blake Bunting, General Manager and Don Bunting, President.

Top Left: Don, Grace & Blake.Top Right: Don Bunting in the early years. Left: Blake, Brad, Damon and Brooks.

Not having to leave Edmonton for work is not the only consideration enjoyed by Action Electrical Ltd.’s staff. One of the many benefits the staff appreciate is job security. The company’s unique business model has enabled staff to remain employed even during times of economic uncer-tainty. There is minimal turnover due to Action Electrical Ltd.’s business model. “With our different divisions, we have the capability to move people around and to keep them employed year-round,” says Blake.

Staff also get the opportunity to expand their skills. Apprenticeships and specialized training are offered. “We try to give everyone the same opportunity,” Bunting points out. “Some step up. Some don’t.”

Bunting is happy to point out that many of his staff members started as young as 18 and grew up in the company. Right now the “most con-cise team we’ve ever had” range from staff in their 20s to their 80s. By providing training and apprenticeships, using a rigorous system that matches employees to roles within the company, and by treating each and every team member with dignity and respect, Bunting and Blake are rewarded with loyal, hard-working staff that both are proud to call “the backbone of the company.”

Blake is pleased that there is no hierarchy and as company own-ers, he and his father are not aloof and unapproachable. They meet with the staff frequently for their input on policies and decisions and empower the team to inspire changes or make suggestions that will benefit the company. The channels of communication are kept wide open and the employee response to this business model has been very successful.

It is worth noting that within a year of starting Action Electrical Ltd., Bunting’s staff grew to 22 people. That growth has yet to slow down as the employee roster swells to nearly 100. That type of growth is only seen under the leadership of people that know how to work with and encourage the best from their employees.

Perhaps another reason the Action Electrical Ltd. team is so suc-cessful is because of the unwritten expectations all staff members fol-low. Leading by example, the owners “do the things we are supposed to do.” This means operating with fairness, integrity, and showing good character in all aspects of their business and personal lives. The staff are expected to embody and act on these principals – and they do.

3 • Action Electrical Ltd. • 40 Years

Over 30 schools, 70 churches, numerous office and commercial buildings have benefited from Action’s services and so have notable landmarks, Manulife Place, Telus Towers, Sun Life Place,

ATB Tower, The City of Edmonton, Bell Tower, NAIT, WCB, Grant MacEwan and many more.

While Action Electrical Ltd. values each and every one of their employees, from the newcomers to the old-timers, the ownership

team would like to honour three veteran employees. In June 1980, Boyd Shapansky was a high

school student eager to start his career. He joined Action Electrical Ltd. as an apprentice. Now in his 50s, Shapansky is a senior project manager with 33 years of service and no plans of slowing down. Boyd has earned the respect of staff, customers and suppliers.

Bunting’s first job in Edmonton was working for a man named Les Fitz in 1964 before working with Walters Electronics. In 1976, when Action Electrical Ltd. was underway and Fitz was seeking a career change, Fitz came to work for Bunting. Fitz is now in his 80s and still enjoying his Action career.

Material and equipment handler Peter Kutny joined Action Electrical Ltd. in 1990. Known for his tenacity and strong spirit, the young hires have a hard time keeping up with this spirited gentleman that is now in his 80s. Kutny enjoys the same role that brought him on board over 20 years ago and the only time he takes off from work is the day

he plays golf. Action Electrical Ltd. named their Kutny Putz Golf Tournament after Kutny. Putz is an amalgamation of his nickname and his love for the game of golf.

Boyd Shapansky, Peter Kutny and Les Fitz.

Bunting’s son, Blake, got into the business with his father almost by accident – or perhaps, by design. He was in grade seven and watch-ing his brother participate in a game at hockey camp. Bunting came to watch the game and then said, “come back to work with me this afternoon?” That afternoon Blake sorted fasteners for his father. “So many fasteners!” the young man recalls with a slight twitch. But the afternoon of sudden employment paid dividends. Blake worked for his dad during his summer holidays and went full time in 1996. He attended university in Missouri on a football scholarship, where he received a bachelor in business administration degree. He also met his lovely wife, Jill, and proposed to her on the football field. He chose to leave the sport, work in the family business, and raise a family.

While there are three other sons, Brooks, Brad and Damon, only Blake works at Action Electrical Ltd. Sadly, Brooks has passed away as the victim of a drunk driver in 1992. Brad and Bunting own Fresh Health Café and Damon is one of Remax Edmonton’s top realtors. Bunting is immensely proud of his family and supportive of their career

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paths, happy they choose to follow their hearts whether their hearts lead them to working in the company or in another career.

Bunting’s wife, Grace, has recently retired from Action Electrical Ltd. and the staff came up with a unique way to pay homage to her time at the company. The boardroom was renamed “Graceland” and a plaque near the boardroom door commemorates the honour.

From a dream run from a basement office to Edmonton’s go-to company for commercial electrical solutions, Action Electrical Ltd. is aptly named. This is a company that has always taken action to move forward. By operating with integrity at every turn, creating and caring for a dynamic team, and supporting Edmonton’s electrical industry, Action Electrical Ltd. has distinguished themselves as an industry leader. Bunting and Blake see themselves as a service pro-vider doing whatever it takes on both a business and personal level to make sure the Edmonton area gets the best commercial electrical services available. This “take action” approach was used to build a great company and it is this same approach that will move them forward for another 40+ years.

Action Electrical Ltd. is proud of their staff; the apprentices that are just getting started in their careers, the office team that keeps every-thing and everyone organized, the seasoned veterans that teach the youngsters and the new hires that bring a fresh perspective to the table. Bunting and Blake extend their thanks to each staff member for their hard work, dedication, and contributions to Action Electrical Ltd. They are equally appreciative of their many valuable clients and for the opportunity to provide Edmonton with outstanding service.

“Speed, accuracy, precision, response. At Action, we exhibit these qualities in our work ethic, company integrity and quality workmanship. We are a diversified electrical company accepting jobs as a challenge, completing them on schedule and within budget. Action’s leadership team is committed to embracing the principles of “total quality” to ensure successful completion of your projects. Our goal at Action is, above all, customer satisfaction, and we are committed to doing what-ever it takes to achieve that goal,” - Don Bunting, president

To learn more about Action Electrical Ltd., go to www.actionelectrical.net, visit them at 7931 Coronet Road, or call 780-465-0792.

Action Electrical TEGG technicians

5 • Action Electrical Ltd. • 40 Years

Happy 40thAnniversary!

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6 • Action Electrical Ltd. • 40 Years 7 • Action Electrical Ltd. • 40 Years

3915 – 97th Street. | Edmonton, AB T6E 6P6 D. 780.465.9511 | F. 780.466.9226| www.nedco.ca

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7 • Action Electrical Ltd. • 40 Years

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