News and What We are Up To.
IAS Team Hunt 2017
Every year team IAS loves doing something together that is fun. This year we all enjoyed the outdoors and went on a Pheasant hunt. We had a beautiful day to enjoy the outdoors and watch the hunting dogs do what they love! IAS is dedicated to being a great team so that we can serve our customers the best way we can. We are not just a team of guys that work together, but we are all friends as well. When we get a chance to hang out and do something together outside of work, we really enjoy it! IAS is here to serve when it comes to your Electrical and Automation needs! We are dedicated to work as a team when needed to get the job...
read moreDesign/Build
Design/Build As part of a larger Shaw Electric project, IAS has a design/build portion for electrical and controls. This project has a tight timeline and high expectations, reasons why the customer chose Shaw Electric and IAS to do the job. Edgar is getting his controls engineering career into high gear by laying out the back panels and electrical schematics for a panel retrofit project. Please relay to your customers that Shaw Electric and IAS can handle all their electrical and controls design and build challenges! The IAS Story—By Josh Kruse ...
read morePower For The Future
Have you noticed solar panels installations popping up in more places every day? There are good reasons for this: photo-voltaic (solar) technology has made great advances over the last few years so the cost for the equipment keeps coming down, the cost of energy keeps going up, the amount of energy we use is increasing, and the best part, sunlight is FREE. IAS has installed both roof and ground mounted systems over the past few years. We can deliver turn-key solar designs and installations for all types of applications. If you know of someone looking into solar or you have an interest to add solar to your home, give IAS a call. We can answer any questions and get you a quote for your own...
read moreField Service Supervisor
Field Service Supervisor There are a few changes within the IAS department since Ken’s retirement. I have taken over as IAS manager and now Stephen Mahieu has accepted new responsibilities as Field Service Supervisor. The job title he already had but his role has changed. In addition to being a highly respected and very talented electrical technician, Stephen now manages the IAS service calls and preventative maintenance projects. Stephen has been with IAS for over 8 years now. His expertise in the electrical maintenance industry is second to none and he provides the foundation for our preventative maintenance services. IAS strives to partner with all our customers to maintain their electrical equipment. Whether it is infrared scanning, ultrasonic testing, VFD capacitor reforming, battery bank testing, circuit breaker testing, or simply cleaning and inspecting, IAS can do it all. Give Stephen a call to congratulate him on his new role and also pass on any customer contact information who may be in need of PM services. Josh Kruse March 2017...
read moreHappy Trails Ken!
The retirement party has come and gone. Gifts were given, speeches were read, and many warm good-byes said. The ticket was punched, the plane was boarded, and the wheels lifted off. With his departure Ken’s IAS chapter is closed, while mine turns a new page. Ken was an integral part of IAS for the past 10 years. He steered the IAS ship to growth and hiring. We are very grateful for his leadership and direction over the years. He has given me a great blueprint to follow in my new role as IAS Manager. Ken’s great customer relationships have build a shining IAS reputation from which to grow. We wish Ken the best in retirement. Enjoy his golf game, hunting trips, and grandkid(s). If he is ever in the area don’t forget to stop by and say hello. Twas the Monday before Christmas and all through the shop, the technicians were adjusting to the loss of their boss. They were a good crew, but like armies of old, they knew when a fine solder was missing from the fold. The younger ones will step up to replace them, as they always have done. But it’s sometimes hard to replace a certain one. We wish him the best, and hope he gets his deserved rest. It was a joy to serve in the same company as you. Best wishes to you all and to all a good retirement. A Funky Poet (AKA Mark...
