There’s a lot of experience in three generations. And the A.N. Lynch Company makes good use of it. Known for their expertise in the field of electrical construction, each has worked to maintain the high standards that have enabled this respected Spring City business to succeed decade after decade.
     And they’ve worked together. Says current president, AL Lynch, III, “There are three generations in this company. Through the years my father gave me leeway to make changes, and I probably make decisions he didn’t care for, I’m sure. Now my son sometimes makes changes I don’t always agree with 100%. But we succeed because we know keeping a business healthy means having an open mind and a willingness to change with the times. The regulations and marketplace have changed 180° since the time my father stared this business.”
     Al Lynch, Sr., began his electrical contacting business nearly 50 years ago, in 1945. And though the company still maintains the same high quality of service he established long ago, today there are changes in the market. Recalls Al, Sr., “Back then, we could contract a $300,000 job on a handshake.”
     Al’s son, Al, III, joined his dad in 1958. As he remembers, “I had gotten some experience working summers before I graduated from high school. But the business was really busy, and I felt the need to advance my skills faster, so I took several correspondence courses, which gave me knowledge and allowed me to continue working at the same time.”
     Al, III’s son, Nev, became involved with the company at the age of eleven or twelve. Says Nev, “I worked pole line construction with my grandfather during the summer. Once I was out of high school, I started in the commercial/industrial filed with the company foremen.”
     Nev continued working with the company during summers while he attended Kutztown University form 1984 to 1987. “Because I worked both in the field and in the office, I got experience on both sides of the fence.” Realizing both aspects of the business were important, Nev decided to study business management in college and learn the trade on the job. Nev now serves as a project manager.
     Learning early on that the residential market was not extensive enough to sustain them, they decided, instead, to concentrate on commercial and industrial work. Says Nev, “It’s more dependable year-round since it’s not dependent on the weather. And in the industry and business, there are always electrical needs to be met.”
     Today the company is well respected as a full-service electrical construction firm. Their range of service is impressive and includes pole-line construction, area lighting, and all types of wiring – from under-floor wiring and telephone work to fire alarm, security, and fiber optics. They can also design complete systems for customers who know what they want but don’t know how to get there.
     Says Al, III, “If we aren’t equipped to handle a particular problem, we find someone who can. And for those situations requiring extremely complex electrical design, we work with two engineering firms who can handle even the most sophisticated layout work.” To maintain the level of activity necessary to keep their 22 employees gainfully employed, A.N. Lynch Company contracts with a wide variety of specialized vendors. They handle electrical needs from companies like Dana Corporation, Occidental Chemical, A & L Handles, Kiwi Brands, Cabot Corporation, and Elf Atochem, to name a few. Says Al, III, “Of course we have our slow periods; but generally if one company isn’t building something, someone else is.”
     To balance their work load, they also bid on some of the industry’s most competitive jobs – projects such as schools, sewage treatment plants, and state and federal work. Says Al, Sr., “Ten to 15 years ago we got 70% of our work through bids. Today, the percentage is bout reversed. Most jobs are put out on bid.”
     To what do they attribute their ongoing success? First they point to their demand for top-quality work and their “personal handling” of customers. Explains Nev, “Whether we’re only installing an outlet for an air conditioner or doing a 2 million-dollar project, every customer needs to be treated fairly and have his or her work done correctly.” To assure that degree of quality, says Al, III, “We hire intelligent, honest, hard-working employees; let them share in profits; give them good benefits; and treat them fairly. After all, they’re our ambassadors in the field.”
     All three generations agree that doing business today is harder than it was years ago. The increasing use of bidding makes the field much more competitive. And it’s a challenge to keep abreast of the newest products as well as regulations federal to state and township to township.
     But despite the changes, the guidelines set by founder Al Lynch, Sr., five decades ago still holds the company in good stead. As he still emphasized, “If you do a good job for a good price and in timely manner for a customer, you’ll have them forever. That is the heart and soul of our business… a customer-oriented attitude.”