Family owned and committed to excellence

“In a service industry, character matters. We built our firm on a foundation of professional integrity.” — Luke T. and Barbara Cunningham

Full service capabilities and experience

West Side Hammer is a full service electrical contracting company serving the eastern Pennsylvania region with expert staff, and fully trained, experienced, and equipped personnel. Our reputation is built upon integrity, service, and workmanship, instilled by the hard-knocks lessons from the earliest days of our founding four generations ago.

Since 1935

West Side Hammer Electric, the company known today as a Lehigh Valley leader in the industry, began, humbly, during the height of the Great depression when a 24-year-old Luke T. Cunningham purchased West Side Electric for $1,000.00. Operating from a garage in the working class neighborhood of West Bethlehem, Luke T. and his wife Barbara set a solid foundation with a firm belief that good people achieve great results through high quality workmanship.

During the World War II era, our home wiring company quickly gained a solid reputation, opening doors throughout the Lehigh Valley to complete larger residential projects. As the Lehigh Valley grew, so did West Side Electric. We expanded into the commercial, industrial, institutional, and communication markets. Luke T.’s son, Luke P. took over the helm in 1977, and continued the company’s steady expansion.

In 1984, Luke P.’s son, Luke R. Cunningham, acquired R. L. Hammer Electric, and with the help of his brother Lee, expanded the company from a modest three-man operation with a residential focus, to a workforce of more than 35 employees by the year 2000. That same year, West Side Electrical Service, Inc. and R. L. Hammer Electric joined forces under the banner West Side Hammer Electric and, with a third generation of family leadership in place, a new era for the company began. Today, the majority of our work comes from our long list of loyal, satisfied clients, one that reads like a “Who’s Who” of the Corporate Lehigh Valley.

Through more than seven decades of family ownership, as the firm passed from father to son, to grandsons, commitment to excellence remains our guidepost, always holding true to our core values. Although we have never felt the need to be the biggest, we have always been determined to be the best. West Side Hammer Electric continues to grow and hold true to our philosophy.

Click here to see a timeline of our historical highlights.

Our legacy

To honor our founders and share our commitment to excellence with the Lehigh Valley community, in 2001 we established the Luke T. and Barbara Cunningham Scholarship Award Fund. Each year, the fund awards a $1,000.00 scholarship to the top graduate of the Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical School. Together, we continue the journey to be the best and, hopefully we can inspire tomorrow’s leaders to hold the same values and beliefs instilled in our company since 1935.

Our vision

The West Side Hammer team endeavors to run a profitable, cost-effective electrical construction and service organization in a legal and ethical manner. We provide safe, steady employment using union construction personnel.

We serve the special needs of our customers with quality work, completed on time, within budget, and done right the first time. We place emphasis on securing clients in the industrial, high technology, and commercial sectors, particularly those with unique, special requirements.

We utilize the most advanced methods, procedures, tools, equipment, and materials, while striving to be a leader in our industry. We provide opportunities for employees to develop their technical skills and otherwise contribute to their self-improvement through challenging assignments.