The Electrical Blog

Berwick Electric Co. has a wide variety of electrical service capabilities, and that means that our customers come to us for their many electrical needs. Today, we have the pleasure of spotlighting our Data Communications (DataComm) department, led by Shane Gebbink, Paul Brumley and Dave Beck. Keep reading to learn more about datacomm, and click play on the video below to view photos from some of BEC’s recent datacomm projects.

What is DataComm?

Short for data communications, datacomm refers to the systems that transmit data to and from computers and components of computer systems. This type of communication is transmitted through wires, coaxial cables, fiber optics or radiated electromagnetic waves such as broadcast radio, infrared light, microwaves and satellites. Datacomm is an integral foundation of the way we communicate in today’s world.

Unique Challenges and Innovations

BEC’s datacomm department enjoys meeting the demands of their work with creative solutions. “We are constantly challenged with finding solutions that meet our customers’ needs,” BEC DataComm Manager Shane Gebbink explained. “There are always a lot of parts to juggle with any project, and we aim to please everybody who is involved.”

In addition to juggling various aspects of a project, BEC’s datacomm technicians also enjoy keeping up with the latest technology. “I enjoy the constant enhancement in technology - we have come so far in such a short time,” Shane said. “This makes us think about the future more. The field is always evolving,” he added. “One recent trend is ‘cloud computing’, and it is not going away. We are also seeing DAS, or distributed antenna systems, becoming part of our scope of work. These enhance cellular and emergency broadband in buildings.”

A Reputation of Excellence

When it comes to providing excellent service, BEC’s datacomm department is known for going above and beyond. “One thing that sets us apart is our experience. Our technicians are Building Industry Consulting Services International (BICSI) certified. BICSI publishes standards, guidelines and reference manuals for use in the design, installation and integration of information technology systems,” Shane explained. “Additionally, our technicians are long-term employees; we are committed to the trades.”

“Berwick Electric CO. is a reputation electrical contractor,” Shane emphasized. “Our reputation and relationships will be here after each project, and we strive to keep both in excellent condition.”

Need excellent electrical service? Click here.

When it comes to completing projects with efficiency and excellence, Berwick Electric Co. is always looking for ways to improve. One cutting-edge industry trend, prefabrication (prefab), aims to improve efficiency and quality on the jobsite by constructing selected building components offsite, ahead of time. We recently spoke with Project Manager Mark Norman about Berwick Electric’s take on prefab, as well as the company’s experience with the trend. Keep reading to learn more.

Prefabrication helps increase efficiency on projects with multiple, repetitive parts.

Berwick Electric (BE): What is prefab?
Mark Norman (MN): In our line of work, prefab is anything that can be pre-planned and preassembled in a controlled warehouse environment in order to increase efficiency. Prefab usually involves repetitive tasks that can be a small component of an installation, or in some cases, multi-trade, (various subcontractors working together) full room efforts.

BE: Why is prefab so beneficial?
MN: In many cases, the construction schedule is very tight. Anything we can prefabricate and preplan to be installed in a more efficient manner helps us as electrical contractors to get our job done and then get out of the way for other trades to perform their work. This helps us maintain the project schedule flow.

BE: Can you describe some of Berwick’s experience with prefab?
MN: We kicked off our prefab operations on the Rolling Pin Barracks project several years ago at Fort Carson; we completed 14 barracks building renovations in 15 months. It was very successful. We are currently looking to integrate prefab into upcoming projects in order to support our projects more efficiently.

BE: Can you tell me a little more about the Rolling Pin Barracks project?
MN: Sure. The Rolling Pin Barracks project had several, identical cookie cutter rooms that were very similar in each building. Because of the “cookie cutter” nature of these rooms, this was a perfect project for the prefabrication concept.

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Berwick Electric Co. enjoys sinking its teeth into a variety of projects, including industrial, military, medical, data communications, and more. To learn more about the company’s areas of expertise, click here.

In 1921, Colorado Springs resident J. Douglas Berwick did something “revolutionary”; he converted the lighting system in his home from gas to electricity. After helping his neighbors do the same, J. Douglas applied for and received electric contractor License Number 11 from the state of Colorado.

With roots that extend back to the '20s, Berwick Electric is an integral part of the local community.

By the end of the '30s, Berwick Electric helped remodel many of the properties downtown, wired many of the houses in the Broadmoor area, and worked on a home for the Penrose Hospital nurses. In the early '40s, Berwick Electric performed the electrical work on the Fort Carson hospital.  And when the ration years of WWII hit, Berwick Electric survived with a steady variety of small jobs repairing old electric systems. During the '50s and '60s, rapid growth in the Colorado Springs area fed the company’s expansion, with projects like the Broadmoor’s Colorado Conference Center, Atmel, Honeywell, and Hewlett-Packard.

