“This is just another example of a Bridgeport native making a name for himself in the career of his choice. We’re proud of Willie and his accomplishments, and look forward to seeing his continued success. It’s a great day for the state’s largest city and I’m honored to give him this award tonight.” – Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch
Bridgeport, Conn. (June 2, 2015) – This week, Mayor Bill Finch and the City Council honored Bridgeport native and business owner Willie McBride, of WC McBride Electric, with a proclamation.
Thanks to Mr. McBride’s efforts, Central High School was able to re-open following an electrical issue last week that caused a power outage at the school and in the surrounding neighborhood. It could have closed the school for several days, but McBride and his team came to the aid of the City and the Board of Education to fix the electrical mistake and keep the school open.
Mr. McBride, a Bridgeport, Conn. native, who grew up in Father Panik Village and graduated from Bullard Havens Technical High School, worked for the electrical union for over 30 years and in 2014 founded WC McBride Electric.
“This is just another example of a Bridgeport native making a name for himself in the career of his choice. We’re proud of Willie and his accomplishments, and look forward to seeing his continued success. It’s a great day for the state’s largest city and I’m honored to give him this award tonight,” said Mayor Finch. “Bridgeport is getting better every day, thanks to the efforts of small business owners and job creators like Willie McBride.”
Among the projects WC McBride Electric is currently working on is Steelpointe Harbor, which will serve as a major boon for the city’s economy. Once complete, Steelpointe Harbor will feature more than 750,000 square feet of retail, restaurants, entertainment, two hotels, over 1,000 residential units, 30,000 square feet of office space, and a deep water marina.
Mr. McBride's success is another example of the impact that economic development has had on creating jobs here in the City of Bridgeport.
"Our philosophy at McBride Electric is to give people second chances, make a difference, and to give back to the community," said McBride "I have a very diversified company. I have 15 employees, 70 percent are minority, 50 percent Bridgeport residents, and 30 percent are women."
City Council President Tom McCarthy and members of the City Council leadership presented the Bridgeport native with a City Council Citation.
"He is local, he is homegrown, and he has made something of himself," said City Council President Tom McCarthy "In recognition of his hard work, expertise, and selflessness in coming to the aid of the City and the Board of Education to help keep Central High School open following an emergency power outage that impacted the school and the neighborhood."
Mr. McBride has a track record of service to the City of Bridgeport. He worked for the City's Board of Education for 15 years. He served as the City of Bridgeport Employer Representative on the Civil Service Commission for five years.