Subcontractor Spotlight: Elite Electric Co.
If there’s one thing Ron Spata takes pride in, it’s the team he’s built at Elite Electric Co. By staying true to their values and treating people right, Elite Electric has established a culture workers want to be a part of, leading to almost no turnover. And now that team will be among the last to depart from the Obama Presidential Center project site.
Elite, a full-service electrical contractor Spata founded in 1982, specializes in large, complex construction projects – just right for a challenging job like the Obama Presidential Center. Elite is responsible for the electrical scope from soup to nuts, including low-voltage work for other vendors on the project.
For his part, Spata, the grandson of Italian immigrants and a Marine veteran who grew up in the Chicago suburbs, is not only the face of the business but also the administrator-in-chief pushing through change orders from the field and ensuring that everything goes smoothly.
We caught up with Ron Spata, Elite Electric’s president, who shared what makes this project so special.
What led you to pursue the kind of work you’re doing today?
In high school, I was a summer helper at a construction site. When I graduated in 1969, I went to apprentice school to become an electrician. When I saw my friends going into the service, I signed up for the Marine Corps, even though I was exempted at the time. After completing my service, I went back into apprentice school to finish up.
Tell us about the work Elite Electric is performing on the Obama Presidential Center.
Our scope is to complete the electrical in all buildings. We also have the fire alarms, the site work for the pole lights, bollards, outside lighting, underground work for signs and more.
It’s a large job in different sections. The whole job is hard, but power was one of the hardest jobs. You have high ceilings and a lot of underground. You have a variety of different applications, not just concrete walls and concrete flooring. That’s why we’ll be one of the last ones there. Right now, we’re working on concrete poles and raceways to the site, hoping to start setting light poles in the next few months to light the place up.
What sets your business apart?
We treat people like we want to be treated. You try to have standards and look out for people. That’s the way I see it, and because of that, we don’t have a lot of turnover. That’s one of our pluses!
What excites you most about being a part of this historic undertaking?
I believe it’s a good thing for the city. Jackson Park is such a great area, and this is a plus for it. Working for President Obama, for me as a veteran, I feel very honored. The Lakeside staff is impeccable. We all work like a team. We go forward. That’s what I like about them. I feel honored being around these people.
What advice would you give others thinking about pursuing a career in construction?
Put your mind to it and know what you want to do. I think the construction industry today has the best benefits and ability to make a good salary. There are pluses and minuses, but you take the good with the bad. At the end of the day, if you are good at what you do, you have a solid job.
What is your greatest hope for the outcome of the Obama Presidential Center?
It will employ people and will be a destination not just for tourists, but for all Chicago residents, especially kids. It’s like being in a 30-story building – you can see Michigan City, south, north, east and west, Midway and O’Hare. A presidential center in the City of Chicago is just amazing to me. President Obama wanted it here, and we should be very honored he picked this place.