Five Star Electrical
Five Star Electric is a Tri-State area electrical contractor specializing in large-scale electrical infrastructure for mass transit, aviation, and commercial projects. Founded in 1959 and operating as a Tutor Perini subsidiary, it serves government agencies and major developers across the New York metropolitan area.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1959
- HeadquartersEl Centro, California, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Five Star Electrical does
Five Star Electric Corp. is a New York-based specialty electrical contractor founded in 1959 and currently operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tutor Perini Corporation (NYSE: TPC), which acquired the firm through GreenStar Services Corporation in July 2011 for $208.4 million. Headquartered in Ozone Park, Queens, with a 35,000 sq. ft. warehouse facility in Port Washington, the firm delivers large-scale electrical construction and engineering services across the Tri-State area (NY, NJ, CT), with union labor sourced through IBEW Locals #3, #164, and #90. Its service portfolio spans high- and medium-voltage power distribution, traction power substations, communications-based train control (CBTC), SCADA systems, transit signaling, fire alarm and life safety, fiber optics and telecommunications, security/CCTV, building automation, and emerging offerings in EV charging and solar power.
The company serves two principal customer groups. On the public side, it is a long-standing contractor to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (over $1 billion in cumulative East Side Access work alone), the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (World Trade Center, JFK, Newark Liberty Terminal One), and other city and state agencies. On the private side, it works as both prime and specialty subcontractor to major developers and general contractors including Related Companies/Oxford Properties (Hudson Yards), Extell (One57), and Tutor Perini/Judlau on high-rise commercial and mixed-use projects. Contract structures include lump sum, design-build, GMP, T&M, and cost-plus arrangements, with revenue recognized over multi-year construction periods on a project-by-project basis.
Five Star has never failed to complete a project since inception and is regularly ranked in ENR's Top 600 Specialty Contractors. Its competitive position rests on a 65-year operating history in the New York market, deep transit-systems expertise, multi-decade employee retention, and integration within Tutor Perini's Specialty Contractors Group. Its leadership team, headed by President & CEO Russell S. Lancey (appointed 2019), comprises long-tenured operations executives, with multiple VPs of Operations holding 20-30+ year tenures at the firm.
Five Star Electrical firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Five Star Electrical
- Legal name
- Five Star Electric Corp.
- Website
- https://fivestarelectric.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1959
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Five Star Electric is a Tri-State area electrical contractor specializing in large-scale electrical infrastructure for mass transit, aviation, and commercial projects. Founded in 1959 and operating as a Tutor Perini subsidiary, it serves government agencies and major developers across the New York metropolitan area.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Five Star Electrical industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electrical Contracting Services
- NAICS
- Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction (237130), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)
- SIC
- Electrical Work (1731), Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Distribution Network Construction (Feeders, Laterals, Service Drops) (IMAFAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Industrial Signaling & Stack Lights (Tower/andon lights, beacons, strobes, signal columns) (IMAGAIAE), Electrical Panel Upgrades & Service Changes (HSAOADAB), Surge Protection & Power Conditioning (Whole-Home/Point-of-Use) (HSAOADAH)
Keywords
Where Five Star Electrical is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- El Centro, California
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Five Star Electrical business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Electrical Construction Services: Five Star Electric generates revenue through fixed-price contracts for electrical construction services on major infrastructure and building projects. Revenue is project-based and recognized over the construction period. The company serves as both prime contractor and subcontractor, with contracts ranging from lump sum to GMP and design-build arrangements.
- Specialty Electrical Contracting: Revenue generated from specialized electrical services including high voltage work, transit signals, SCADA systems, fire alarm, security systems, and building automation. Projects span various sectors including mass transit, aviation, commercial, residential, healthcare, and industrial.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Lump Sum Contracts |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Design-Build |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Multi-year contract | GMP (Guaranteed Maximum Price) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Time & Materials |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Five Star Electrical product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Five Star Electric is a large-scale electrical contracting, construction, and engineering firm providing complete electrical infrastructure solutions for major construction projects in the Tri-State area. The firm specializes in high/medium voltage power distribution, transit signal and CBTC systems, traction power, SCADA, fire alarm, security, fiber optics, telecommunications, and building automation, serving as both prime contractor and specialty subcontractor on mass transit, aviation, commercial, healthcare, residential, and infrastructure projects.
Product overview
Five Star Electric is an electrical contracting firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of specialized electrical services rather than a unified software product. Their service offerings span the full spectrum of electrical construction including power distribution (Light & Power, High Voltage), infrastructure systems (Transit Signals, Traction Power, SCADA), life safety (Fire Alarm Systems, Emergency Generators), communication (Fiber Optics, Telecommunications, Data/LAN, Wireless Systems, Public Address), security (Security Systems, CCTV), and emerging technology (EV Charging Stations, Solar Power). They serve diverse market sectors including aviation, bridges, commercial buildings, education, environmental, healthcare, hotels, industrial, mass transit, mixed-use, public works, retail, residential, sports, tunnels, and utilities. The company also provides various contracting models including Lump Sum, Design-Assist, Design-Build, GMP, T&M, Cost-Plus, Prime Contracting, Value Engineering, and Trade Management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Light & Power Installation
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully completed over $1 billion in East Side Access contracts without failing to complete a project since inception in 1959
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Five Star Electrical
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Five Star Electrical technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Five Star Electrical partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Tutor Perini CorporationcoreTutor Perini Corporation acquired Five Star Electric (through GreenStar Services Corporation acquisition in 2011) for $208.4 million. Five Star operates as a subsidiary within Tutor Perini's Specialty Contractors Group alongside Fisk Electric, WDF Inc., Nagelbush Mechanical, and Superior Gunite. The parent company provides financial backing and operational scale for large infrastructure projects.
