With more than 15 years under his belt as a lighting technician, Chris Ernst of EC Electric immediately understood the value of earning the NXT Level designation. “When I heard about NXT Level, I recognized this as a tool to differentiate us from our competition,” said Ernst. “Customers are interested in learning about our NXT level designation and it gives some comfort for clients who have not worked with us before—even with those credentials, the process was both unique and profitable.”
Ernst started the lighting division at EC Electric seven years ago and currently oversees the company’s Energy Solutions Group as the project executive. The group’s primary focus is on energy efficiency through lighting and control strategies. Ernst uses NXT Level training to keep his team up to date on the latest lighting techniques and trends, while also welcoming the opportunity for his team members to showcase their expertise by earning the NXT Level designation. “We feel that the investment of time and effort to earn the certification was well worth it,” said Ernst. “It really helps to validate our experience.”