Rooted in the Midwest and built on decades of field expertise, this family-led organization supports fiber installation, overhead electric distribution and underground utility construction in more than 16 states. One project may run through a rural corridor with minimal traffic while another unfolds along dense urban streets.

The company’ s utility fleet reflects that range of work, from bucket trucks, horizontal directional drills, mini excavators, skid steers and track loaders to digger derricks and support trucks. Experience levels vary just as widely, with new hires often working alongside operators with decades in the field.

As Sellenriek expanded, hiring alone wasn’ t enough to keep pace. The company needed a more systematic way to upskill the crews already in the field.

Beyond training, CM Labs simulators generate reports that give Sellenriek a way to document development and evaluate performance and reinforce common standards.

By Devon Van de Kletersteeg

Building Consistency

Workforce pressure in utility construction is often framed as a hiring problem, as labor demands continue to outpace the available workforce across much of the industry. In practice, the greater challenge often shows up after hiring, when new employees and experienced operators alike are expected to perform complex work with limited time for structured workforce development.

Workers are often most vulnerable early in their careers. One study of workers’ compensation claims found that 34 % of workplace injuries occur during an employee’ s first year on the job. In utilities, where crews operate heavy equipment near energized lines and buried infrastructure, mistakes can escalate quickly. Managing that early career risk is more complicated when crews are dispersed and training conditions vary from one jobsite to the next.

For Sellenriek, that challenge was amplified by scale. Crews were spread across multiple states, operating

20 l May-June 2026