Welcome Brian Mentink to the Team!
Brian started at Energenecs in May 2021 as a Project Manager and Electrical Controls System Designer. His last name might sound familiar, as he is the brother of Brad Mentink, the Operations Manager at Energenecs! We asked Brian about his new job and previous experience.
Have you and Brad worked together before?
Yes, we both worked side by side at DeTroye Electric Services for quite a few years before Brad came over to Energenecs. I will be working with him again, as all of the project managers report to Brad, plus he also provides project management, so I can bounce ideas off him. A lot of people ask us about working together as brothers, but we never really had an issue!
So as kids, were you both rewiring electrical appliances for fun?
We liked to tinker, let’s put it that way [laughs].
How did you get started in this field?
Right out of high school I started as an electrician’s helper. After a few years of making sure that was what I wanted to do, I started an electrical apprenticeship. I worked through the ranks from there, passed my apprenticeship, then took my masters exam and passed that to become a Certified Master Electrician.
An apprentice studies and trains to become a journeyman, who can then pursue master status. Journeyman electricians are required to have 8,000 hours of experience, or complete a 2-year degree (2,000 hours) plus 3-years of experience (6,000 hours). Once licensed, journeymen can complete an additional 4,000 hours of work experience over the course of 2 years, then pass the Master Electrician exam to become a Certified Master Electrician. The highest license that electricians can receive in Wisconsin is a Master Electrician.
What has your experience been working at Energenecs?
Working together as a team is so very true at Energenecs. Any time you have a question, everyone is willing to help you out and answer your questions. It’s a great environment to be in, I love it.
What type of projects are you currently involved in?
Right now, the bulk of my projects are updating existing control systems that have a lot of obsolete components that are no longer supported, and upgrading to new components. I am designing and managing those projects. That’s basically the same type of work that I ended up doing towards the end of my last job. The Energenecs fabrication team does as much as they can in our panel shop here in Saukville. They will assemble all of the parts and do as much of the wiring as possible, so that when the field techs get it out to the client, they can install the panel and tie in the new components with as little down time as possible.
What is the typical shelf life of a control system?
It varies, though 10-15 years is about the max you will get out of it. It’s usually dependent on the availability of the parts. Eventually the manufacturer will discontinue components, so we are trying to upgrade the control system before that happens.
What do you like to do for fun?
We love anything outdoors. My family likes camping, hiking and snowshoeing. We like to go up to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. My oldest son went to school at Michigan Tech up in Houghton and we got to know that area quite a bit…there are a lot of waterfalls and hiking trails we enjoy up there. A lot of my free time is also spent watching my four kids doing their sports and school activities.
Our family (including Brad and their two sisters) get together quite a bit. When all of our kids were younger my mother would babysit and make a big family meal at least once per week. Most of my siblings and parents also enjoy camping and we still get together quite often.
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