When you hear the term “small motor repair,” do you envision a one-bay-door shop located in the middle of a row of businesses in an industrial park? That may have been true for Electric Motor & Contracting Company (EMC) when the business first started with eight employees. Now, they have approximately 270 people on the team and they basically own an entire city block within an industrial park in Chesapeake. What’s their definition of “small” motor? The company classifies everything that gets worked on in their small motor shop as anything under 7,000 pounds, while anything over 7,000 pounds will be tackled in their large motor shop.
And that hardly scratches the surface of what’s special about EMC. They are the only privately held company in the United States with the capability to work on nuclear reactor coolant pump motors. According to Troy Renfrow, Vice President of Business Development for EMC, they currently work with approximately 95% of the nuclear power plants in the United States, and three large nuclear power companies in Canada.
They are also one of the only companies on the East Coast that is certified by NAVSEA (Naval Sea System Command) to do what is called “sealed system motor winding,” which is a system they developed back in the 1980s that is used on motors that are below the waterline on Navy ships. As one can imagine, that’s a pretty important industry niche in Coastal Virginia.
A Little History
EMC is celebrating their 65th anniversary this year. The company was started in 1960 by James Lloyd King, Sr. and his son James Lloyd King, Jr. They opened a small shop on Liberty Street in South Norfolk to provide motor repair services for the ship repair, pulp and paper, steel, chemical, and meat packing industries. After a decade of growth, they moved to a bigger facility on Campostella Road in Norfolk.
Thirteen years later, they moved to their current location on Cook Boulevard in Chesapeake. The 10,000-square-foot facility was acquired through a deal with Marine Hydraulics International (MHI), with whom EMC had worked with previously. At that time, they had around 30 employees.
Since then, their campus has grown to more than 250,000 square feet, which includes five distinct buildings, including their Nuclear Service Building (which is actually two separate buildings now) that required the construction of a three-story, 50,000-square-foot facility equipped with a 60-ton crane that has a hook height of 65 feet. In addition, they have a 20,000-square-foot pump repair facility, a large motor machine shop, a large motor disassembly area, large motor assembly area, and a 43,000-square-foot climate-controlled storage building. They also just recently bought a neighboring 17,000-square-foot building on four acres of land they will use for additional climate-controlled storage and office space.
More On The Floor
Walking through the campus and various buildings, visitors are treated to the sounds of grinders, blasters, forklifts continuously rolling by, and the hum of machinery in action. Depending upon which building you’re in, you’ll see sparks flying, smell the sulfurous odor of the busy forklifts, and be amazed by some really large motors, components, and the specialized machinery that handles it all. One thing that truly sticks out is how quickly and enthusiastically employees greet guests. Despite the mechanical surroundings, the people make it a warm and friendly environment.
“EMC is a family-owned and operated business that started in, and continues to grow in Coastal Virginia,” says Renfrow. “Our growth over the years can be directly attributed to our diverse customer base, our unique ability to work on specialized projects, our continuous improvements in our capabilities, and our personnel. We have a very long average tenure of employees because we know their value, and we do our best to take great care of them.”
Just Chillin’
The one place on the EMC campus that’s dramatically different from the other areas is the climate-controlled storage building. It’s whisper-silent and the air is warm and dry. This is another area of growth that EMC discovered along the way and they’ve turned it into an added benefit for their clients.
According to Renfrow, when a large motor is repaired, it may sit for months or longer at the facility as a critical spare for the client. If it’s not stored in a climate-controlled area, it can be subjected to warming and cooling temperatures that can cause condensation build-up, which is detrimental to motors.
As an additional service, if requested, EMC will house the motor in a facility that’s monitored 24/7, and the motor will be electrically tested monthly. They’ll also periodically rotate the shafts to preserve bearing life over time. One more big benefit—EMC’s controlled storage program will extend the warranty period on repaired motors while housed in the facility.
Future Plans
Renfrow admits it’s difficult to find the kind of skilled labor they need to fill spots as employees retire. In order to build their workforce of the future, they have created an apprenticeship program to grow their future team members. The program has been both popular and successful.
In addition, they’re looking to expanding their engineering services for customers including reverse engineering and design, advanced modeling and simulation, advanced diagnostics and condition monitoring, custom fabrication and machining, metrology and laser-tracking technology, and motion amplification technology. The engineering team is also involved in the design of new prototype motors for the growing nuclear power industry. This is in addition to the field services they already provide.
Today, the company is still under control of the King family. James Lee King, son of James Llyod King, Jr., took over as the third-generation CEO in 2002. With a history of success and a future filled with promise, EMC is positioned to continue moving forward, and all right here in our own backyard.
