What Ibew 481 does

IBEW Local 481 is a non-profit labor union local chartered on February 19, 1906, and affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). Headquartered at 1828 N. Meridian Street, Suite #205, Indianapolis, Indiana, it represents over 4,500 union members across a 16-county jurisdiction in Central Indiana covering Bartholomew, Boone, Decatur, Hancock, Hamilton, Hendricks, Jennings, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Morgan, Putnam, Ripley, Rush, and Shelby counties. While the majority of members are skilled electrical workers (commercial/industrial journeymen, construction electricians across CE1-CE3 and Full CE classifications, and apprentices), the local also represents public defenders, casino workers, and broadcast professionals.

The union's core operations are (i) collective bargaining and worker representation, (ii) a structured hiring hall referral system that connects members to signatory contractors through an Out-of-Work list, post-4:30 PM job postings, and 7:00 AM next-day referrals, and (iii) apprenticeship training delivered through the Electrical Training Institute (ETI), a joint venture with the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), offering a 5-year Electrician program and a 3-year Telecommunications program with paid earn-while-you-learn terms and a no-cost Applied Science Associate's degree from Ivy Tech Community College. Member services are administered through a physical union hall and a web-based member portal, with additional benefits administration handled via the EWBTF benefits office.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring membership dues paid by the 4,500+ members, supplemented by monthly service fees for non-members using the hiring hall, apprenticeship program income, and ancillary administrative revenue. Pricing for member placement is structured by trade classification and experience tier, with publicly disclosed total package wage rates ranging from $28.81/hr for entry-level residential/light commercial (CE1, up to 2,000 hours) up to $78.71/hr for Journeyman commercial/industrial electricians (10,001+ hours). Go-to-market is direct-to-member: a Member Referral Program, digital channels (website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn), radio/television advertising, and the ETI apprenticeship pipeline. The organization has no disclosed AI, software products, or technology IP beyond its website and member login portal, and operates as a traditional local union under the parent IBEW umbrella.

Name

Ibew 481

Legal name

IBEW Local 481

Website

https://ibew481.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

IBEW Local 481 is a labor union local in Indianapolis representing 4,500+ members across 16 Central Indiana counties — primarily electrical workers but also public defenders, casino workers, and broadcast professionals — operating a hiring hall referral system and apprenticeship training programs through a joint venture with NECA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union Services

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Institutes of Technology (IoT / Technical Universities) (EDAHAEAC)

Keywords

• Labor union representation
• Electrical apprenticeship training
• Union hiring hall referrals
• Collective bargaining services
• Workforce referral services

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Member Dues: IBEW Local 481 generates revenue through membership dues paid by its over 4,500 union members. Non-members utilizing the hiring hall referral services pay a monthly service fee as determined by the Business Manager.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IBEW Local 481 represents more than 4,500 union members across 16 Central Indiana counties, providing collective bargaining, workplace representation, and a hiring hall referral system that connects members with signatory contractors. The local operates the Electrical Training Institute (ETI) in partnership with NECA, delivering earn-while-you-learn 5-year Electrician and 3-year Telecommunications apprenticeship programs that confer a no-cost Associate's degree from Ivy Tech Community College.

Product overview

IBEW 481 is a labor union representing over 4,500 members in Central Indiana, offering union membership, apprenticeship training programs, and hiring hall referral services. The organization operates two main apprenticeship programs through the Electrical Training Institute (ETI): a 5-year Electrician Program and a 3-year Telecommunications Program. Additional services include membership interest applications, an available jobs portal, and hiring hall referral services that connect members with signatory contractors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IBEW 481 Union Membership Union membership providing collective bargaining, worker representation, advocacy, and access to negotiated wages, benefits, and workplace protections for skilled electrical workers and other represented trades across 16 Central Indiana counties.
• Electrician Apprenticeship Program 5-year earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship through the Electrical Training Institute (ETI) covering electrical installation, maintenance, and repair, with completion awarding an Applied Science Associate's Degree from Ivy Tech Community College.
• Telecommunications Apprenticeship Program 3-year apprenticeship through the Electrical Training Institute (ETI) for telecommunications technicians covering installation and maintenance of fiber-optic, coaxial, and Ethernet cabling systems.
• Hiring Hall Referral Services Union hiring hall services connecting members with job opportunities through signatory electrical contractors, including out-of-work list registration, job bidding, and re-sign procedures.
• Available Jobs Portal Online job listing system displaying current job opportunities from signatory contractors, with job details, requirements, and bidding functionality available to members.
• Membership Interest Application Online application for prospective members to submit membership interest, including experience documentation, training history, types of electrical work performed, and how they learned about the local.

