This committee is guided by a simple but powerful purpose: to support our team’s morale, recognize the moments that matter, and give back to our communities. In 2026, they’re bringing that goal to life through 12 Acts of Kindness, a year-long campaign focused on giving back, spreading joy, and making a difference.

Let’s dive into what they do, who they are, and what’s to come.

What is Nickle’s Sunshine Committee?

At its core, the Sunshine Committee exists to make life a little brighter, both within our company and beyond it.

“The Sunshine Committee’s mission is to support the morale and well-being of the employees of Nickle Electrical Companies while simultaneously establishing community rapport.“

They focus on organizing acts of kindness throughout the year that support our employees, local organizations, community causes, and individuals in need. These efforts may include community outreach, donations, volunteer opportunities, or simple gestures of appreciation.

Work is more than just completing tasks; it’s about being part of a team where people feel seen, supported, and appreciated through every high and low. Whether it’s through a friendly gesture, a heartfelt celebration, or an act of service, the Sunshine Committee is here to uplift, connect, and support the people around us.

The People Behind the Committee

Made up of employees from across Nickle Electrical, the Sunshine Committee represents our shared commitment to teamwork, compassion, and service. Behind every act of kindness is a dedicated group of employees who make it happen, serving as the driving force behind the moments that bring people together and extend Nickle’s impact beyond the workplace. Together, they identify meaningful opportunities where time and resources can make a difference, both internally and within the community.

In 2026, the Sunshine Committee includes Samantha Windle, Taylor Burden, Lisa Houston, Jenny Yoder, Jen Thompson, Kevin Gates, Zoey Romano, Erika Newton, Maria Trujillo Hernandez, Kelly Arentzen, and Shelby Stansell.

12 Acts of Kindness – A Year of Giving Back

This year, the Sunshine Committee is introducing an initiative centered on impact and connection: 12 Acts of Kindness. Each month, the committee will focus on one act of kindness that supports a local organization, a community cause, or initiatives within our company. These monthly acts allow us to stay engaged year-round while creating consistent opportunities for involvement and impact.

Updates, photos, and reflections will be shared along the way to highlight the collective effort behind each act and celebrate the difference being made together.

Through the Sunshine Committee and their 12 Acts of Kindness, Nickle Electrical remains committed to building stronger communities, supporting those in need, and fostering a culture rooted in care, connection, and giving back.

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Just as it always is, safety was one of Nickle’s main focuses this year. In February the company sustained its record-breaking streak by reaching the four-year mark without a lost-time accident. Two major programs were implemented to encourage continued safe working conditions. The Safety Shadow Program involves field employees in the audit process on a weekly basis. Each time Safety Director Mike Anderson conducts a job site safety audit, an employee working on that project will walk the site with him. It gives Mike the opportunity to educate employees and answer specific questions regarding OSHA regulations. The Behavioral-Based Safety Program is another initiative established in 2014, which applies the science of behavioral changes to real world problems. It focuses on what people do, why they do it, and a research-supported strategy is applied to improve what people do. Employees are encouraged to observe the behavior of their colleagues, denote good or bad safety conduct, and give advice.

To solidify safety into Nickle’s culture, a contest was held and employees submitted a safety-related slogan that the company would swear by. The winner was mechanic Jordan Tulowitzki who submitted “Nickle Safety … it’s how we’re wired.” He was rewarded with a $1,000 prize and a logo was created to accompany the phrase.

 Nickle was also a recipient of numerous safety awards. In March the company was awarded the 2013 Governor’s Safety Award for bringing “distinction, skill, and integrity to the construction industry” through high safety standards. The honor was co-sponsored by the Delaware Contractors Association and the Delaware Department of Labor. Nickle has received this award for the past three years. And for the ninth year in a row, Nickle was awarded a STEP Safety Award by Associated Builders and Contractors. The Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) is based on approximately 20 key elements of contractor safety programs, such as commitment of company management, responsibilities of safety personnel, and budget. This year the company was presented the award at the Diamond level for the first time from both the Delaware and National chapters. Nickle also received its second STEP Award from the Chesapeake Shores ABC Chapter at the Diamond level.

When Nickle celebrated four years without a lost-time accident in February, management made a decision to expand the Elite group. In the past, the company has recognized the Nickle Elite as employees who have been dedicated to the company for 10 or more years. That Elite group now includes those who have been with the company for five years or more. In the current condition of our economy, sticking with one company for five years is a great feat. To honor the 50+ new and longstanding Elite inductees, each member received a Challenge Coin to carry. And on any employee’s five-year anniversary they are presented with a certificate and coin of their own.

