Newkirk Electric Through The Years
1960s
Electrical Systems Specialist
Newkirk Electric opened its doors in Flint, Michigan in 1961 as an “electrical systems specialist”, and quickly developed capabilities in high voltage work to help Consumers Power Company build its power distribution/substation system throughout the state.
1970s
Power Generation
From there, Newkirk ventured into power plants and served as the primary electric contractor on many of the state’s largest power generation units starting with the award of the 1,872 MW Ludington Pumped Storage plant in 1968, at the time the largest civil construction project in the world. Other large power plant projects followed as Michigan built its base load generation units including the Palisades Nuclear Plant, the J.H. Campbell Plant (Unit 3), and the D.E. Karn Plant (Units 3 & 4).
1980s
Engineering and Turnkey Services
Newkirk Electric continued to primarily serve as the electric contractor for substations and power plants throughout the 80s. During this time, Newkirk founded its engineering subsidiary, Theka Engineering Associates, becoming one of the few electrical contractors in the Midwest to offer true turnkey services for substations and industrial systems.
1990s
Wireless
In the 1990s, Newkirk entered the communications market, building radio towers and emergency communications systems. This marked the company’s foray into wireless communications infrastructure construction, a dedicated division of the company today.
2000 and beyond
Renewable Energy
During the last two decades, Newkirk has continued its history as a leader in the market by developing specialized services in the renewable energy sector. Newkirk has installed over 113 megawatts of solar power generation across the United States. The company is also very active in the wind, biomass, biofuel, hydroelectric, and landfill generation markets. Newkirk has also worked on many “industry firsts” such as the first digester in the U.S. to generate both electricity and pipeline grade natural gas.