From the Panel to the Parking Lot: An Electrical Contractor’s POV on EV Charging’s Next Phase

Craftsman Electric has been wiring Greater Cincinnati since 1984. Today, the second-generation, 110-person firm is straddling two lanes—ground-up commercial construction and a fast-growing service business—and seeing electrification reshape both. “You can’t survive in today’s world without power,” says Russ Speigle, COO. “The way we deliver it evolves, but the blocking and tackling—bringing safe, reliable service into buildings—still matters most.”

Why property owners and investors should move now

Speigle’s message to landlords, developers, and asset managers is blunt: treat EV charging as an investment, not a line-item expense. “Figure out how to work it in sooner rather than later,” he advises. “It’s coming, and the earlier you get in front of it, the less expensive it’s going to be.” The math can support that stance. Owners buy electricity wholesale and sell it retail at the charger; margin covers capital and operations while future-proofing the asset. (If you’re new to utility tariffs, demand charges are fees based on your site’s highest 15-minute power draw each month—plan for them in the pro forma.)

Craftsman’s crews are installing two to three residential EV circuits a month and seeing EV stalls specified as standard in new retail builds—grocery, clinics, and national chains. On commercial sites, Speigle is also seeing innovations that speed the path to energized parking: pre-cast concrete EV foundations with conduits pre-cored and mounting points aligned. “You’re basically digging the hole, dropping the unit, and wiring,” he says.

For remodels and brownfields, that can mean fewer trades to coordinate and a cleaner schedule.

What makes a project “contractor-friendly”—and reliable in the field

Craftsman’s dual model—build the project, then service it—shapes how Speigle thinks about design. He prioritizes:

• Right-sizing power early. Coordinate panel capacity and trench routes during schematic design to avoid late-stage change orders and tariff surprises.

• Serviceability. Choose hardware with good diagnostics and local spare parts. (Uptime lives and dies on MTTR—mean time to repair.)

• Turnkey execution. “You don’t need four or five contractors,” Speigle notes. A capable

EC can design-assist, permit, install, and stand up ongoing service.

The lesson for owners: pick a contractor who will own both day one and day two.

Culture as a reliability strategy

If EV charging is infrastructure, people are the operating system. Craftsman is investing heavily in the next generation of tradespeople—24 new IEC apprentices started this year, a company record. “The whole culture of construction is evolving,” Speigle says. “You can’t bring in 18- to 22-year-olds and treat them like they were treated 10 or 15 years ago.” A 12-week leadership course for foremen and soon-to-be-foremen is already changing jobsite dynamics. The firm’s strategic pillar—Investing in You—aims to make Craftsman the place where young electricians stay, grow, and eventually lead.

This isn’t just altruism. EV sites demand rapid troubleshooting, firmware updates, and clean documentation; a respected, well-trained crew closes tickets faster.

“That’s what will separate us from the competition,” Speigle says. “Delivering first-in-class customer experience through our people.”

The market signal from Cincinnati—and beyond

Craftsman works within a 50-mile radius across Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, and the order book tells a story: EV stalls are appearing wherever there’s new commercial construction in key sectors. Publix’s Northern Kentucky builds include EV charging from day one; a new VA clinic in Cincinnati is adding multiple stations.

“Whenever something new goes up, EV is in the plan,” Speigle says. He sees adoption broadening steadily, not as hype but as a practical amenity.

“Someday we’ll be saying, ‘remember internal combustion?’ It won’t take over everything, but it’ll be even more prevalent—every day.”

Practical advice for owners and operators

1. Budget now. Slot EV make-ready into the next capital cycle—conduit, panel space, and trenching are cheapest before asphalt goes down.

2. Phase intelligently. Stub for more ports than you need on day one; add pedestals as utilization grows.

3. Model tariffs. Ask your EC to coordinate with the utility early to manage demand charges and interconnect timelines.

4. Design for day two. Choose hardware and networks with clear diagnostics, roaming, and spare-parts support; require a service-level agreement with response-time targets.

5. Pick partners who will be there tomorrow. A contractor who builds and services your site reduces finger-pointing when uptime is on the line.

Speigle’s bottom line: “Get in front of the curve, or you’ll be 50th in line trying to install with no experience under your belt.”