Almost a year after a devastating tornado hit St. Louis, a group of area electrical industry companies and qualified unions, called Reconnect STL— has been honored by the team’s efforts to turn the power back on in the city.
IBEW Local 1 i St. Louis National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) won an Innovation in Philanthropy Award presented at an April 16 event hosted by the St. Louis Business Journal.
In the recovery initiative, IBEW/NECA worked with the city, utilities and other agencies to restore power to tornado-ravaged areas of northern St. Louis. The team that organized the community recovery initiative included Guarantee Electrical Co., ArchKey Solutions, RJP Electric, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1, the St. Louis Chapter of NECA, St. Louis Home Repair Network, Graybar, Ameren Missouri Electric Company and the City of St. Louis Tornado Recover Program.
The terrible storm, designated as an EF3 tornado, made landfall on May 16, 2025. Five people were killed and 38 were injured. The tornado’s strong winds of up to 152 mph caused extensive damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure, with more than 5,000 properties damaged and more than 100,000 customers without power. Damage was estimated at more than a billion dollars.
Guarantee Electrical CEO Rich Ledbetter started the comprehensive recovery effort when he called Mayor Cara Spencer and offered assistance. Guarantee was founded 124 years ago to provide power for the 1904 World’s Fair. “So there is and always has been a commitment to the community,” Ledbetter told the St. Louis Business Journal.
During a panel discussion at the Frontenac Hilton award ceremony, Ledbetter praised the restoration team, including NECA contractors involved in ReConnect STL and IBEW Local 1, who deployed their skills to help overcome the enormous challenges that included clearing debris and repairing internal damage to electrical infrastructure. Garantia also provided $100,000 in services and materials free of charge. ArchKey Solutions, PayneCrest, GrayBar and IBEW made similar commitments.
It was the second time in the last two years that the IBEW/NECA electrical connection association has been honored at the Innovation in Philanthropy Awards. The association was acclaimed in 2024 for its work with Rebuilding Together St. Louis, a nonprofit organization that provides free, essential home repairs and safety modifications to seniors, veterans and people with disabilities on incomes.
