From cloud computing to solar paint, electrical industry changes

DANBURY -- When it comes to innovation in the electrical business, Paul Dinto is leading the charge.

"The changes that are going on right now are revolutionizing the trade," said Dinto, president and founder of Dinto Electric, one of the largest commercial, industrial electrical contractors in the state. "It's amazing what you can do these days."

From solar energy producing paint to computer clouds, jumps in technological advancements mean increased opportunities in the electrical industry.

When Dinto started the company in 1987, he had about 20 employees and about $2 million worth of contracts. Dinto said he started the current fiscal year with about 185 employees and more than $107 million worth of work under contract.

"Electrical work has seen more growth than any other trade," said Dinto, the recipient of this year's Cecil Previdi Award given out annually by the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce and the mayor's office. "For the first time this year we've gone beyond the nine figure mark for projects under contract."

Dinto Electric works on major multimillion dollar construction projects, including university and hospital expansions, corporate headquarters and the creation of data centers used in the information age.

The company is currently working on the Danbury Hospital expansion and was awarded a contract for electrical work on the $219 million Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine that's being built in Farmington under a partnership with the state and the University of Connecticut.

"Those clouds that everyone is talking about today," Dinto said. "We're the ones who do the wiring for them."

Gone are the days of one dimensional blue prints. Today, Dinto and his employees use "building information modeling," to create three dimensional images of the job to be constructed. It creates a more efficient project, he said, and helps to eliminate waste.

With the software, Dinto and his team can plan exactly where their equipment needs to go in a building, and other tradespeople can put their systems into the model so there aren't any complications when construction starts.

"We can build an entire job before a shovel goes into the ground," he said.

Using GPS systems, Dinto's employees can put a piece of equipment into place before the concrete foundations are poured, and be within a quarter inch of where they need to be. Entire sections of the building, he said, can be made offsite and installed into place.

It's these kind of advances have gotten Dinto recognition.

The Previdi Award is given annually by the Greater Danbury Commerce and the mayors office to individuals who have demonstrated progressive business attitudes, been responsible for the growth of an area business, and made a significant economic contribution to the area's economy. The award was named for Cecil Previdi, a prominent businessman in Danbury who was president of Danbury Printing & Litho.

Both award committee chairman Ralph Macintosh and chamber president Stephen Bull said Dinto is a perfect choice for this year's recipient.

"What Paul is doing with electrical work is what Previdi did within the printing industry," he said. "Previdi incorporated some of the latest technologies in his work and Dinto is probably one of the most state of the art electrical contractors in the northeast."

When Dinto started the company, it was his intention to keep it a small operation.

"I wanted to stay small," he said, "but the client base wouldn't let me."

George Ballard, who heads up the electrical shop at Henry Abbott Technical School said technological advancements in the electrical trade have created tremendous opportunities.

"When we have a reunion we don't look on Facebook," he said. "We find our graduates by looking in the yellow pages. The kids graduating today have some great opportunities. Many are starting up their own businesses."

Ballard noted that the school, of which Dinto is a graduate, teaches everything from green technologies including solar and wind systems, to wiring a smart homes that can be controlled from a cell phone.

"Back in my day when I started in the industry there wasn't anything like this," he said, adding that the school has an energy efficient home in their courtyard that students use for training exercises. "We recently got a grant to install solar window shades that are creating electricity."

Dinto noted that some experts are also working on paint that can act as a solar energy producer.

"The technology is moving so fast that one of the challenges is keeping up with it," he said. "That's why I hire the best people I can find and treat them like I would like to be treated. I don't care if we're the biggest, I want to be the best."

Dinto will be receiving the Previdi Award during a luncheon held on Dec. 13 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Danbury. For information on the event call 203-743-5565.