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 together with his wife Barbara, a solid foundation was set with a firm belief that good people achieve great results through high quality workmanship.

Our home wiring company quickly gained a solid reputation, opening doors throughout the Lehigh Valley to complete larger residential projects during the post WWII era. As the Lehigh Valley grew, so did West Side Electric and we expanded into commercial, industrial, institutional, and communications markets. Luke T.’s son Luke P. took 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 it 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 a majority of our work comes from our long list of loyal satisfied clients, one that reads like a “Who’s Who” of 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’ve never felt the need to be the biggest

we’ve always determined to be the best. West Side Hammer Electric continues to grow holding true to our philosophy.

To honor our founders and share our commitment to excellence with the Lehigh Valley community, we established the Luke T. & Barbara Cunningham Scholarship Award Fund in 2001. This fund awards a $1,000.00 scholarship to the top graduate of Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical School each year. 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.