Twice in 2014, Nickle was recognized by outside parties as an outstanding subcontractor. EDiS Company selected Nickle as their Delaware Subcontractor of the Year. The EDiS team voted on a subcontractor in the state that has provided an exceptional level of commitment and service to a project or projects they’re working on in conjunction with EDiS. Additionally, Engineering News-Record Magazine named Nickle in its annual Top 600 Specialty Contractors list. Published at the end of October, it ranks specialty contractors by 2013 revenue. It was the first time Nickle appeared on the famed list.

A number of continuing education classes and retreats for field employees and management were held this year. Numerous changes were made to the National Electric Code this year and in order to maintain their licenses, Nickle electricians attended code classes in January and February. Also, classes that focused on training for RGS and IMC pipe threading were held in-house at our Newark and Georgetown locations. Each employee trained on three different types of machines to learn the intricate details of pipe threading.

In October, Chief Financial Officer Neal Donaldson traveled to Arizona for the Construction Financial Management Association Spring Creek Retreat. Neal is the chapter president in Delaware. It’s a non-profit organization that serves the educational needs of construction financial professionals. The trip brought together chapter presidents from around the country to cultivate leadership, team-building, work/life balance, and other topics to excel in the industry. Safety Director Mike Anderson attended the American Society of Safety Engineers conference in Orlando, FL, which included multiple training sessions, attendance by more than 100 exhibitors, speeches and Q&A sessions with high-level national safety executives, and more.

 This year Nickle acquired a business license to perform work in Virginia, expanding its resources geographically to offer its commercial, industrial, residential, and service skills to better serve the entire Delmarva Peninsula. Additionally, a new service was added to our offerings – infrared testing. This process evaluates the health of a building or residence. The test can detect electrical problems through infrared heat before they cause complications and can prevent costly damage. It can be performed in all divisions of construction – residential, commercial, and industrial – and should be performed annually or bi-annually.

 Company-wide events are always a hit throughout the year, promoting camaraderie and solidarity throughout the business. For the first time, Nickle hosted a Tool-B-Que with United Electric Supply, Klein Tools, Thomas & Betts, and Ideal Industries. Employees were invited to browse tools available for purchase while enjoying food and refreshments. Nickle also revived its annual Company Picnic this year, held at Lums Pond State Park. Employees enjoyed games, prizes, barbecue, ice cream, a corn hole tournament, a photo booth, and much more. Other notable events include a Copper Crab Party, DCA & ABC Crab Feasts, ABC Fall Fest and Chili Cook-Off, and an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party.

Throughout the year Nickle sponsors and participates in a wide range of community events. Nickle Electrical was a sponsor for the Smyrna-Clayton Little Lass Softball League in the spring. The team was coached by Vice President of Operations Jeromy Newton. In July Nickle supported Delaware Hospice by sponsoring and participating in their 6^th Annual 5k Run & Family Fun Walk. It was a record-breaking event for both the organization and Nickle. There were a total of 296 participants (15 of those from Nickle) more than 100 spectators, 50 volunteers, and 30 sponsors who raised more than $15,000. Proceeds from the event help the non-profit organization provide end-of-life education and support families and patients. For the third year in a row Nickle sponsored the Ronald McDonald House 5k in Lewes, DE. The non-profit organization provides a home for the families of children who are receiving care at local hospitals. To support and raise money for Easter Seals, Nickle employees participated in the 2^nd Annual Walk With Me Delmarva event. The walk raised more than $25,000 for the non-profit organization, which assists children and adults with disabilities.

Also this fall, six Nickle teams ran the Delaware Mud Run to benefit the Leukemia Research Foundation of Delaware. In total all teams – Full Muddy Jacket, GI Janes, Red Jaguars, Shockers, Beardos, and Wire Nuts – raised $4.695.

A few other events and charities Nickle donated time and money to include Hagley Museum, Sussex Technical High School, Milton Irsh Eyes St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Delaware Hospice Beef & Brew, EDiS Institute/Leadercast, ACE Mentor Program, Sussex Family YMCA, Georgetown Boys & Girls Club, Bike to the Bay, Ironman, DelTech Alumni & Friends 5k Run/Walk, Apple-Scrapple Festival, St. Margaret of Scotland, Sunday Breakfast Mission, Salvation Army Bell-Ringing, and Toys for Tots.

