Discover the guiding principles behind American Electrical Contracting’s impressive service
American Electrical Contracting (American Electrical) is a full-service electrical contracting company serving Jacksonville and the greater Northeast Florida area providing unrivalled levels of quality for electrical service and installation. The business can solve all electrical challenges including troubleshooting, repair, new construction, and renovation for a range of customers in the commercial and residential markets.
As part of the company’s commitment to be the best electrician in Northeast Florida, its team of expert electricians go beyond legislative standards to ensure safe, cost-effective, and high-quality work on every project. To learn more about American Electrical’s evolution, we sit down with David Yencarelli, President and CEO, who shares an insider view on the company’s priorities.
“I joined American Electrical as a project manager in 2012 and gradually progressed to more senior roles,” David opens. “In 2016, the owner of the business was taking a step back and the leadership team hired an external body to explore new management from both inside and outside of the business. We went through a round of extensive interviews, and they ultimately identified me as the future leader, and so I was announced as COO.
“As part of this role, I took over the management of our operations and although my title did not reflect my responsibility, I essentially ran the business for eight years before my title change to President and CEO in 2023. However, the only thing that really changed was the title; my role and responsibilities remained as they had been since 2016.”
Innovation and expansion
When asked about his priorities and vision for the company, David continues: “My number one focus is culture, especially considering the multi-generational workforce we’re currently battling with. We’ve got one generation on the cusp of exiting the industry in large numbers as they retire, and another generation who have sought careers via college and aren’t interested in trades. To help mitigate this, we’re part of a larger movement to help expose younger generations to the construction trade through apprenticeships and technical training.
“It’s a very transitional time in the construction industry and I believe that emphasizing a positive working culture is not only key to attracting new talent, but critical to the success of any trade-based business moving forward,” David suggests. “We’re tasked with adapting to both losing a traditional workforce we’ve relied upon for decades, and then also attracting a new generation to the business.
“Secondly, we’re striving for scalability through financial discipline,” he states. “To build the strongest possible financial position, we’ve focused on retaining earnings to give us the liquidity we need to scale the business. Lastly, my third goal is innovation and expansion, which includes incorporating AI and new technologies into our operations, as well as expanding into other markets through mergers and acquisitions.”
Consumer focus 
As talk turns to current challenges facing the market, David shares his views on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). “Overregulation is one of the key issues in the industry, and we’re part of several trade organizations that are fighting overregulation of the private construction industry,” he explains. “Bills like the IRA have specific requirements that only 11 percent of all US contractors meet, so we’re not able to participate in constructing the buildings of the future.
“Instead, our focus is the consumer. We’re part of grassroots campaigns in partnership with Tesla, where we work closely with dealerships to support consumers through their EV journey. We’re certified to install Tesla chargers, but we also support customers in operating and maintaining their chargers. We’re also working with hotel groups, as well as negotiating with a fast-food chain, to install multiple EV chargers in parking lots.
“There’s also news of a major US gas station that is planning to convert a large portion of gas stations across Alabama, Georgia, and Florida into EV-only stations,” he adds. “Although this project is still in its infancy, we’re preparing the business and enhancing our capabilities to hopefully win this project and other similar conversions as the US continues to adopt EVs.”
Quality over quantity
On the topic of projects, David shares his vision for the future of American Electrical. “We have a 2030 expansion plan, which sees us moving into markets in Central Florida, as well as the Savannah, Georgia region,” he proposes. “Through a series of mergers and acquisitions, we plan on adopting permanent locations throughout these areas to solidify our regional presence and better serve our customers, especially our larger contractors who want us in those markets.
“2024 is seeing us focus on internal training in preparation for growth. Specifically, we’re offering skills and communication training to the entire team, from our craft employees to senior management to ensure we have the necessary skills to maintain our quality and reputation as the business continues to grow.
“Overall, the bulk of our operations will remain in Northeast Florida, with a specific aim to double our market share in the Jacksonville area over the coming years,” David concludes. “For me, it’s all about quality over quantity. We will continue to strengthen our position as the highest rated electrical contractor in the region and maintain that status as we establish ourselves in other markets.”