Jim Kellett Takes the Lead at ECAO 2011 ECAO Industry Conference

ECAO PRESIDENTJim KellettBy Angela AltassTakes The Lead at ECAOThe incoming president of the ElectricalContractors Association of Ontario brings awealth of experience and a passion for theindustry with him to lead the association forthe next two years.“This is a good time – a time of opportunityfor this industry,” states ECAO’s newPresident Jim Kellett. “It is also a timeof challenge.”There is a great need for infrastructurerenewal in the province but, at the sametime, the industry is dealing with a skilledworker shortage, especially in the highvoltagesector, notes Kellett.“There are also many people in our associationwho are trade folks who startedtheir own electrical contracting businessand are now getting ready to retire,” hesays. “These people need a succession plan– do they sell the company to employeesor to a larger company or is there someoneto hand the company down to in theirfamily, or do they just wind down thecompany altogether?”Jim Kellett, Senior Vice President ofOperations and Engineering with K-LineGroup of Company’s Construction sector,has worked his way up the ladder with thecompany that was founded by his uncleGlenn Kellett in 1967.“I started as an apprentice lineman in1979,” recalls Kellett who later moved toSaskatchewan to complete his apprenticeshipand then moved on to a supervisoryrole for the company. “In 1985, thecompany expanded to Nova Scotia andthe Atlantic Provinces and I went there in1987 to take over as Division Manager forAtlantic Canada. After Nova Scotia powerprivatized, we wound down that operationand I went back to Saskatchewan.”Kellett, who still holds a power line certificationin Saskatchewan, Ontario and NovaScotia, and a red seal (Interprovincial,)has also worked in the Bahamas for thecompany’s International Division and hasworked on projects in St. Lucia and Dominicabefore settling back in Ontario with hiscurrent role in 2000.Kellett, who oversees a staff of nearly400 located across the country, saysthe electrical contracting industry haschanged vastly since his uncle started inthe business.“My uncle started the business in the basementof his house with one truck,” he says,noting that live line work has always been afoundation of the company business.Safety is a key component of K-Line’swork ethic, and the importance of safety issomething that Kellett will be carrying overinto his role of President of the ElectricalContractors Association of Ontario.“We have a world-class safety program atK-Line,” says Kellett. “Safety and trainingare absolutely critical in this industry.”Ontario Electrical Contractor10