jan-2018

38 39 a job,or totallybotched it,or simplyperformed it in a substandardmanner,come to us to clean it up and to get it fixed,properly.” In 2015,Jones,who had previouslyowned all of Universal Electric,decided to join forces with the BAC Group of Companies,which then became a 55 percent shareholder of the firm.Other companies in the BAC Group include: BermudaAir Conditioning,Bermuda Insulation Ltd.,BermudaAlternate Energy,Energy Management Systems,and the BACShowroom for plumbing supplies. Today,BACUniversal Electrichas four major divisions. Its retail store sells the broadest range of electrical supplies and fixtures in Bermuda.Its design and con- struction group is the largest electrical contractor on the island,capable of working on jobs of anycomplexi- ty,includingmediumvoltage projects,which Jones says is rare for a contractor on an island as small as of Ber- muda.The company’s third division is itsmaintenance and service group-it has 24-hour,on-call services,plus guaranteedmaintenance contracts tomake sure that its installed systems areworking correctly.“We provide thermal scans to ensure there are no hotspots at vari- ous power points to ensure that each system is work- ing as efficientlyas it’smeant to andwon’t cause fires,” he states.The fourth division is its systems group that deals with fire alarmsystems,data systems,back-up power,generators,UPS (uninterruptible power supply) systems,and video surveillance systems.The company has approximately70 employees,andwhen things are busy,it has employed asmanyas 160. In those boomconstruction times,Jones says that Universal Electric ismostly in demand as an electrical contractor for major projects such as office buildings and hotels,andwhen demand is low,it relies on its maintenance contracts to stayafloat.“The islandwent through a long economicdownturn between 2009 and 2015,”he recounts,“and it was essentiallyour retail operation and our service andmaintenance group that kept us going.” 9 Mill Creek Road Pembroke HM 05 Tel: 441-292-0881 Fax: 441-292-6887 www.bac.bm We helped to build a better Business Environment ... At Everest Re (Electrical and mechanical services) KPMG, 5th Floor (Installed HVAC) and Par-la-Ville Dental (Design and contracting for plumbing, electrical and HVAC). With over 50 years of experience, we’ve got everything you need to build your perfect indoor environment. AIR CONDITIONING • PLUMBING • REFRIGERATION • FIRE PROTECTION • ENGINEERING • SHEET METAL • SOUND REDUCTION RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS • INSULATION • INDOOR AIR QUALITY • ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 297-3639 www.bae.bm 278-6238 www.ems.bm 292-5372 www.universal.bm 292-0881 So good to have a bright spark in the family. BAC UNIVERSAL ELECTRIC LTD. What also helps Universal Electric to keep going is a combination of Bermuda’s relative isolation and its designation as home to awide collection of high profile businesses.“The island ismiles out in the ocean,”Jones says.“The next,nearest landmass is North Carolina–just under 800miles away.However, we cater to a fairly robust business environment.We’re home tomanyFortune 500 companies,sowe have a very sophisticated infrastructure on such a small island of 60,000 people.With that said,our expertise is in areas like data centers and business-critical systems and our clients cannot wait to get a response from