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On Wednesday, November 11, Central Indiana Chapter NECA brought together student chapter members from Purdue University and Ball State University for a site tour of the new Community Westfield Hospital. ERMCO, Inc., one of our member contractors, is leading the electrical work on the project.

Chris Fritzlen, Director of Estimating at ERMCO, organized the tour and led the group through the site with several members of the ERMCO team. The ERMCO team provided background on the project, including the bidding process, personnel coordination and the specifications required by Community, before students explored the site. The tour included a look into the hospital’s labor and delivery floors, NICU, surgical areas and emergency power supply, highlighting the electrical systems that make those spaces possible. In a hospital, those systems support everything from patient care to life-saving equipment, so it was a firsthand look at how important electrical work is on a project like this. The floors were in varying stages of completion, giving the students a unique perspective into the a project lifecycle. Given the complex requirements of a hospital, understanding that scope was a valuable experience for the students.

After the tour, the group headed to Birdies in Westfield for food, mini golf, and networking. It was a great chance for students from both schools to get to know each other and connect with professionals already working in the industry.

A big thank you to Chris and the entire ERMCO team for taking the time to show our students around the site, answer their questions and give first-hand insight into the types important infrastructure projects that they may contribute to in their careers. We were excited to see such a great turnout, and we’re already planning more student chapter outings and networking opportunities for the year ahead. Stay tuned for what’s next!