Baldwin Electric: "THE POWER THAT YOU CAN COUNT ON’’
Baldwin Electric Inc., was founded on October 22, 2011 by the Electrical Engineer, Baldwin Mercedes. Their head office is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and has been operating for more than 7 years. They also operate in South Carolina. Baldwin Electric is dedicated to residential, commercial and industrial electrical installations.
We spoke with Baldwin Mercedes and he told us:
"Our main clients are very versatile construction companies, which stand out in the three main branches of residential, commercial and industrial construction. Baldwin Electric differs from other companies thanks to the good training received by their technicians, for each individual branch of the field of electricity. This has resulted in a high percentage of approved inspections, our projects are not delayed due to technical errors or accidents because we take work safety very seriously, and this creates an environment of trust for our clients. To this we attribute our slogan "THE POWER THAT YOU CAN COUNT ON.”
Tell us about the company's beginnings and your most outstanding stories:
In 2011 when we started the company we used to took very small jobs, until to my surprise one day, I found a colleague named John Spargo who proposed me to work again in the company that I worked before, but this time as a subcontractor.
2015 was the key year for the success of our business, as I became a member of the Hispanic Contractors Association, HCAC. "For me it's a key to the success of small businesses, because of their training courses, meetings with large companies and all their services provided. In 2016 Baldwin Electric was awarded with the Subcontractor of the Year Award, we are very grateful for this award as it stood us out as a company that has had a positive impact on the construction field."
What has been the key to success for you?
As a contractor I think that the key to success in moving ahead in an economy like this is to educate yourself in important areas such as cost estimation and work efficiency. We are in a very competitive market therefore our customers expect from us the following: quality, speed, experience, and above all the best price possible.
Construction and technology are constantly changing, if we look back 10 years ago the methods and how to build has changed a lot, therefore, we must be alert and up to date with the changes so as not to be left behind.
Professional ethics: we can be the best in our area, but if we can not sell our services with professionalism we will soon disappear.
What do you think about certifications?
I think certifications like Occupational Safety and Labor are fundamental, the big companies do not want to take the risk of employing people who are not certified, at least we must have OSHA 10 in our curriculum.
Being certified as a minority gives us many benefits that we benefit from, this is another fundamental certification.
I also think it is great to be educated in the marketing side, to know how to advertise our products and services. These are the certifications that have helped me grow my company.
What are the most difficult barriers that the company has had to face?
One of the biggest difficulties I have noticed is the language, we must motivate Hispanic contractors to have better communication both written and verbal.
In addition, we are economically limited because capital is very limited and takes a longtime to grow, but large companies do not face such problems. Bonds are very inaccessible to us.
General contractors have trained personnel for each department instead small companies are usually only one person for the whole administrative part which makes the process of growing more difficult.
What competitive advantages do you think they present:
Small businesses have the advantage of having less operating expenses because we operate from very small premises and even from our homes. The prices of a small company will always be lower than the big companies because of the flexibility of being able to negotiate directly with the owner of the company and the client. Decisions are made faster because you do not have to delegate with members from different departments.
How does HCAC help small businesses?
HCAC for me is a guide to business success. Being a member of HCAC means there is still hope for small businesses in North Carolina.
It is a great resource for the Hispanic community, I invite all small companies and people who think of being entrepreneurs to participate in their business lunches where you always learn something new. As a member I am very pleased and grateful for all the new business relationships I have met through HCAC. Personally I think that HCAC provides us with an essential aid for the growth and development of the small companies that are about to begin and to the already established ones.
What would you like to share with the readers?
As a small company I am very proud to be a member of HCAC and it gives me great satisfaction to know that there are still institutions dedicated to helping Hispanic entrepreneurs, I hope they will continue for many more years, helping to grow small businesses, especially Hispanic since we are the major minority within the United States.
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