over 20 years of expertise
Bluefish Electric LLC Owner & Operator Master Electrician
Stephen Gardner
Direct and manage all business operations, field execution, and project estimation for a full-service electrical contracting firm. Deliver high-integrity electrical installations, maintenance, and troubleshooting across residential, commercial, and specialized institutional sectors.
The company gets its namesake as an ode to his grandfather, a Navy mechanist on the USS Bluefish during World War II.
Master Credentials, Certifications & Apprenticeship Leadership
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Florida Certified Electrical Contractor, NASCLA Multi-State Licensed, Hillsborough County Journeyman Electrician.
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OSHA-10 Safety Certified, BASA/FASA Certified (Burglar Alarm & Fire Alarm System Agent
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Instructor for the Bay Area Electrical Apprenticeship Program at Pinellas Technical College (Clearwater)
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Host weekly internal shop classes focused on National Electrical Code (NEC) updates, field safety protocols, and advanced material handling
Commercial & Specialized Project Experience
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Managed full electrical infrastructure for complex commercial environments, including dental facilities requiring equipotential grounding, bonding, and specialized patient-care wiring.
Executed tenant buildouts for office spaces and restaurants, installing three-phase power distribution systems and dedicated commercial house panels.
Installed specialized equipment disconnects, emergency Ansul fire suppression shut-off systems, and integrated HVAC fire alarm damper connections.
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Configured lighting relay cabinets utilizing potentiometer controls and initiating devices paired with Hand-Off-Auto (HOA) push-button controls.
Installed high-spec luminaire protection systems, anti-break lamps, and fire-reduction perimeter lighting systems.
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Handled end-to-end electrical distribution for new theater construction.
Installed and integrated centralized dimming boards, low-voltage control wiring, and DMX audio equipment systems.
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Managed ongoing maintenance contracts for multi-family residential complexes, overseeing electrical room upkeep, fire alarm systems, and security infrastructure.
Managed exterior property lighting, performing repairs and retrofits on High-Intensity Discharge (HID) systems, including ballasts, transformers, drivers, ignitors, and starters.
Business Operations & Technical Core Competencies
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Draft comprehensive job estimates, handle billing and invoicing, and maintain direct client communication from initial consult to final sign-off.
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Install magnetic lock (maglock) ingress/egress door controls, occupancy-sensing lighting systems, localized call stations, and commercial sound systems.
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Enforce strict job site safety protocols and ensure all installations adhere strictly to NEC codes and local regulations.
Hazardous Locations, Industrial Processing & Heavy Commercial Experience
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Led ground-up electrical construction for Class 1, Division 1 and Division 2 Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) and petroleum fueling facilities, encompassing both above-ground (AST) and underground storage tanks (UST).
Run and terminated I/O control cabling for 4–20mA sensor arrays integrated directly into Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), enabling automated unmanned station operations and instantaneous emergency shutdown (ESD) sequences.
Installed life-safety infrastructure, including field E-Stop crash buttons, overhead canopy lighting, high-definition CCTV security cameras, and diesel-powered emergency backup generators paired with Automatic Transfer Switches (ATS).
Underground site work including duct bank installations requiring engineered backfill, along with perimeter ground rings utilizing exothermic welding (Cadweld) for static control.
Coordinated directly with local power and telecommunications utilities to establish primary service feeds and control demarcations.
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Executed comprehensive electrical retrofits for chemical processing plants and commercial breweries requiring corrosion-resistant materials and washdown-rated enclosures.
Installed rigid stainless steel conduit, conduit bodies, junction boxes, safety disconnect switches, and Schedule 40/80 PVC raceways.
Landed field inputs and completed precision PLC terminal connections for automated processing systems.
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Managed full electrical remodels for commercial supermarkets, powering industrial Hillphoenix refrigeration systems, roof-top units (4 Seasons RTUs), rack condensers, and evaporator motors.
Installed and calibrated specialized Danfoss refrigerant leak detection sensors and monitoring loops.
Fitted complete power and low-voltage illumination circuits inside walk-in coolers and deep-freeze environments.
Partnered with Johnson Controls technicians to install, wire, and commission commercial fire alarm panels, initiating devices, and signaling circuits.
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Delivered preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, and repairs for national big-box retail chains, navigating proprietary Energy Management Systems (EMS) and logic-controlled lighting contactor panels.
Executed large-scale commercial LED retrofits, upgrading legacy fluorescent and high-intensity discharge (HID) fixtures to high-efficiency LED drivers and arrays, while maintaining life-safety egress and emergency battery-backup units.
Managed work orders within corporate dispatch platforms, adhering strictly to pre-authorized Not-To-Exceed (NTE) limits and IVR/computerized clock-in/clock-out tracking systems.
Healthcare, Marine, Public Works & Institutional Certifications
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Supervised ground-up structural additions for assisted living facilities under strict Health Care Facilities Code (NFPA 99) compliance and AHCA (Agency for Health Care Administration) inspection standards.
Installed redundant grounding networks using underground Intermediate Metal Conduit (IMC) and equipotential bonding grids for specialized patient care spaces.
Integrated system-wide life safety controls, including nurse call stations, auto-release magnetic fire doors, and automated HVAC fire damper/exhaust fan shutoffs.
Managed installation and code compliance for structural and equipment lightning protection systems.
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Completed new construction on the county-funded Ft. De Soto fishing pier, executing layout, concrete-embedded PVC conduit, expansion joint fittings, DOT-rated in-ground junction boxes, and safety lighting networks controlled by mechanical and electrically held contactors.
Performed marine and dock electrical installations complying with NEC 2020 boatyard, floating structure, and dock requirements.
Configured Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) and Ground-Fault Protection of Equipment (GFPE) protection schemes.
Installed 480VAC step-down transformers, feeding G-cable branch circuits to marine shore power pedestals across floating and stationary dock systems.
Wired, landed, and commissioned lift station alarm systems, sanitary pumps, control cabinets, and Hand-Off-Auto (HOA) push-button control panels.
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Partnered with Habitat for Humanity on ground-up single-family residential construction.
Executed comprehensive structural electrical remodels in coordination with the Homeless Empowerment Project and the City of Clearwater Housing Authority.
Managed project labor and wage tracking under federal Davis-Bacon Act requirements and prevailing wage rate schedules.
Prior Field Progression
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Performed initial residential service work, assisting with device replacement, outlet repairs, and basic wire troubleshooting.
Supported senior technicians on service calls, maintaining tool inventory and job site safety.
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Upgraded residential and commercial electrical distribution panels and managed full service upgrades.
Installed 120/240VAC single-phase circuits ranging from 15A to 50A.
Planned and executed energy-efficient LED lighting retrofits and system repairs.