Every September, we celebrate National Tradesmen Day — a day set aside to recognize the electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs, and other skilled trade professionals who keep the lights on and the water running, helping communities thrive. At City Electric Supply (CES), we see them in action every day: the early mornings, the tight deadlines, the problem-solving, and the craftsmanship that brings ideas to life.
This year, we’re looking back at some of the stories that illustrate why we do what we do — stories about customers who didn’t just show up, but went the extra mile for their communities.
Tradesmen giving back
Some of the best stories are about how our customers use their skills to help communities in need.
Take Tayco Electric & Solar, a CES customer hired to handle all the electrical work on a St. Jude Dream Home — an over 3,000-square-foot house that would eventually be raffled off to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Being able to give back to children in need was super important to us,” said Tayco Electric & Solar Executive Assistant Makayla Thomas. With Tayco contributing the labor, and CES Indian Trail pitching in roughly $15,000 in materials, the completed house sold 27,000 raffle tickets and raised $2.7 million for St. Jude.
Then there’s Jacob Hogg, owner and master electrician of Cornerstone Construction Services and a CES Ann Arbor customer. After Hurricane Helene tore through Tennessee and Kentucky in 2024, Hogg contributed to a large community rebuilding effort, calling in help from a network of electricians and CES Ann Arbor. Between volunteer labor and material donations from CES and others, more than a dozen homes were rebuilt at no cost to their owners. “Families lost everything, and insurance wasn’t covering it all,” Hogg said. “Wiring isn’t cheap, so if we could help, we wanted to.”
In West Virginia, local electrician Chad Haines invited CES Martinsburg and other contractors to join an effort to install a backup generator and wheelchair lift so a child could safely come home from the hospital. After learning of the situation, Haines and local contractors collected material donations and installed the necessary equipment for the family. “I’m blessed enough to have skills that can support people who need it,” said Haines. “It was nice to see people come together for a young man who needed help.”
Tradesmen getting the job done
The expertise of a professional tradesperson is invaluable, and many jobs simply don’t happen without it.
This experience is what helped give a run-down softball field at Calera Middle School in Alabama a second life. On a mission to transform the field into a safe and usable place for the middle school’s softball team, CES Alabaster Outside Sales Rep. Keith Phillips enlisted the help of customers who had the skills he needed. Local contractors donated equipment, time, and labor to install new lights for the restored field, and the results were clear: tryout numbers for the softball team doubled the next season. As Daniel Dozier, owner of Dozier Electrical Services, put it: “It was a small drop in the bucket for us, but knowing it means much more to the kids and faculty at the school — that’s enough to see how the hard work paid off.”
In Indiana, CES Muncie customer and co-owner of Reids Electrical Service Brandon Reid donated his skills to build a home, giving foster children a soft place to land. Upon hearing about Isaiah 117 House through his church and seeing the need for electrical work, Reid committed to doing the work at no cost — even getting CES Muncie and trusted vendor partners involved by donating electrical material. Now, children entering foster care in Delaware County have a temporary home built specifically to make sure they feel safe and cared for.
At Vancouver International Airport, upgrading the LED lighting on a 32-foot First Nations totem pole took more than technical skill; it took contractors who understood they were working to help tell the story of a culturally significant piece of art inside a very active environment. DeltaTec Vice President of Operations Jeff Faulks and a representative from BL Lighting collaborated with CES Richmond to provide lighting that allowed the First Nations totem pole to shine, balancing technical expertise and strict airport protocols to enhance the art rather than interfere with it.
CES taking care of tradespeople
For all this work to happen, tradespeople need support from a dedicated supplier who understands and prioritizes their needs — and that’s why we show up every day.
It’s why our 700+ North American branches are empowered to make local decisions that are best for their customers — like CES Simpsonville, which shifted its focus toward industrial and manufacturing supplies to serve as the last stop for contractors heading into a region where manufacturing employment is nearly double the national average.
It’s why we build services designed to solve problems tradespeople face every day. CES One-Line Service cuts panelboard and switchboard lead times from six-to-nine months down to a week or less, so a delayed shipment doesn’t have to mean a delayed job. Industrial Automation Solutions (IAS) provides professionally engineered industrial control panels to drive innovation and productivity. The National Solutions Division (NSD) offers centralized services, large-scale resources, and specialized expertise to support projects of any size — from EV Solutions to Power Infrastructure and beyond.
And it’s the reason contractors keep choosing City Electric Supply — because, as customers have told us at events throughout the years:
“They’re quick to get the products we need… these guys make sure we get them on time.”
“They’ll definitely take care of you and go out of their way to get what you need.”
“The crews they have, their service, and their patience makes our jobs easier.”
“They deliver, and that is so critical for us to be efficient and to get the job done.”
To the tradespeople reading this
You’re the ones who help make the wish come true, who rebuild the softball field, who outfit an accessible home for a sick child to return to, and who make sure the job gets done right even when nobody’s watching. National Tradesmen Day lasts for 24 hours, but our appreciation doesn’t.
Have a story of your own you’d like to share? Fill out this form to let us know; we’re always looking for the next one to tell.