ST. LOUIS, Mo. – IBEW Local 1 and St. Louis NECA contractors have been honored with an Innovation in Philanthropy Award from the St. Louis Business Journal.
In a first-of-its-kind recovery initiative, IBEW/NECA collaborated with St. Louis City, suppliers and other agencies to restore power in tornado ravaged areas of North St. Louis.
The team orchestrating community recovery initiative included Guarantee Electrical Co.; ArchKey Solutions; RJP Electric; the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1; the St. Louis Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA); St. Louis Home Repair Network; Graybar; Ameren Missouri; and the City of St. Louis Tornado Recover Program.
The Spring 2025 storm killed five people and injured 38 more. It damaged or destroyed more than 5,000 homes and buildings, a more than $1 billion disaster, according to Guarantee Electrical CEO Rich Ledbetter.
During a panel discussion at the Frontenac Hilton award ceremony, Ledbetter praised the restoration team including the NECA contractors engaged in ReConnect STL and the IBEW Local 1 which deployed its skills to help restore power.
Guarantee offered up $100,000 in services and materials free of charge to start. ArchKey Solutions, PayneCrest, GrayBar and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers made similar commitments.
It was the second time in the past two years that the IBEW/NECA Electrical Connection partnership has been honored in the publication’s Innovation in Philanthropy Awards. In 2024, the partnership was saluted for its work with Rebuilding Together St. Louis. The awards honor local partnerships for going above and beyond standard philanthropic practices in new and creative ways.