The People Behind Cummings Electricals' ABC Top Performer Recognition

We're starting 2026 with a bang, and we’re not even through the first quarter. After closing out 2025 with a milestone year for Cummings Electrical, we're already building on that momentum.

This year, Cummings Electrical has been recognized as an ABC Top Performer for the first time, ranking #40 nationally among the Top 250 contractors evaluated for excellence in safety, quality, and project performance. Beyond the overall ranking, Cummings placed #19 out of 144 Top Trade Contractors and #14 out of 58 Top Electrical Contractors nationwide. Cummings was also recognized across multiple market specialties, including Top High-Tech/Data Center, Top Healthcare, and Top Hospitality Contractors. This reflects years of commitment to industry-leading practices, supported by a Diamond ranking in the STEP program and the Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) designation.

This recognition did not happen because of one department, one leader, or one project. It happened because of the people who showed up every day, solved problems, worked safely, and took pride in what they built.

What "More Than a Job" Actually Means

We interviewed Cummings leaders across several job sites. Although they have varying roles and work on different projects, the same themes kept coming up. When the message stays consistent across the board, you know culture is what drives success.

The answers were different, but the heartbeat was the same.

Edward Ramos, Safety Director, described it as more than showing up for a paycheck. It's caring about people, helping them develop, and watching them grow into leaders themselves.

Aaron Rasco, Superintendent on a confidential project with Holder Construction, framed it through responsibility. Decisions made in the field carry weight long after the workday ends because this industry builds infrastructure that communities depend on.

AJ Spear, Superintendent on the Knox District project, summed it up quickly: "It's about investment. Investment in yourself, your skills, and the value you bring every day."

Don Sick, Project Manager on a confidential Fortis Construction project in Oklahoma, drew from experience across many companies. "I've worked places where you're just a number. Here, people actually care about your well-being. That makes you want to go above and beyond."

Cody Grimes, Project Manager at Terrell State Hospital, connected it to personal purpose. "We're not just here for a paycheck. We're building facilities that communities rely on. Hospitals matter. What we do affects real people." He also said something that stuck: "You cannot pay somebody enough to care." Work must align with your values, or it becomes something you tolerate rather than something you build a life around.

Guillermo Hernandez, Superintendent, also at Terrell State Hospital, kept it simple: "It's my career. I take pride in growing and getting better at what I do to serve as an example."

At Cummings, that purpose is alive in every role: apprentices eager to learn, journeymen showing them the ropes, superintendents and project managers coaching future leaders, safety professionals protecting the workforce, and office teams keeping projects moving. Leadership sets the tone, but culture is carried by everyone.

A Culture Built on Care

Safety came up in every conversation, and not once did anyone describe it as a policy or requirement. The word people kept coming back to was care.

Don explained that inspections and observations are not box-checking exercises. They exist because people genuinely care about one another.

Edward framed it through shared responsibility. Safety works because people take ownership of it. "Stop work authority" is real because people believe in it, not because they are told to follow it.

"When leadership follows through, people know it's real. That's when they're willing to speak up," Aaron shares.

AJ described safety as a daily challenge in the best sense. Teams push each other to do better across entire jobsites, not out of obligation, but because they care enough to refuse shortcuts.

Cody emphasized that crews can tell the difference between rules that are enforced and values that are lived. When leaders care, people speak up and look out for each other without hesitation.

Guillermo gave the reality check that says it all: "I just push to do the right thing. Getting hurt isn't worth it. I broke it down for our team last Tuesday when we were talking about a recent fatality I had heard about, unrelated to Cummings. I told them if that guy was making sixty dollars an hour and it took one minute to take a shortcut, then he pretty much died for one dollar. That doesn't make any sense to me."

Nothing is worth the cost of your own life. Programs can be written. Awards can be applied for. But culture cannot be manufactured.

That culture is built on real sacrifice. We asked our leaders what crews give that people outside the industry rarely see.

The Sacrifices People Don't See

Long hours. Time away from family. Weekend work. Travel. Exposure to the elements. Physical strain.

Aaron spoke to the physical commitment: "Our crews give their time and their bodies. Late nights, weekends, working in the dirt, the cold, the heat, rain or shine. It takes a real physical toll."

AJ highlighted what families feel just as strongly: "We miss our families. We travel in from outside the metroplex to come to work, and we lose that time with our families."

Don pointed out something many people never see. "They're willing to take the time after hours to advance. That's time you're not at the playground with your kids."

"These guys are away from their families a lot. They're probably with the people they work with more than their own families." Cody Grimes, who was once a road dog himself, says.

A traveler on his team shared that one year working out of town, he slept only forty nights in his own bed. Forty nights.

Guillermo added one more blunt reminder: "We're exposed to electrical hazards every day that could potentially kill us just by opening the wrong box."

To those on our team with boots on the ground: we see you. We appreciate you. None of this happens without you.

A Thank You That Matters

One final question: "If you could thank your crews for one thing, what would it be?"

Don paused before answering. "I just appreciate their dedication and their effort. They're the ones out here in the hot, the cold, the mud, the wind, spending time away from their family. I just want them to know that they are appreciated."

AJ ended with some advice. "Thank you to the field guys out here making things happen. And to the apprentices: build your toolbox. Not tools, skills. There's something to learn every single day; you'll never know the whole trade. I'm still learning, even now."

Aaron said, "Thank you for showing up every day and giving your best, even when the conditions aren't ideal. The work doesn't get done without you."

Guillermo and Edward both echoed the same: "Thank you for being safe and going home at the end of the day so you can come back tomorrow, because when people take responsibility for doing their job the right way and watch out for each other, everyone succeeds."

Cody wrapped it up simply: "Thank you for your hard work, and thank you for your time. Time is something you don't get back."

This national recognition represents thousands of daily decisions made by people who show up, solve problems, and look out for one another, all while building toward something bigger than themselves. Together, we power communities one hospital, data center, and manufacturing facility at a time.

Being named an ABC Top Performer is proof that our methodology works. And the recognition belongs to our hardworking men and women in the field.

This one's for you!

 Interested in working with a top-performing company? We're always looking for people who take pride in their work and want to build something that lasts.