RC Electric

The Grove, a gated community just outside of Nashville, TN, features new custom homes ranging from grand estate homes, Craftsman-style bungalows, and Tennessee farmhouses to easy-living villas and cottages. Built by premier local builders, the homes range from 6,000 to 14,000 square feet and boast all the modern amenities desired by today’s homeowners – including a state-of-art electrical system to power their lifestyle. Randy Cathey, Jr., an electrical professional for over 20 years and owner of RC Electric, LLC, Thompson’s Station, TN, was contracted to oversee the electrical work for three of the builders on the project. He started by installing the Leviton Load Center as the electrical hub.

“Stonegate Homes brought Leviton to my attention due to the size of the homes they build,” said Cathey. “Once I saw the Leviton Load Center I knew it was a neat product. The cleanness of it, the professional look, the easy-toinstall white circuit breakers which cuts down on trim-out time…I then asked my distributor to carry the product.” He noted that once other contractors saw him working with the Leviton Load Center they wanted it, and by word of mouth the demand for the product increased. “Everyone wanted this load center and supply of other brands were scarce at the time, but Leviton was there for us. Everyone ended up loving it,” said Cathey.

Faster Installation Saves Time and Money

With Cathey and his crew wiring four to five houses each week, installing up to six Leviton Load Centers in each home and regularly placing orders for 200-300 circuit breakers, installation time matters. Cathey said, “The Leviton Load Center is so much easier to wire and it’s very roomy on the inside which helps with trim-out. I can terminate everything all at one time – one and done! I just carry a screwdriver to remove the panel cover and boom, you’re done. We save 2 hours per house for every Leviton panel we install. That’s a lot of money saved as well. Plus, once you understand how the breakers work to indicate the trip condition you can go right in and fix it – that is awesome."

I installed a Leviton Load Center in my own home in 15 minutes.” Cathey generally installs dual function circuit breakers unless the customer requests Smartcircuit breakers from the start. This provides all the protection needed and if customers decide they want Smart breakers installed later it is easy to make the upgrade. “I can anticipate customers coming back later and wanting the Smart breakers for their refrigerator or freezer. It’s great to know as a homeowner that you will be notified if there is a problem with power because you don’t want your food going bad.”

Cathey also opts for the clear observation window cover option for the panels. “People are used to the old grey covers, but I order the clear covers. It’s a cleaner look that I prefer and it’s more professional. You can visually see the breakers and what they are doing. The customers like the clear door as well, not one complaint.”

In addition to the Leviton Load Center, Cathey uses Leviton dimmers, motion sensors and Decora Smart® switches. Expanding on sensors, Cathey said, “I can use ten motion sensors per house. I use them in pantries and closets because it’s the easy way of walking into a room when you have hands full. You don’t have to worry about reaching for a switch.”

By balancing the needs of the homeowners with the vast array of electrical products available, Cathey can deliver a whole home solution encompassing safety, convenience and smart technology.