One of the most popular events of the year (and almost every year) is the annual Associated Builders and Contractors Excellence in Construction Awards dinner. Nickle submitted three projects and all received praise. Hologic DET and Delaware City DMV received Excellence awards and Woodbridge High School received a Merit award. With the addition of these, Nickle now has 31 total Excellence in Construction Awards.

If you’d like to keep up with Nickle news throughout the year, please e-mail Laura to receive our quarterly newsletter, or visit our website and subscribe to our e-mail list. The company also joined Twitter and Instagram this year if you’d like to follow along on social media.

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New Behavioral Network, a non-profit that contracts with the Division of Family Services to provide parenting education and community resources to families in need, knew they had to find a way to reunite Christian and his family. First, his mother and a secondary caretaker were trained on his specific needs (he receives one-on-one care from Bayada Home Healthcare for approximately 16 hours per day). Another step to bringing Christian home was to have all of his essential medical equipment at home. Once the machines had arrived the family and Bayada realized there wasn’t enough electrical support in the house. That’s when Katie Klingensmith, a case manager with the Parent Aide Program of NBN and wife of Mechanic Jim Klingensmith, contacted Nickle Electrical.

Electricians added three circuits and seven outlets to the home to support all of Christian’s equipment along with air conditioning. And at the end of August Christian spent his first night ever at home with his family in Wilmington.

“I can’t express how happy I am and it’s almost like a miracle,” Reyes said in a letter. “It’s like we’re starting all over again after so many years.”

Work totaling approximately $2,500 was performed at no cost and Rumsey Electric provided the material also at no cost.

“The family is very pleased with the work and grateful for Nickle’s willingness and ability to help bring their family together under one roof,” Klingensmith said. “Without Nickle’s help, Christian would remain in foster care. This is a huge step for the family and is not possible without Nickle’s help.”

*This story will appear in our upcoming 3rd quarter newsletter. If you would like to be added to our mailing list please email Laura at ldignan@nickle.email

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Two major milestones were achieved early in the year, breaking previous records. In February, Nickle employees worked three years without a lost-time accident and just a few weeks later, we reached one million man-hours without a lost-time accident. Over this time the company has taken many steps to improve the welfare of its employees. Safety has not only become a necessity on the job, but it’s now a part of our culture. Our employees are immersed in an environment that emphasizes the importance of sending everyone home unharmed at the end of the day. We put value in continued safety training, foremen and Safety Director Mike Anderson conduct weekly safety audits, we now have a Safety Committee with field employee involvement, and have instituted a Stretch & Flex Program to be completed at the beginning of every day. In April a company-wide celebration was held at Dover Downs that included a short presentation regarding the significance of being safe on the jobsite. As of today we have worked 1,428 days without an accident!

Because of Nickle’s commitment to these safety values, the company received numerous awards. In March we were selected as a recipient of the 2012 Governor’s Safety Award for the second year in a row. The honor was co-sponsored by the Delaware Contractors Association and the Department of Labor. In May, Nickle also received its eighth consecutive Associated Builders and Contractors Delaware STEP (Safety Training and Evaluation Process) Award, this year at the Platinum level. We also received our first Platinum STEP Award from the ABC Chesapeake Shores chapter in September. The STEP program is designed to support ABC members with development and improvement of safety and training efforts.

Nickle and its employees has always made an effort to be involved in the community. Our outreach extends across the entire state of Delaware and beyond, helping those in need and touching the lives of many when they need it the most. We’re proud to have sponsored and donated to more than two dozen projects, events, and organizations throughout 2013, and have a few already lined up for 2014. Below is a small sample of 2013’s events:

For the third year in a row, Nickle was a sponsor for the Milton Irish Eyes St. Patrick’s Day parade and Lucky Leprechaun 5k. The proceeds benefited the Milton Fire Department Training Program, Best Buddies Delaware, and Casa San Francisco. Our parade float promoted the value of building environmentally-sustainable projects.

Since 2009, Nickle has been sponsoring the Sussex Family YMCA’s annual golf tournament that takes place every May. This year we were the exclusive title sponsor donating $4,000 to the organization’s Open Doors Program. The program supports families struggling with financial matters who wish to be active in the YMCA.

Since 2008, Nickle has been a sponsor for the Delaware Hospice annual 5k. Every July we provide a donation and multiple employees brave the stifling heat to run and walk more than three miles to show support.

In September Nickle was a hole sponsor for the Joseph D’Amico Sr. Memorial Invitational Golf Tournament at Cavaliers Country Club. The event is for a scholarship fund that supports an exceptional Catholic high school student as well as an outstanding student at St. Patrick’s Elementary School in Kennett Square, PA. It also provides grants to charitable organizations that were supported by Joe during his lifetime.