read moreNew IAS Leader
With the impending retirement of your intrepid reporter, Shaw Electric has turned to Mr. IAS (and ISU), Josh Kruse, to lead IAS into the future. Josh is coming up on his 14th anniversary with IAS, starting with the company out of school. Having touched every aspect of our business, and excelled on jobs across the spectrum, Josh is ready, willing, and able to lead the group. Josh is an Iowa guy, who grew up on a farm in the Mt. Pleasant area. He’s known in the area for anchoring the corner on the defensive line, and playing center, for his Mt. Pleasant High School football team. Josh went to Iowa State (go Cyclones!) and received a degree in Computer Engineering. He married his high school sweetheart, Kara, and they are blessed with 3 children. Some folks may not know that Josh started in the field with Shaw Electric at the Burlington Hospital job. He traveled to Rolla, MO, to wire up the Royal Canin plant. Josh now has his professional engineering license and is one of the top electrical engineers in this region of the country. With a good group of IAS professionals ready to serve and solve, we know Josh and IAS will continue to grow and...
read moreLine 13
Line 13 You may think an industrial process with a name such as Line 13, there may be many problems. After all, if there aren’t any Floor 13’s in buildings, should there be a Line 13 in a plant? And if IAS and Shaw Electric were to redo the power and control on Line 13, would the project be snake bit? Not when you have the project designed and led by Mr. Josh Kruse, and installed by IAS’s M&M’s, Mike Truninger and Mark Johnson, and Shaw electricians Mike Thola and Tim Clark, Sr. Don’t forget our drafter Mr. Steve Garthaus, who put Josh’s designs into AutoCAD for our field folks to wire by. The project turned out anything but snake bit. The installation was ahead of schedule and under budget, and the startup was quite smooth. Even though this line is the most complex Josh has tackled to date, the job turned out great! From engineering to controls, from panels to field installation and startup, IAS and Shaw Electric team up to provide full service to our customers. This is a strength of our team that has led to many satisfied customers looking for 1 contractor to do it all. Pass on our capabilities to your customers! Ken Deering ...
read morePanel Times
Panel Times Industrial Automated Systems and Shaw Electric provide engineering, panel building, and electrical construction services for industrial establishments in Iowa and Illinois. Currently IAS and Shaw have teamed up to complete a major controls upgrade at a co-generation plant. IAS designed and built the control panels for the plant, while Shaw Electric is providing field installation of the controls. Here Victoria, our Light Expressions Warehouse leader, is demonstrating the size of one of the panels. Victoria has been a big help moving panels and parts in and out for us. Thank you, Victoria! Mike, one of the M&M’s, is assembling a control panel. Mike will wire according to the plans and test with our engineer, Josh. He will also have some custom field wiring at the power plant when the panels are installed by Shaw Electric. From engineering to controls, from panels to field installation and startup, IAS and Shaw Electric team up to provide full service to our customers. This is a strength of our team that has led to many satisfied customers looking for 1 contractor to do it all. Pass on our capabilities to your customers! Ken Deering...
read more4-Hour Outage
Industrial Automated Systems and Shaw Electric provide electrical PM services for industrial establishments in Iowa and Illinois. Recently employees teamed up to PM a customer’s 15kV switchgear, in just 4 hours. To PM and test a large power distribution system with many pieces of switchgear in just 4 hours, the job has to be well planned, many people are required, and the work must proceed safely, smoothly and efficiently. That’s just what happened this past month. On the left, Joe Stuhr is changing filters to keep the switchgear clean throughout the year. I think Joe really enjoys changing filters! Above, Derek Thomas is a cleaning machine. I don’t know if he makes house calls, but he sure makes industrial calls! Have your industrial customers give us a call to clean and test their equipment. They too can see a cleaning crew getting the job done with smiles on their faces!...
read moreRapid Repairs
Industrial Automated Systems has always prided itself on industrial emergency electrical repairs. We have a knowledgeable staff, proper tools, creative thinking, and the desire to help a customer in need get back to production. An opportunity arose this past month to demonstrate our emergency repairs strength. A customer had an arc over in one of their 15kV loop switches during a big rain storm. This caused their plant to lose power and shut down their process. Stephen and Mike, shown here, along with Mark and Edgar, responded to the call. Power was restored to the plant within hours, and the damaged switch was brought back to the shop for expedited repairs. A few days later, the switch was repaired, returned to the plant, and put back into service. Well done, fellas! If your industrial customers have an emergency electrical repair, you know who you can call on for...
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