In 1948, J. Howard Bruce returned from Pearl Harbor where he served as a civilian electrician, assisting with repairs to damaged ships. Back in New Castle, PA, Mr. Bruce met J.P. Merrilees, the owner of Merrilees Electric, a small appliance repair and electric installation firm. Mr. Merrilees was ready to retire so he and Mr. Bruce struck a deal and Bruce & Merrilees was founded. Soon after the deal was signed, Mr. Merrilees passed away suddenly. As a promise to his widow, his name will forever be honored in our company name.

Starting as a residential, commercial and industrial electrical contracting company, Bruce & Merrilees began providing service to the citizens of western Pennsylvania. The first services offered were residential, commercial and industrial electrical installation, as well as electrical appliance repair and sales.

Over time, Bruce & Merrilees developed into a premier electrical contracting company serving residential, commercial and industrial customers. In the 1960s, the list of services was expanded to include transportation electrical installations.

Today, Bruce & Merrilees is still family owned and operated; the third generation of Bruce family members own and operate the business. Bruce & Merrilees is a leading project management and services firm, providing the highest level of customer service to all industries. We complete projects ranging from power plant upgrades and new installations; highway lighting, signing and traffic signal intersections; utility and industrial substations; shale gas and oil facilities ands 24/7 electrical service support and maintenance.