To raise money that will provide scholarships to Delaware Technical & Community College students through the Alumni Board Scholarship Fund, Nickle sponsored the 6^th Annual Alumni & Friends 5k Run/Walk. The event took place in October on the Wilmington Riverfront.

Also taking place in October was the 2^nd Annual Run 4 the House 5k Run/Walk to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware. The organization offers affordable housing to families with seriously ill or injured children being treated at local hospitals.

Nickle sponsored one of Delaware’s most coveted events – the Apple Scrapple Festival. The mission of this 22^nd annual event is to promote western Sussex County, actively involve all community organizations, and help elevate awareness of agriculture. The festival included events such as a scrapple carving contest, library carnival, car and craft shows, live music, and more.

This year marked the 1^st Annual Easter Seals Walk With Me Delmarva event. Nickle was a sponsor and the proceeds of the event help the non-profit organization provide life-changing services to children and adults with disabilities. The event took place on the Baywood Greens Golf Course in Long Neck where participants walked the first nine holes of the course, totaling approximately three miles.

Nickle Foreman Ryan Kennedy and his wife Alicia participated in the 30^th Annual Bike to the Bay event this fall to benefit research to cure multiple sclerosis. They chose the 75-mile ride through Southern Delaware, beginning in Dover and ending at Delaware Seashore State Park.

Just a few weeks ago, several employees rang in the holidays with the Salvation Army bell-ringing at Wal-Mart near Prices Corner. Nickle employees have been participating in this event for five years. The Salvation Army has been utilizing the famous red kettles since the late 19^th century and they’re now recognizable around the globe. Donations provide holiday dinners, toys, and clothing to families in need. Volunteers also bring gifts to hospitals and nursing homes. In the United States alone, approximately 4.5 million people receive assistance during the holidays thank to the Salvation Army.

Some of the other organizations Nickle has supported throughout the year include United Way Delaware, Biggs Museum of American Art, Boys & Girls Club of Delaware, University of Delaware Athletic Fund, Christiana Fire Company, Hagley Museum and Library, and Sussex Technical High School.

One of Nickle’s 2013 goals was to focus on continuing education and training programs for both field employees and upper management. In June select employees participated in a hands-on pre-planning workshop to better understand the tactical process that goes into running a project smoothly from start to finish. This fall a handful of people at both our Newark and Georgetown locations attended a class devoted to conduit bending, led by Pre-Fab Manager John Zuvich and Mechanic Joe Habbart. Nickle employees also attended an all-day course dedicated to Blueprint Reading, hosted by ABC. Nickle also provided multiple Arc Flash Safety Training classes in October. These types of classes educate employees on the dangers of performing hot work on or near energized equipment. Our Vice President of Pre-Construction Dave Spittle attended the Lean Construction Institute’s annual conference in Dallas, TX. Lean construction is a project method that involves collaboration between the owner, architect, engineers, general contractor, and major subtrades. This teamwork results in lower cost, shorter schedule, and fewer change orders with an overall goal of eliminating waste and rework. Chief Estimator Mark Benson and Project Manager Brandon Cale also attended a conference in Illinois to learn the ins and outs of lightning protection, a major portion of many of our projects.

There’s recently been a major push to integrate technology into our industry’s best practices and “going paperless” is an emerging trend. Nickle introduced Computer-Aided Design software to its business practices in 2007. The software enhanced productivity, improved time management, reduced waste, and assisted in providing the best quality work to our customers. Today we continue to use the software and have recently dabbled in CAD’s counterpart Building Information Modeling. This year Nickle hired its own CAD/BIM Tech Dale Graham who has received extensive software training. Two employees were also fortunate enough to have a guest column published in the November/December issue of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce’s publication Delaware Business discussing the advantages of this technology and how it has helped Nickle improve its processes.

In order to promote internal communication and team-building, Nickle instituted a quarterly breakfast meeting this year. Every three months office employees from both the Newark and Georgetown location meet at a central location to connect during breakfast. During these meetings management takes the time to focus on various topics regarding the wellbeing of the company, announcements for the upcoming months, and address any questions or concerns employees may have. We also introduced a fun award called the “Top Dog,” which is given to an outstanding employee who is voted on by his or her colleagues. Our first meeting took place in July, the second in October, and we have plans in January for another.

