Drive past any major building or renovation project in Genesee County and you’ll likely see Weinstein Electric’s handiwork.
From Hurley Medical Center, Ascension Genesys Hospital, and McLaren Flint to Kettering University, Mott Community College, and Flint Community Schools, the 78-year-old company continues to bring new communications and electrical systems to light.
It’s more than just a job for Weinstein Electric, though. It’s a commitment to the Flint community.
“Our team is honored to have played a role in the growth of Flint, the place we’ve called home for nearly 80 years,” said David Cook, vice president.
In 1946, Myer “Mike” Weinstein opened the company’s doors in a house at 213 W. First Ave. in downtown Flint. Weinstein sold the business in 1984 to Robert Chapelle and Jim Stiles. In 1998, Robert Chapelle’s son, Jeffrey, and Steven Cook bought the company. Five years ago, Michael Stewart and David Cook, Steven’s son, took the helm.
“We’ve got an outstanding team, including several generations of our families that still take part in the business,” David Cook said. “My dad is 73 years old and still comes in almost every day.”
The company has grown over time, now employing between 75 and 100 people. After 77 years at the same location, Weinstein Electric last year moved its headquarters to 705 Kelso St., a 7,000-square-foot building more than double the size of their original site.
The company decided against earlier opportunities to relocate outside Flint.
“Staying close to downtown was very important to us,” Cook said. “When your business is based here, it helps you take ownership of what’s happening and be a real part of the community through volunteering and giving back by participating in events.”
“Our new location is a really good fit and gives us a chance to spread out a little bit and have a lot better parking.”
Through the years, Weinstein Electric has grown to combine traditional electrical work with communications capabilities in order to provide clients with a comprehensive collection of services. Designing and installing complex voice, data, and video networks has become one of the firm’s sub-specialties.
Weinstein Electric offers clients multiple communications services. This includes cable television; closed-circuit television; copper multipair installation; fiber installation; sound, public address, and intercom; telephone systems; voice/data cabling and card access/intrusion detection (through partnership with other vendors).
“This is known as low-voltage work and includes wiring, connecting, troubleshooting, and repairing low-voltage electrical systems like these,” Cook said. “We’ve helped a lot of local customers with their low-voltage electrical projects: Mott Community College, Genesys, McLaren, and Hurley, for instance.”
Customer service has been a priority since day one, he said. That’s possible by treating clients as partners.
“Because of all the design-build work we’ve done, we feel pretty comfortable going to an owner or an engineer and making a suggestion of one thing or another that might be a cost savings or a more efficient way of doing things,” Cook said. “Our clients really appreciate that.”
Clients describe Weinstein Electric’s performance as professional, always delivering more than expected. In recent years, the company has expanded beyond Michigan with projects in Tennessee and Kentucky.
“We’ve got a really good team in place and never want to lose sight of taking care of the customer first,” Cook said.
In addition to meeting the needs of their clients, Weinstein Electric prides itself on being a good employer.
“We’ve always been really focused on taking care of our employees and treating everyone like family,” he said. “As a result, we have many employees who stay with us for a long time because they really like working for us.
“Because we work with electricity, safety is always a big concern. We do whatever we can to adhere to all safety precautions and make sure everyone goes home to their families at the end of the day.”