POWERGRAMS

10 10 "If you see an electrical substation, there's a strong chance someone from the Steel Shop fabricated that structure," said Steel Shops Team Leader Danica Connell. "We make rebar and anchor bolts for foundations that attach steel to concrete. The bigger the substation, the more work is involved. We're building pieces that construction crews put together at the job site and some of those become monstrous in size." Needed tools are at employees' fingertips: rebar shears and benders, saws, press brakes, drills, lathes, plate cutters, and welding and threading machines. The Steel Shop's travel trailer is equipped with welding equipment, a handheld drill, saw and other tools, allowing employees to make repairs at a job site. "We're the only big fabrication shop on the Southern Company footprint," said Connell, who has worked at the shop for 11 years. The Steel Shop receives about 500 work orders yearly. Customers include Transmission, Distribution, Fleet, Generation, and Safety and Training. "We will do work for anybody in the company that calls," Connell said. "In addition to substation structures, cross arms for transmission lines, and rebar and foundation material, we fabricate a variety of aluminum enclosures. That includes SCADA cabinets, raintight cabinets, TA boxes for motorized line switches, battery cabinets and even the small enclosures for accessing substation switch houses. The small enclosures, or 'Kaba boxes,' as we call them, are needed to meet critical infrastructure protection requirements and help keep the electrical grid secure." "We do enclosures for different equipment for the new secure grid," said Steel Shop Foreman Mike Ellison Sr., a shop employee for more than 20 years. "We are doing our part to make sure the system stays secure." The team – 12 mechanics, a utility assistant, an apprentice and a subforeman – are covered employees through the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. "Mike manages all the jobs that come in, making sure they're high-quality work and are delivered on time," Connell said. SPECIALTY WORK NO PROBLEM Mitchell Hydroelectric Generating Plant is among the satisfied customers – so much so, Steel Shop employees have performed two onsite jobs at the Coosa River facility since fall 2018. Bubba Hicks prepares to burn on the plasma machine by creating the necessary computer files. Clay Collins bends a sheet of aluminum diamond plate in the press brake. Mike Patton prepares a short channel for drilling on the drill line. At right, various drill bits stand ready for the machine's computer- automated interchange. Plant Mitchell roof handrails were fabricated at Steel Shop.

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