On June 7, Yates Electric Service, Inc., a NECA New Hampshire Division contractor, received a special PWD FY11 Maine Safety Award from the U.S. Department of the Navy. The award was issued for the company's "outstanding safety awareness and oversight of electrical service operations," according to a communication the company received regarding the award. The award citation continues, "Building on a 13 year tradition of safe operations with zero accidents at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Yates Electric has shown a sustained and superior commitment to that end and has met the highest standards of the Navy, NAVFAC MIDLANT, and PWD Maine." The Small Business Safety Award recognized Jim Casey, superintendent, Brian James and Tom McLaughlin, lead foremen and the entire Yates crew "for superb efforts executing a highly effective company safety program." Yates has provided numerous office and industrial facility renovations for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in recent years.
Yates is currently handling a sports lighting project for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard's Jamaica Island Ballpark, as well as utility relocations for a 10-building demolition project and a new Naval Base Post Office facility. These projects are on schedule for completion in summer 2011.
Yates Electric is a second-generation NECA contractor founded in 1978 by William Yates. Company president Julie Merrill now manages day-to-day operations along with fellow company officers, senior estimators and project managers Jim Casey, Jason Palmer and Bob Scholefield. The company provides diverse, technical electrical contracting services to commercial, industrial, educational and public facility projects throughout New Hampshire and southern Maine. These services include substation construction and maintenance, industrial motor control installations, emergency power systems, marine electrical services, and electrical bridge maintenance.
A signatory contractor to IBEW Local 490, Yates Electric manages a staff of approximately 25 employees. In addition to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard projects, Yates has provided electrical services at Phillips Exeter Academy for the past 33 years, including electrical upgrades for campus faculty housing, dormitories, academic buildings, life safety/emergency power systems and the campus' 5kv distribution system upgrades. They have also recently completed projects for State of New Hampshire Department of Transportation, Pratt & Whitney, University of Ne Hampshire and Public Service of New Hampshire.

Yates Electric Services is presented PWD Maine Safety Award at Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Safety Forum at Eliot Commons, Eliot, Maine. L to R: CDR Brian Weinstein Public Works Officer PWD Maine; Brian James, Yates Electric; Jim Casey, Yates Electric; Bob Scholefield, Yates Electric; Captain Mark R. Libonate Commanding Officer Midlant, Norfolk Virginia; CDR Brian Longbottom FEAD, PWD Maine.