Leadership Baton Passes at Sargent Electric
Company Looks to Build on Successful C&I Expansion into New England Market
One measure of long-term business success is the successful transition of leadership. Last month, the New England branch of Sargent Electrical Company showed us how it’s done when Tom Nason, operations head since 2021, passed the baton to his successor, former Senior Projects Manager Jason Queen.
The transition culminated in the company’s efforts to establish a strong market presence in the New England market and a significant step forward.
Sargent Electrical is a familiar name across the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Midwest. Founded in 1907, the company has earned its reputation as an industry leader for its broad electrical contractor capabilities and project management skills. The company entered the New England market in 2016 as a utility provider, but Nason’s 2021 hiring marked the start of an ambitious new phase.
Nason and his team, led by ace Field Operations Manager D.J. Perry, were tasked with establishing Sargent Electrical in the commercial and industrial space. Three years in, the results are impressive. The company averages 100 workers per year and racked up more than 190,000 field hours in 2023.
“We far surpassed my expectations,” Nason said, crediting the expertise and professionalism of Jason Queen, DJ Perry, and his team. “When I look at my early projections for the first five years of C&I work, we’re triple where I thought we would be. We built our team with quality employees and worked efficiently to establish ourselves. Today, Sargent regularly gets the call for complex (C&I) work.”
A quick review of the company’s portfolio bears out Nason’s statement.
Regional completed projects include the College Gordon Performing Arts Center in Waterville, Maine, which included the underground 2500-amp, 480/277-volt secondary service power distribution throughout the facility, as well as all convenience power, interior lighting and controls, site lighting, and fire alarm system, including a bi-directional amplification system.
The company also recently completed 231,000-square-foot 52 Hanover Street in Portland, a 231,000-square-foot, 171-unit, 8-story design-build project. As part of Sargent's overall design, all common, amenity, exterior, and parking garage areas will include convenience power, lighting, fire alarm, and notification systems.
Sargent, a NECA Boston member since 2020, is also the electrical contractor on the ambitious Rock Row Medical & Research Campus in Westbrook. This $150 million, 200,000-square-foot facility will house New England Cancer Specialists and the Patrick Dempsey Center, a holistic center for families affected by cancer. Other recently completed signature projects include IDEXX Stallion Labs, the University of Maine Law School, and Northern Light Acadia Hospital in Banger.
With Sargent’s C&I business firmly established, Nason was ready to hand the reigns of leadership over to Jason Queen. Queen, who boasts 27 years of project management experience, joined Sargent in 2023, collaborating directly with his predecessor. The past year saw the two men collaborate on growing the business while navigating the specifics of the coming transition.
“I expect to continue the work Tom started,” Queen said. “Tom’s leadership gave us great market share in the vertical construction market, and I’m looking to expand those horizons.” Queen added he wants to further the company’s reach in the New Hampshire and eastern Massachusetts regions in the future and diversify the business by “growing our service division, data division, battery storage, and renewables.”
Nason will continue to use his formidable experience for Sargent, taking on business development duties, which he describes as his “sweet spot.”
“I’ve worked in the Maine marketplace for 48 years, building contacts and relationships,” he explained. “My role will be to share these contacts and bring the right people together, so Sargent is high on everybody’s list of contractors and continues to find the high-profile projects.”
DJ Perry, whose role at the company carries over through the transition, echoes the sentiment. “We brought a lot to the vertical market. We want to continue to create great business partners and truly become best in class.”
Another carryover from Nason’s tenure will be Sargent’s fruitful engagement with NECA Boston. “The training programs NECA does are a big thing for us,” said Queen. “We try to participate in and be present at training sessions whenever possible, and we attend the NECA Convention every year.”
NECA Boston congratulates Sargent Electric on its growth and success in our region and wishes Jason Queen the best of luck in his new leadership role.