A shining light in Washington County manufacturing
Lighthouse Electric specializes in construction, technology and prefab work
Light was the operative word in Canton Township on Thursday, as Lighthouse Electric Inc. prepared for light-up night at its prefabrication facility.
The gargantuan manufacturing plant, along Ellis Avenue, was on display Thursday evening during a tour organized by the Washington County Manufacturers Association.
A group of about 20 strolled through the 170,000-square-foot building, constructed at the former Brockway Glass site, nearly adjacent to Interstate 70.
“If you walk around the building, you’ve done a half-mile,” said Theron DiPietrantonio, director of fabrication, who led the tour.
That structure, by the way, is not Lighthouse Electric’s most spacious. It has one in Coraopolis that has 200,000 square feet with which to operate.
This Canton Township facility is reasonably new, having opened last June. The signage – white lettering with dark blue background – is newer.
Founded in March 1984, Lighthouse Electric is living up to its name. It has grown tremendously during its 42 years, since Tony Mikec and sons Mark, Neil and Todd launched this endeavor.
The company is a commercial and industrial electrical contractor that provides electrical construction and installation and maintenance services. Its oversight also includes specialized systems, such as electric vehicle charging and hazardous location wiring.
Lighthouse Electric is a well-known electrical contractor that specializes in innovative construction, technology and prefab work. The company partners with numerous other companies on projects, including W.G. Tomko, a mechanical contractor in Finleyville.
“The health-care market is one of our biggest aspects,” DiPietrantonio said. The company has worked with three UPMC hospitals in Pittsburgh: Presbyterian, Children’s and Mercy, as well as VA Medical Center in Butler.
Lighthouse Electric also has worked with the ever-evolving Pittsburgh International Airport.
“Overhead and underground conduit piping are big with us as well,” the tour guide said.
Lighthouse Electric also is involved with about a half-dozen planned data centers.
Steel is a favored – and necessary – commodity at this Southpointe-based operation. “We’re buying 750,000 pounds of raw steel a year,” DiPietrantonio said.
The company is now headquartered at 2200 Energy Drive, about 11 miles from where it started on East Maiden Street in Washington. Lighthouse Electric has two locations outside the state: New Albany, Ohio, and Henrico, Va. The company, according to its website, has 201 to 500 employees.
Lighthouse Electric’s birth was interesting. The Mikecs’ first contract, according to its website, “was for a neighbor who commissioned the team to install new lighting for a local church parking lot.”
Anton Mikec is now CEO of the company and Todd Mikec is executive chairman of the company, which continues to be a shining light.