In November, the company recognized some of its most dedicated employees – the Nickle Elite – who have been with the company for 10 or more years. Dedicating time and effort to one company for more than a decade is a major triumph. The economy and the workforce have had its ups and downs, but the Nickle Elite weathered the storms. This year there were 21 employees celebrating company anniversaries of 10+ years, five of which were welcomed into the Elite in 2013.

The annual ABC Excellence in Construction Awards event was a success for Nickle this year. We submitted two projects and attained two more honors. Nickle received an Excellence Award for a fit-out and renovation at Hosting.com, a web hosting company located in Newark that provides 24/7 assistance to more than 4,000 customers across the country. Nickle also received a Merit Award for a major remodel of Howard High School of Technology in Wilmington. This brings our total ABC Delaware Excellence Awards count to 28.

Throughout all of these major endeavors, we were still able to have fun – the Copper Crab Party, ABC Fall Fest & Chili Cookoff, Phillies Game, Electric Expo, DCA Crab Feast, and ABC Crab Feast – are a few of the many events Nickle employees attended.

Some of Nickle’s most notable jobs that were featured in our newsletter’s project showcase this year included University of Delaware’s East Campus, Newark Charter, St. Francis LIFE Center, Dentsply, and our ABC Award Winners Hosting.com and Howard High School of Technology.

Thank you for continuing to read Nickle’s blog and support our company. We appreciate all of your assistance – we couldn’t have been this successful without you.

To read about Nickle News throughout the course of the year, you can sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter. Please e-mail ldignan@nickleelectrical.com to start receiving your copy of the Nickle News.

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If you’re not on our mailing list and would like to receive a hard copy, please email ldignan@nickleelectrical.com.

Enjoy!

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Hosting.com Project

Left-Right: Hosting.com Operations Manager Turner Huffaker, Estimator James Vanderslice, Project Manager Dave Schreffler, Foreman Kevin Sheldon

Howard High School Project

Left-Right: Project Management Assistant Kelly Dignan, Senior Project Manager Stan Twardus, Senior Estimator Matt Healy

This year Nickle Electrical was awarded two Excellence in Construction awards from the Associated Builders and Contractors Delaware chapter. This brings the company’s total ABC awards count to 28.

The project given an award at the Excellence level was a fit-out and renovation in Newark for Hosting.com, a web hosting company that provides 24/7 technical support, cloud assistance, and other specialized services to more than 4,000 customers across the country. The business already had two existing data centers, which included a 2,000-amp service and a 3,000-amp service. Nickle provided work for a third data center totaling 12,000-square-feet with a 4,000-amp service. Electricians also ran conduit to six existing 500-kilowatt generators and installed two 500 kVA uninterruptable power supply (UPS) systems for backup emergency services.

A major remodel of Howard High School of Technology in Wilmington was given the second award at the Merit level. This was a $5.3 million project totaling 190,000-square-feet. The Nickle team ran more than 12 miles of conduit and 77 miles of wire throughout the school. A 350-kilowatt natural gas generator was also installed for backup power. This type of generator is beneficial to the school because it has a lower cost of operation, lower cost in fuel compared to a normal diesel generator, and it’s also clean and environmentally friendly.

“I would like to express my gratitude to all of the employees that were part of these award-winning projects,” said President/CEO Steve Dignan. “Job well done.”

The honors were presented at an awards dinner on November 21 at the Chase Center on the Wilmington Riverfront. Check out our Facebook page for more pictures of the award winners. More information about Nickle’s projects will be in our upcoming newsletter. If you don’t receive our newsletter and would like to be added to the mailing list, please e-mail ldignan@nickleelectrical.com

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You can find a digital copy of the September 2013 Nickle News on our homepage or email Laura Dignan at ldignan@nickleelectrical.com to be added to our mailing list.

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Project Manager: Eric Webb

Foreman: Chris Cichocki

Contract Amount: $785,000

The Newark Post recently wrote an article about the Newark Charter School, which will open to students on Thursday. We are very happy to have been a part of this great project. Nickle began working at Newark Charter in August 2012. The building is a 114,000-square-foot renovation and addition to the old Chrysler Lear plant that was revamped into an academic building. Newark Charter was a design-build project completed in conjunction with Bancroft Construction, Blake & Vaughan Engineering, Inc., and Fearn Clendaniel Architects. The project was finished in approximately one year and includes a gymnasium expansion and theater lighting system. It was delivered on time and on budget.

This job will be highlighted in the Project Showcase of our next quarterly newsletter. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please contact Laura Dignan – ldignan@nickleelectrical.com

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