- Yonkers Contracting CompanymajorJoint venture partnership for JFK Airport Central Substation No. 2 design-build project. Five Star and Yonkers formed a JV to deliver the electrical infrastructure for the new substation at JFK Airport.
- L.K. ComstockmajorJoint venture partnership for MTA East Side Access signal installation projects. Five Star/L.K. Comstock JV was awarded $53 million for CS086 Tunnel Systems Package 2 signal installation project.
- Gilston ElectricminorJoint venture partner with Gilston Electric for World Trade Center Transportation Hub project. Five Star and Gilston provided electrical work on the Transit Hall including lighting throughout the Oculus.
- Tutor Perini/Parsons Transportation Group JVmajorJoint venture between Tutor Perini and Parsons Transportation Group for Newark Liberty International Airport Terminal One project. Five Star performs electrical work as subcontractor to this JV.
- Cubic Transportation SystemsmajorFive Star works as partner/subcontractor to Cubic Transportation Systems on the MTA New Fare Payment System (OMNY) project, installing fare payment infrastructure across NYC subway stations.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
Five Star Electrical competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- MYR Group: Publicly traded electrical construction services provider specializing in T&D and commercial/industrial markets. Comparable in scale of electrical contracting work and project types, though geographically broader.
- Quanta Services: Largest publicly traded specialty contractor for electric, gas, telecom, and renewable infrastructure. While focused on utility-scale T&D rather than building electrical, it competes for similar transit and high-voltage power projects.
- IES Holdings: Publicly traded provider of electrical and mechanical infrastructure solutions with residential, commercial, and industrial exposure. Overlaps with Five Star's commercial electrical contracting work, though diversified across multiple service lines.
- EMCOR Group: Large publicly traded mechanical and electrical construction services firm (parent of Forest Electric). Operates broadly across electrical contracting nationally; Five Star competes in regional overlap while EMCOR provides portfolio breadth.
Direct peers
- Ozz Electric Inc. Electrical contracting firm operating in similar Tri-State and broader North American markets; comparable service offerings across commercial, industrial, and infrastructure segments.
- Belway Electric: NYC-area electrical contractor (absorbed into Five Star in 2008). Historical peer operating in similar NYC building and infrastructure electrical contracting market before integration.
- Fisk Electric: Houston-based sister company under Tutor Perini's Specialty Contractors Group, providing commercial and industrial electrical contracting with similar service portfolio and contracting structures.
- Hylan Datacom and Electrical: Tri-State-area electrical and datacom contractor serving telecom, utility, and public-sector clients. Directly competes for similar projects in NY/NJ; VP Paul Angerame previously held leadership at Hylan.
- L.K. Comstock & Co. Rail and transit systems electrical contractor; Five Star has JV partnership with L.K. Comstock on MTA East Side Access signal projects, indicating direct overlap in transit specialty work.
- Forest Electric (EMCOR Group): EMCOR Group subsidiary operating in similar markets to Five Star; provides commercial and industrial electrical construction, with overlap in transit and infrastructure projects. CEO Russ Lancey previously worked at Forest Electric.
Market position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Five Star Electrical social profiles
Digital presenceFive Star Electrical financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Five Star Electrical leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Five Star Electrical funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Five Star Electrical M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Five Star Electrical
What does Five Star Electrical do?
Five Star Electric is a large-scale electrical contracting, construction, and engineering firm providing complete electrical infrastructure solutions for major construction projects in the Tri-State area. The firm specializes in high/medium voltage power distribution, transit signal and CBTC systems, traction power, SCADA, fire alarm, security, fiber optics, telecommunications, and building automation, serving as both prime contractor and specialty subcontractor on mass transit, aviation, commercial, healthcare, residential, and infrastructure projects.
Is Five Star Electrical a public or private company?
Five Star Electrical is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Five Star Electrical founded?
Five Star Electrical was founded in 1959. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Five Star Electrical based?
Five Star Electrical is headquartered in El Centro, California, United States, in the North America region.
How does Five Star Electrical make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Electrical Construction Services are the primary driver. The others are specialty Electrical Contracting.
Who are Five Star Electrical's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are MYR Group, Quanta Services, IES Holdings and EMCOR Group. Direct peers are Ozz Electric Inc., Belway Electric, Fisk Electric, Hylan Datacom and Electrical, L.K. Comstock & Co. and Forest Electric (EMCOR Group).
Does Five Star Electrical have an API?
No public API is recorded for Five Star Electrical.
What industry is Five Star Electrical in?
Five Star Electrical's product category is Electrical Contracting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFAHAC, Distribution Network Construction (Feeders, Laterals, Service Drops), with a secondary code of IMAGAIAE, Industrial Signaling & Stack Lights (Tower/andon lights, beacons, strobes, signal columns). Its NAICS code is 237130 and its SIC code is 1731.