Jon Kennedy Discusses New Electric’s Panel Shop

New El

Mar 26, 2018

New Electric opened its doors in 1970, servicing electrical wiring in homes, shops, and factories. With a reputation for excellence, quality and quick response times, the Burlington-based company soon became a major contractor throughout southern Ontario.

Once established, New Electric began to specialize in the industrial sector, working with automation shops on projects that increasingly involved building custom control panels. New Electric recognized the potential of this opportunity and the advantages that would be come with adding an entire panel shop division. So, in 2000 the company launched the New Electric Panel Shop.

Jon Kennedy started as an apprentice at New Electric in 1996 and was a founding member of the panel shop. At the beginning, he worked at several automation facilities, building any and all panels required. Jon quickly became the resident expert and was called on whenever a new panel was needed.

The panel shop now has a dedicated staff of 7 full-time builders, but also enjoys the benefit of being able to draw on New Electric’s 200+ industrial electricians and apprentices when needed. The shop itself can adapt to high volume as well as large scale projects, with easy access to New Electric’s warehouse and garage spaces. Jon hopes to grow the panel shop team of dedicated technicians beyond 20 full-time staff members in the next few years while also doubling the production space.

“To me, panel building is an art,” says Jon. “I assume in the near future there will be dedicated courses that you’re required to take before you can build panels and that you will need to be licensed to do so.”

New Electric 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benefits of working with the New Electric panel shop include:

1. fully customized control panels from your drawings, designed to your exact specifications

2. turnkey solutions, in house and under one roof:
• designing the panel
• creating any/all required drawings
• building pre-approved panels (with CSA or UL for installation in North America), including programming (set-up and/or on site)
• installing and integrating with existing systems

Since the panel shop first opened, there have been thousands of panels made for diverse industries, installed around the world. The New Electric panel shop is a fully CSA and UL approved shop, meaning that all panels intended for North American installation are pre-approved as they leave the shop.

New Electric 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Electric has made panels for a diverse set of applications. Notable projects have included:

• panels built on-site for the control room and inside the retractable roof of the Rogers Centre
• multiple panels built and shipped to solar farms outside of North America, with specifications beyond the CSA and UL standards
• massive, multi-door slitting line and furnace panels, which need to be designed and built to allow separation, shipping and re-assembly at the customer site

As technology in the electrical industry changes, so too does the panel shop. In the beginning, typical builds consisted mostly of relay logic panels, which then led to building more and more complex panels with HMIs and PLCs installed. New Electric panel shop employees are constantly kept on the leading edge of emerging technology and are always training to keep up with current trends in the industry. In 2017, New Electric merged with Spark Power, greatly increasing the volume and capability for high voltage and smart grid panels projects.

Today, New Electric has 12 branches: eight in Ontario, and four more in the U.S.

Find out more: www.newelectric.com

Related Articles


Latest Articles

  • Celebrating 30 Years of Innovation and Collaboration at EFC’s 2025 Conference in Niagara

    Celebrating 30 Years of Innovation and Collaboration at EFC’s 2025 Conference in Niagara

    By Luc Rodier, Chair of the Board of Electro-Federation Canada (EFC) The 2025 EFC Conference in Niagara was a landmark occasion—marking 30 years of innovation, collaboration, and collective progress in the Canadian electrical industry. Set against the symbolic backdrop of the Canadian-U.S. border, this year’s theme, Electrifying Connections, couldn’t have been more fitting. As President and… Read More…

  • Industrial Wiring Devices: A Brief Intro and How to Choose Them

    Industrial Wiring Devices: A Brief Intro and How to Choose Them

    June 9, 2025 Introduction: With the multitude of options on the market, it can be difficult to decide whether you need a pin and sleeve wiring device or a plug and connector in your industrial plant or facility. You might find your head swirling with thoughts about which option is best. Or you may not… Read More…

  • Industry Leaders Head to Quebec to Strengthen Energy and Supply Chain Resilience

    Industry Leaders Head to Quebec to Strengthen Energy and Supply Chain Resilience

    June 9, 2025 By Electro-Federation Canada On June 3 and 4, a high-level delegation from Canada’s electrical and automation sector travelled to Montreal and Quebec City for a series of strategic meetings with Quebec government officials and key stakeholders. Organized by Electro-Federation Canada (EFC), this mission underscores the critical role the industry plays in advancing… Read More…

  • Electrifying Connections: A Celebration of Legacy, A Vision for the Future

    Electrifying Connections: A Celebration of Legacy, A Vision for the Future

    June 9, 2025 By Electro-Federation Canada This year’s Annual Industry Conference, held against the breathtaking backdrop of Niagara Falls, Ontario, was a landmark event with more than 710 Electro-Federation Canada community members. More than just a celebration of our shared history, it was a launchpad for new ideas, future-based dialogue, and deeper connections.   The energy and… Read More…


Changing Scene

  • Eaton and Siemens Energy Partner to Provide Power and Technology to Accelerate New Data Center Capacity

    Eaton and Siemens Energy Partner to Provide Power and Technology to Accelerate New Data Center Capacity

    June 13, 2025 Eaton, and Siemens Energy have announced a fast-track approach to building data centers with integrated onsite power. They will address urgent market needs by offering reliable grid-independent energy supplies and standardized modular systems to facilitate swift data center construction and deployment. The collaboration will enable simultaneous construction of data centers and associated… Read More…

  • Latest Social Media Challenge Puts Students at Risk of Electrical Shock

    Latest Social Media Challenge Puts Students at Risk of Electrical Shock

    June 13, 2025 The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) is warning Ontarians that a shocking new social media trend is putting students at risk of serious electrical injury including shock, burns or even fires. A pair of dangerous social media trends have been gaining interest from students. One has kids “challenging” each other to stick a… Read More…

  • Plan Group Announce New VP of Electrical

    Plan Group Announce New VP of Electrical

    June 13, 2025 Plan Group are proud to announce the promotion of Dave Scott as Vice President of Electrical. Dave has been a key part of Plan Group’s success for the last 16 years, leading with drive, accountability, and a deep understanding of what it takes to get the job done right. He will now… Read More…

  • Electro-Federation Canada Announces New Chair and Board of Directors for 2025-26

    Electro-Federation Canada Announces New Chair and Board of Directors for 2025-26

    June 13, 2025 On Monday, May 26, 2025, Electro-Federation Canada (EFC) held its Annual General Meeting, which included an update on key initiatives, the welcoming of a new Chair, and the election of the 2025-2026 Board of Directors. EFC President & CEO Carol McGlogan shared key highlights from the past year and provided a summary of the… Read More…