Contractor Spotlight
Ayer Electric is a Family Affair
Caitlin Ayer, business operations manager for the New Hampshire-based Ayer Electric,
was a part of the family business from the beginning. In 1993, The Ayers welcomed twin daughters and shortly after founded what was then a small electrical firm in their growing family’s garage in Madbury, NH.
“My dad, David Ayer, started in the electrical industry as an apprentice in his early 20s and worked his way up the ranks before he decided to work for himself,” Ayer said. “In the early days, he took on the project management, estimating, and electrical work while my Mom worked on the finance and administration part of things.”
Ayer Electric steadily grew successful enough in revenue and reputation for the “mom-and-pop” operation to move out of the family garage into its current location in Barrington, NH. A NECA member for the last 20 years, today Ayer is one of the region’s most respected full-service electrical contractors. “We primarily focus on the commercial side, so we do anything from industrial to solar to retail, and large-scale residential work with projects where we might have only one or two electricians on the site and others where there are 20 to 30, potentially more.”
The company’s growth is linked directly to the region’s growing demand for clean, renewable energy, and Ayer has stayed at the forefront. Ayer’s first renewable energy project involved working with the University of New Hampshire and Cornell University to install a 20KW wind turbine at Shoals Marine Laboratory in Maine. The company also worked on the Lempster Mountain Windfarm, the first wind farm in New Hampshire (24,000MW of wind turbines). The firm’s success with wind turbines inevitably led to solar and ambitious array installs across the region.
“We were at a point where we needed to expand into new markets and offer new services, and we saw a huge opportunity to do that with renewable energy,” she said. Commonwealth projects include a 2MW carport solar array at Bridgwater State University in 2019 and a 500KW carport array for Boston Police Headquarters in 2020. This summer, Ayer is partnering with Revision Energy on multiple solar array projects, including a 4.2MW installation in Rockingham, NH. Added Ayer, “Our expertise with solar and renewable energy pairs well with Revision, and we always enjoy collaborating with their teams.”
Another vital client of more than ten years is Turbocam, a Barrington-based global leader in manufacturing solutions for aviation, space transport, and automotive industries. Turbocam and Ayer are collaborating on several projects in 2024. Solid and lasting partnerships are essential to Ayer’s company identity and success. Another important element? Family.
Caitlin certainly grew up around the family business, but it might surprise some that her decision to actively participate in the company was fairly recent.
“I spent the last ten years working in the tech industry, most recently for a Boston consulting firm,” she explained. “About a year ago, I started reflecting on what was next for me and seriously considered whether joining the family company would be a good fit.” Her father suggested she sit down with NECA Boston’s Kristen Gowin for some perspective. The two met for lunch last summer where Kristen highlighted the robust network of NECA contractors including many successful WBE’s.
“Kristen was gracious, and she walked me through the state of the industry, the challenges
I might face, and the training and support I might get from NECA.”
She left the meeting energized and excited to move ahead. She attended NECA’s executive management training programs, which she described as a professional “crash course.” Six months ago, she officially joined the Ayer team as operations manager. “I realized my skills and experience in the tech and consulting space were translatable, and I felt I could make a positive impact at Ayer Electric. It’s been a good transition so far.”
Ayer says it has always been a dream of her parents to eventually hand the reins off to one of their children when the time comes. In the meantime, “I’m definitely thankful to have this opportunity.”