Louis Zepp once ran the Arizona division of Cook Electric. Benjamin Kells managed the electrical division at Woodruff Construction, and he has also owned and operated his own outfit, Patriarch Electrical Contracting LLC. Today both are listed as senior electricians and owners of Copper Canyon Electric Inc., a commercial electrical contractor working across Arizona.
The company says the pair began working together in electrical contracting nearly 25 years ago. Zepp counts more than 35 years in the trade and Kells 24, which the company tallies as more than 60 between them.
One line on Zepp’s résumé points toward a particular kind of work. He was a senior electrician with Banner Health Systems at its Banner Estrella location. That credit matches two other things the company puts on record. It lists itself as an approved medical contractor, and its hiring post says experience in hospitals or other healthcare facilities is preferred.
The medical approval is one of several. Copper Canyon says it is approved to contract with city, county, state and federal agencies, and it counts that range among the highest designations an approved contractor can hold. It carries Arizona contractor license ROC 348629 in the CR-11 classification and is bonded and insured. Its people, the company says, hold certifications in several safety programs, OSHA among them, along with training in equipment operation and special systems.
The work is commercial: medical facilities, government agencies, commercial and industrial buildings. Jobs run from adding an outlet or replacing a panel to lighting retrofits, preventive maintenance and emergency calls, up to design-build and new construction.
One client who has had the company work on more than one property described problems being fixed quickly, careful assessments before the work, and steady updates while it was underway.
The company’s job listing shows what Zepp and Kells look for in the people they send out. They want a commercial electrician with at least five years in the trade, three of them in commercial work and two in troubleshooting. Arizona certification as an electrician is preferred but not always required, as is an OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 card. The hire should read blueprints and schematics, bend conduit, install panels and switchgear, and mentor apprentices when needed. The job means ladders, lifts and confined spaces, and lifting up to 50 pounds.
The last qualifications on the list fit a contractor that works for government agencies and hospitals. Applicants need a clean driving record, and they must be able to pass a background check and work in secure facility environments.