What Atlantic Electric does

Atlantic Electric LLC is a family-owned, full-service electrical contracting company founded in 1969 and headquartered in North Charleston, South Carolina, with a secondary service-department office on Industry Drive in the same city. The firm holds unlimited electrical contracting and utility licenses in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia, and can bond individual projects up to $15 million, enabling pursuit of large-scale government and commercial work across the Southeast. Ownership currently rests with brothers Lee Richardson (estimating and design) and Mike Richardson (installation), who report direct involvement on every project. In July 2018 the company expanded into the South Carolina Upstate via the asset acquisition of Hayes & Lunsford's Greer Division from Starr Electric, creating a separately managed subsidiary called Hayes & Lunsford Electric, Inc.

The company's core offering is project-based electrical contracting rather than a software or product platform. Service lines include specialized FAA and military airfield lighting (runway, taxiway, approach, ALCMS controls, NAVAIDs), commercial electrical construction, industrial electrical, medium voltage infrastructure, water and wastewater treatment plant electrical systems, and design-build delivery. A separate service department handles ongoing maintenance, data and fiber cabling, fire alarm and security systems, lighting controls, and emergency response with bucket truck capability. The technology base is conventional electrical construction execution — assessment, design coordination, mobilization, licensed installation, and testing/inspection — rather than proprietary software or AI.

Revenue is generated through competitive bidding on commercial, industrial, and government contracts, with the firm operating as both prime contractor and subcontractor. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, anchored by long-tenured subcontractor positions with general contractors such as HITT Contracting (fifteen-year relationship) and Garney Companies (three water/wastewater projects in five years), and by direct prime engagement with US Army Corps of Engineers, US Navy, US Air Force, USMC, FAA, US Coast Guard, SCDOT, and municipal clients. Primary customer segments are the Department of Defense (vertical lead), FAA-regulated airports, commercial buildings, industrial facilities, and water/wastewater utilities. Pricing is quote-based with no publicly disclosed rate cards; project values disclosed range from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of dollars and contracts are typically multi-year.

Name

Atlantic Electric

Legal name

Atlantic Electric LLC

Website

https://atlanticelectric.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Atlantic Electric is a family-owned South Carolina electrical contractor founded in 1969, specializing in FAA and military airfield lighting, plus commercial, industrial, medium voltage, and water/wastewater electrical services for government and enterprise clients across the Southeast US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electrical Contracting Services

NAICS

Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (238210)

SIC

Electrical Work (1731)

akta.pro primary industry

Electrical Contracting & Wiring (IMAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Electrical Contracting (Commercial/Industrial) (IMAIABAC)

Keywords

• Electrical contracting services
• Airfield lighting systems
• Commercial electrical construction
• Industrial electrical infrastructure
• Medium voltage distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

North Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electrical Contracting Services: Project-based revenue from electrical installation, service, maintenance, and infrastructure projects. Services include lighting and power systems, data and network infrastructure, panel upgrades, and complex construction and airfield electrical work. Works as subcontractor and prime contractor on projects ranging from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of dollars.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Atlantic Electric is a full-service electrical contracting company providing electrical installation, service, maintenance, and infrastructure projects for commercial buildings, industrial facilities, government agencies, and utility-scale developments. Core offerings include airfield lighting for FAA and military clients, commercial and industrial electrical construction, medium voltage distribution systems, water and wastewater treatment plant electrical systems, and design-build electrical services. Projects are delivered through competitive bidding as both prime contractor and subcontractor across the Southeast U.S. with primary focus on South Carolina.

Product overview

Atlantic Electric is a full-service electrical contracting company offering a unified portfolio of services rather than a modular software platform. The core offerings center on electrical installation, service, maintenance, and infrastructure projects for commercial, industrial, and government clients. Primary service lines include Airfield Lighting Services (serving FAA and military clients), Commercial Electrical Services, Industrial Electrical Services, Medium Voltage Electrical Services, and Water & Sewer Electrical Systems. These are complemented by Design-Build Electrical Services and an Electrical Service Department providing ongoing maintenance and emergency response. The company also installs related systems including fire alarm, security (CCTV, intrusion detection, access control), and lighting control systems. Projects range from new construction to rehabilitation of existing infrastructure, with extensive experience in airfield lighting for airports and military installations across the Southeast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Completed $8.3M airfield project at Fort Campbell on tight schedule with quality product
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Tri-County Apprenticeship CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtlantic Electric is a founding member of the Tri-County Apprenticeship Committee, demonstrating commitment to workforce development and training the next generation of skilled electrical professionals in the Charleston area.
• Charleston Electrical Contractors Association (CECA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtlantic Electric partners with CECA for apprenticeship program sponsorship, providing tuition coverage and related expenses for sponsored apprentices pursuing electrical careers through the association's program.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• M.C. Dean: Large national electrical and systems integrator with strong DoD, intelligence, and mission-critical government exposure. Comparable as an established incumbent pursuing many of the same federal electrical infrastructure opportunities Atlantic Electric competes for.
• Faith Technologies: National electrical contractor focused on commercial, industrial, and prefabrication solutions. Comparable in delivering multi-state commercial electrical contracting and increasingly complex electrical infrastructure projects.
• Rosendin Electric: Large employee-owned electrical contractor with strong presence in commercial, industrial, and mission-critical projects including data center and government work. Comparable operating model of large-scale union/merit-shop electrical construction.
• Quanta Services: Public utility infrastructure services leader with significant electrical contracting and storm response capabilities. Overlaps with Atlantic Electric in medium-voltage distribution, utility-scale electrical, and infrastructure work.
• EMCOR Group: Public mechanical and electrical construction and facility services major with broad federal and commercial exposure. Comparable as a major incumbent in commercial/industrial electrical services.
• MYR Group: Public electrical construction firm specializing in transmission, distribution, substation, and commercial/industrial electrical work. Directly comparable on transmission, distribution, and commercial electrical contracting services.
• IES Holdings: Public electrical and communications solutions contractor with significant commercial, industrial, and infrastructure exposure across the Southeast. Comparable business model delivering commercial electrical contracting and infrastructure solutions.

Direct peers

• Starr Electric Company, Inc. Carolinas-based electrical contractor from which Atlantic Electric acquired the Greer Division of Hayes & Lunsford in 2018. Competes directly for similar commercial, industrial, and institutional electrical scopes in the same Southeast geography.
• Lee Electrical Construction: Mid-Atlantic commercial and industrial electrical contractor (no relation to Atlantic Electric's owner Lee Richardson). Comparable as a regional electrical contractor delivering commercial and industrial electrical projects of similar scale.

Emerging players

• Power Design Inc. Multi-state electrical contractor with strong Southeast presence in multifamily, commercial, and hospitality work. Comparable regional-scale electrical contractor pursuing large commercial construction projects across similar geographies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Atlantic Electric