Power Profile: Bryan Simpson, BBC Electric
As a result of energy legislation passed by the Missouri Legislature in 2018, Ameren Missouri’s Smart Energy Plan has provided a boost to businesses across the state as modernization of the energy grid is well underway. Bryan Simpson, an owner and vice president of Joplin-based BBC Electric, appreciates the passage of the legislation and adoption of the plan.
As reported recently in Missouri Business magazine, published by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, BBC has set up an office in the St. Louis area to handle the extra work his company is taking on thanks to the Smart Energy Plan implementation. He noted the plan is providing an economic boost not only to his company, but also to the St. Louis region over-all.
He said his company has added 14 employees because of the extra work, purchased new tools, truck tires and rented equipment from St. Louis area vendors. Local hotels have also benefitted from extended stays by BBC workers.
Simpson believes that installing new energy technology across the region will benefit Ameren Missouri customers because the company will be better able to isolate outages and more quickly identify problems so they can be fixed. His company is busy installing “trip savers” and “faulty circuit indicators,” devices that will engage when outages occur, saving time and manpower, and speeding up efforts to restore power to customers.
“I think it’s a very good thing,” Simpson said. “I know when my power goes out it’s frustrating, especially when it takes a long time. These things that Ameren Missouri is doing to decrease downtime are great.”
Simpson is pleased to provide services to Ameren Missouri and its customers. His company does work as far away as the Virgin Islands, which is challenging. BBC Electric has had a contract since 2017 to provide “hurricane proofing” services in the tropical islands. But, he notes, there’s no place like home.
“Being a Missouri contractor, we really appreciate the opportunity to work here, in our home state,” Simpson says. “It’s a great plus.” He also has kind words to say about Ameren Missouri: “Ameren is a top-notch company. Very organized and they do an excellent job.”
BBC Electric employs about 200 people, focusing on building and maintaining power lines and related equipment. In addition to work in Missouri and the Virgin Islands, the company has also worked on transmission lines in Ohio.