Quantifiable outcome

• Journeyman total package up to $78.71/hr for commercial/industrial electricians
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partnership through the Electrical Training Institute (ETI), providing apprenticeship training for union electrical workers. NECA collaborates with IBEW Local 481 to operate one of the nation's premier training centers for the union construction industry, offering 5-year Electrician and 3-year Telecommunications apprenticeship programs.
• Edison Electrical InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association that co-sponsored the congressional resolution honoring lineworkers. Collaborated with IBEW and NECA to designate July 10 as 'Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day' recognizing the contributions of lineworkers in restoring power after outages and storms.
• Signatory Electrical ContractorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 70 electrical contractors with collective bargaining agreements with IBEW Local 481, utilizing the union's hiring hall to access skilled labor. Contractors include major firms such as Barth Electric, Ermco, Industrial Electric, Huston Electric, Electric Plus, and others operating across Central Indiana's 16-county jurisdiction.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA): NECA is the contractor-side counterpart and joint venture partner of IBEW Local 481 through the Electrical Training Institute. Operates nationally as the trade association for electrical contractors, co-funds apprenticeship programs, and negotiates the National Electrical Installation Standards used across the industry.
• Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA): LiUNA is a large construction trade union representing laborers across building, heavy/highway, and environmental construction. Operates with the same dues/hiring hall model as IBEW Local 481 and competes for signatory contractor relationships across commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects in Indiana.
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW): IBEW is the parent international union of Local 481. Sets collective bargaining standards, coordinates training curriculum through the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC/NECA-IBEW), and provides governance, political advocacy, and benefits administration for hundreds of locals nationwide.
• International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE): IUOE represents heavy equipment operators and stationary engineers in construction, energy, and facilities. Comparable in structure (membership dues, hiring hall, apprenticeship) and serves a similar construction industry customer base as IBEW 481, often working alongside electricians on the same projects.

Direct peers

• IBEW Local 11: IBEW Local 11 in Los Angeles represents inside wiremen, sound and communications, and other electrical workers in Southern California. Operates a hiring hall, joint apprenticeship training committee with NECA, and represents a similar mix of construction and maintenance electrical workers.
• IBEW Local 3: IBEW Local 3 in New York City is one of the largest IBEW locals in the U.S., covering New York City and several upstate counties. Operates the same hiring hall referral model, runs its own apprenticeship programs, and serves a comparable mix of commercial, industrial, and telecommunications members.
• IBEW Local 134: IBEW Local 134 in Chicago is a similarly-sized electrical workers local serving a major Midwestern metro with hiring hall referral, apprenticeship through an affiliated NECA training institute, and signatory contractor base. Directly comparable in structure, revenue model, and apprenticeship delivery.
• IBEW Local 47: IBEW Local 47 covers Southern California (Diamond Bar). Runs the same union structure: membership dues, hiring hall referral, and apprenticeship programs with signatory electrical contractors in commercial, industrial, and residential work.
• IBEW Local 26: IBEW Local 26 in suburban Washington, D.C. represents inside wiremen, residential wiremen, and telecommunications workers. Operates a hiring hall and joint apprenticeship training program with signatory contractors, mirroring Local 481's structure across its geographic jurisdiction.

Emerging players

• Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC): IEC is the largest open-shop (non-union) trade association for electrical contractors, with affiliated apprenticeship programs competing against IBEW-NECA JATCs for trainees and contractor loyalty. Represents the primary competitive threat to IBEW 481's market share in commercial/industrial construction within its Central Indiana jurisdiction.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ibewlocalunion481
• Facebookfacebook.com/IBEWLocal481
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ibew-local-481
• Instagraminstagram.com/ibew_481

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Ibew 481