It’s no exaggeration to say that McDonald Electrical Corporation is riding an upswing. Recently celebrating its 26th anniversary, the Boston-based electrical firm is one of the most respected and in-demand contractors in New England. With its recent acquisition of ANJ Electric, the company has expanded its reach and expertise into neighboring Rhode Island, further enhancing its ability to serve clients across the region.

 

Just last month, McDonald Electrical won the National Electrical Contractors Association Project Excellence Award for its work on Boston’s Northeastern University EXP building, a 12-story, 357,00-square-foot research, engineering, and teaching facility.

 

Currently, the company is putting the final touches on its largest and most ambitious undertaking to date. The South Station Transit and Tower development is nearing completion, featuring the construction of a 52-story, one-million-square-foot mixed-use tower that will add extensive office space and 166 condominium units to the community. The project also involves completion of a 100,000-square-foot bus terminal expansion and rail renovation that will connect Boston’s 30,000+ daily rail commuters to the city’s bus and subway system.

 

For McDonald Electrical, the South Station project represents five years of effort and deployed more than 150 workers at its peak. Bid initially at around $66 million, the scope and complexity of the project grew, bringing the cost closer to $100 million, according to Alyssa Kent, the company’s director of marketing and communications.

 

“When we first looked at South Station, we broke it down into phases — Enabling, Podium, and Tower,” she explained. “Each phase was treated as its own project, with the right estimator assigned to the right piece. We had five estimators on this bid… and many late nights with plans spread across the floor, just trying to grasp the size of the scope.”

 

McDonald Electrical's successful performance on South Station projects contributes to the company’s varied and considerable track record, which spans commercial fit-ups, residential research and life science facilities, entertainment venues, higher education, and public agencies. The sustainable refitting of the MBTA Quincy Bus Terminal is another milestone. Once completed, the Quincy terminal will be the nation’s first all-electric bus maintenance facility. McDonald Electrical is playing a critical role, delivering the complex electrical systems that will power the MBTA’s transition to a fully electric bus fleet.

 

The courage to take the lead in a rapidly changing industry is part of McDonald Electrical's core value system, dating back to the company’s founding. High school friends, Mike McDonald and Tom Cooney, both of whom came up through the field as foreman and supervisors, founded the company in 1999, building the business on the strength of quality work and client trust.

 

“This company has been built on relationships and quality of work,” said Kent, adding that the philosophy extends to everyone that works for the company. “People here have been with McDonald for years and years and years. I’ve never seen anything like it. It just goes to show you what a great company they’ve built, where people are passionate about the work they’re doing and the people they work with.”

 

With growth and innovation fueling new opportunities, McDonald Electrical is sharpening its marketing strategy. Kent is leading efforts to highlight the company’s capabilities, including its service division, which tackles smaller-scale community projects such as emergency services, electrical upgrades, lighting control systems, fire alarm, and preventative maintenance.

 

The marketing team is also investing in storytelling through video, social media, and direct engagement. “We’re expanding geographically to better support our clients, we’re taking on more work, we’re bidding lots of projects.”

 

In addition to tending to its own growth as a company, McDonald Electrical is looking to the future of the electrical industry and how it can remain strong. And that means focusing on the next generation of master electricians and entrepreneurs. Led by company vice president and co-founder Thomas Cooney, McDonald Electrical partners with Building Pathways, Big Brother Big Sister, Youth Build Boston, JATC, IBEW Local 103 and vocational schools within the Greater Boston area to introduce young people to careers in the trades. Every few months, dozens of students visit McDonald Electricals facilities to learn from apprentices, tour the warehouse, and see firsthand what a future in the electrical trade could look like.

 

On another front, co-founder Mike McDonald is extending his industry influence beyond his own firm’s projects. He was recently named District 1 Vice President of NECA’s national board covering New England, New York, and New Jersey. This appointment positions McDonald Electrical as a strategic voice shaping the future of the industry.

 

After a quarter century, McDonald Electrical achieved institutional status as one of the leading electrical contractors in the Northeast, responsible for landmark projects that have helped make the Commonwealth a leader in sustainable development and future-ready infrastructure. At the same time, the company is committed to opening doors and developing the next generation of electricians.

 

The key to the company’s success? As Kent puts it: “We don’t hold back, we don’t take shortcuts. The company is a reflection of years of effort, quality, and teamwork that went into it.”