Today, Berwick Electric is well-known for its wide range of services, including complete design/rebuild capabilities. In addition to residential and commercial customers, Berwick Electric also offers power quality, construction, and data communication services.  

Power Quality Services

Berwick’s Power Quality Division serves the needs of customers ranging from the area’s largest and most sophisticated corporations to individual personal computer use. This division specializes in analyzing a building’s power system to ensure proper grounding and an uninterrupted power supply. “Every customer’s needs are different,” Power Quality Manager Tim Prime explained. “My job is to find a creative, effective solution to fit any budget.”

Construction Services

In addition to excellence in Power Quality, Berwick Electric also collaborates with owners and general contractors on construction projects to design and install high-quality, cost effective electrical systems.  Berwick Electric’s power quality division has extensive experience with design-build and design-assist projects, as well as sustainability and leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED). To help bring sustainability to the Colorado Springs area, Berwick Electric had the opportunity to partner with Colorado Springs Utilities on the Environmental Services Laboratory, which was the first laboratory building in Colorado to obtain LEED Silver certification.

Data Communications Services

This trend of excellence also extends to Berwick’s data communications department, which helps power professional and personal connectivity. Berwick Electric specializes in design, installation, and service of integrated security, safety, voice, and fiber optic cabling systems to provide creative connectivity solutions.

Social Responsibility

Berwick Electric also prioritizes community involvement by setting a positive example of corporate and social responsibility. To help make Colorado Springs a better place to live and visit, Berwick Electric regularly supports various non-profits and local causes and was awarded the 2012 Outstanding Corporate Philanthropic Program Award by Partners in Philanthropy.

With a customer base that includes many of the region’s largest businesses, Berwick Electric is an integral part of the Colorado Springs community. With a strong heritage of innovation and excellence, Berwick Electric’s employees are proud of their work, and they seek to strengthen and maintain their reputation for quality service.

One of Berwick Electric Co.'s top priorities is to provide the local community with quality electrical service in an efficient, trustworthy manner. As part of Berwick’s continual improvement process in this area, Data Communications Manager Shane Gebbink spearheaded a project to improve internal communications. More advanced internal communication technology will enable the Berwick team to get needed electrical service to the community more efficiently. We recently interviewed Shane to learn more about this exciting undertaking.

Take a peek inside of Berwick Electric Co.'s new telecommunications room!

Berwick Electric (BE): Describe what data communications means for those that may not be familiar with the term.
Shane Gebbink (SG): Essentially, data communications systems transmit data to and from computers and components of computer systems. Data communication is transmitted via mediums like wires, coaxial cables, fiber optics, or radiated electromagnetic waves such as broadcast radio, infrared light, microwaves, and satellites. It’s really the “nuts and bolts” of how we communicate in this day and age. Here at Berwick, we install, test, and maintain these connectivity systems.

BE: What does Berwick’s data communications system upgrade project entail?
SG: We are updating our building’s cabling system and network devices from the old Cat5 cabling to new Cat6 and Cat6A cabling. This update will provide an increase in bandwidth capability, and it will be noticeable in both speed and reliability.    

Along with the wiring changes, Berwick has increased our Century Link service from 3Mb to 10Mb. This will alleviate a lot of errors in packet dropping and collisions on our systems. The “power users,” a.k.a project managers, computer automated drawings, etc., who transfer large drawings, videos, or cad files will now be cabled with CAT6A to have a higher capability (1GB) at the desk at all times. In addition to these “power users,” regular users (everyday computer operations, such as email and internet) will see an increase in bandwidth with more consistent reliability.

BE: How are you facilitating this upgrade?
SG: In conjunction with the work on our service and cabling, Berwick has also built a “true telecommunications” room to house brand new switches that are capable of handling our increased bandwidth. There is also a new wireless system in place to accommodate the smartphones, laptops and iPads. This system is tied to our network and is hot transferrable, so there will be no login or dropping from one radio to the next. In other words, a device on the network can be located anywhere in the building and have total access to the network with no VPN login.

BE: Is there anything else that you would like to share about the upgrade?
SG: Berwick has also made a switch in network maintenance providers to Amnet. We genuinely appreciated all the years of service from our previous provider, but the timing with our data communications upgrade was right for a change.  We look forward to working with Amnet.  If there is an individual or a company out there that is thinking about a data communications system upgrade, please feel free to stop by and look at Berwick’s new telecommunications room to get an idea of how we might be able to help you upgrade. We are really looking forward to years of continued, reliable, efficient service.
_______________________________________________________________________________________ If you are in need of faster, more reliable data communications, we encourage you to contact Data Communications Manager Shane Gebbink at 719-492-8333 or sgebbink@berwickelectric.com. In the meantime, we invite you to stop by Berwick Electric Co.'s office located at 3450 N. Nevada Ave #100 in Colorado Springs to take a peek at the latest in data communications technology.