Three-phase power, heavy equipment hookups, emergency warning systems, and industrial controls. Cliff's background includes GE Aerospace warning systems at ILM airport, runway and taxiway lighting, and full facility builds for NC Dept of Adult Correction. This is not residential work with a bigger breaker box.
Industrial work isn't residential with bigger wire. Different voltages, different codes, different equipment. Here's what Cliff handles.
Three-Phase Panels
Three-phase panel installation and balancing. 208V and 480V. Load calculations, phase balancing across all three legs, breaker coordination.
Motor & Equipment Hookups
Conveyor motors, compressors, commercial HVAC units, kitchen equipment. Hard-wired per nameplate specs with proper disconnect switches.
480V Service
480V three-phase for industrial facilities. Transformers, disconnects, feeders sized for the load. Not something most residential guys touch.
Industrial Lighting
High-bay LED retrofits for warehouses and shops. Explosion-proof fixtures where codes require them. Better light, lower energy bills.
VFD & Control Wiring
Variable frequency drive installation for motor speed control. Control wiring, relay logic, disconnect switches. Reduces energy draw and extends motor life.
Industrial Troubleshooting
Motor failures, VFD faults, ground faults, breaker trips on industrial circuits. Meggering, phase rotation checks, thermal imaging.
Airfield Lighting
Cliff has done runway and taxiway lighting at ILM . Wilmington International Airport. Series circuit, constant current regulators, L-862 approach lighting. Specialized work that most electricians never see.
Equipment Relocation
Moving machines means moving power. Disconnect, relocate, reconnect . with new conduit runs, proper disconnects, and updated permits.
Disconnect Switches
Fused and non-fused disconnects for motors, HVAC, and equipment. OSHA-compliant lockout/tagout capability. Sized to the load, mounted per code.
Why It Matters
What sets this apart.
Most residential electricians won't touch industrial. They see three-phase and walk away. Most industrial outfits won't do a small job . they want the big contracts, the six-figure build-outs. If you're a machine shop that needs a 480V disconnect installed, or a warehouse that wants high-bay LEDs, you're stuck in the middle.
Cliff does both. He'll wire a 480V three-phase panel for your shop and come back the next week to mount your TV at home. That flexibility matters for small industrial operations, commercial kitchens, and facilities that don't have an electrician on staff. You get one guy who knows the equipment, knows the codes, and doesn't need a $50,000 minimum to show up.
Before You Call
What you should know about industrial electrical.
Power & Voltage Basics
Three-phase vs. single-phase: if your equipment has three hot wires, it's three-phase. Most industrial motors and large HVAC require it. Residential is single-phase.
208V vs. 480V: commercial buildings often have 208V three-phase. Heavy industrial typically runs 480V. Your equipment nameplate tells you which one it needs.
Duke Energy commercial and industrial service requirements differ from residential . different meter class, CT cabinets, and sometimes a dedicated transformer.
Permits & Compliance
Industrial electrical permits go through New Hanover County or Brunswick County depending on location. We pull them and coordinate the inspection.
OSHA compliance: proper disconnect switches, lockout/tagout provisions, arc flash labeling on panels. Not optional in a facility with employees.
Equipment nameplate data is needed before quoting . voltage, amperage, phase, HP. If you have the manual or spec sheet, send it over. If not, Cliff reads the plate on site.
FAQ
What facility managers ask about industrial electrical.
Yes . installation, troubleshooting, balancing, panel upgrades. 208V and 480V. If your facility is running three-phase and something's off . voltage imbalance, a leg dropping out, breakers tripping under load . that's what Cliff does.
Yes . compressors, motors, conveyor systems, commercial HVAC, kitchen equipment. Need the nameplate data or the manual for quoting. That tells us the voltage, amperage, phase, and HP so we can size the wire, the breaker, and the disconnect correctly. If you don't have the paperwork, send a photo of the nameplate and Cliff will work from that.
Cliff's background includes work at ILM . Wilmington International Airport, emergency warning systems for GE Aerospace, and industrial facility projects throughout the Wilmington area. His current permit record covers both commercial and industrial work . the kind of jobs that most residential-focused electricians won't take on.
Yes . motor failures, VFD faults, ground faults, breaker trips on industrial circuits. Cliff carries a megger, clamp meter, and phase rotation meter. If a motor won't start or a VFD keeps throwing fault codes, he can diagnose it on site and tell you whether it's the drive, the motor, or the wiring.
Yes . LED high-bay retrofits for warehouses, shops, and manufacturing floors. Replaces old metal halide or fluorescent fixtures. Better light output, lower energy cost, and no warm-up time. Cliff handles the layout, wiring, and mounting. If the existing circuits can handle the new fixtures (LEDs pull less power), we reuse them. If not, we run new.
Everything from a single disconnect switch to a full facility wire. That's the advantage of a one-man operation . no overhead, no minimum job size. If you need one 480V outlet for a welder, Cliff will come out and do it. Big industrial contractors won't roll a truck for that.
Yes . commercial and industrial electrical permits through New Hanover County or Brunswick County, depending on location. We pull the permit, do the work, and coordinate the inspection. Industrial work requires a licensed electrical contractor in North Carolina. Cliff holds NC Licensed #27821-L.
Where Cliff Works
Industrial electrical service areas.
Proctor Electric handles industrial and specialty electrical work across the Wilmington area . from the industrial parks along US-421 and Castle Hayne Road to the ILM airport corridor. If your facility is near the port, the rail yards, or the manufacturing clusters off I-140, Cliff has probably worked in your neighborhood.
We serve industrial clients in Leland and the growing commercial zones along US-17, Ogden / Porters Neck business parks, and the Hampstead corridor. For coastal commercial operations . marinas, fish houses, marine industry facilities in Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and Wrightsville Beach . Cliff understands the salt air corrosion issues and marine-rated equipment requirements.