Before the Burnout: Building Electrical Resilience in Poultry Operations
Power problems don't announce themselves—they quietly erode performance until something fails. Dead fans, uneven airflow, stressed flocks, or creeping utility bills are often the visible symptoms of hidden electrical weaknesses. In a recent episode of The Poultry Leadership Podcast, host Brandon Mulnix sat down with Cody Pommer, Superintendent Electrician at Interstates, to discuss how thoughtful engineering can make or break poultry site performance.
What sounds like a technical deep dive quickly becomes a leadership lesson: sustainable success depends on foresight, discipline, and a commitment to doing the small things right—before burnout sets in.
The Quiet Make-or-Breaks of a Poultry Site
Cody Pommer describes electrical systems as the "circulatory system" of a poultry site. Every decision, from panel ratings to drain placement, either builds long-term reliability or invites a steady flow of maintenance calls.
Many poultry operations, he explains, get into trouble not from neglect but from overconfidence: "It's not that people don't care; they just don't always realize how punishing the environment can be." Dust, moisture, and high traffic can significantly reduce equipment life. Left unchecked, they cause failures that are both expensive and dangerous.
The antidote is design discipline:
- Use correct NEMA ratings for enclosures.
- Include low-point drains to prevent moisture buildup.
- Install GFCI protection where appropriate.
- Select cables rated for their true conditions, not just what's in stock.
As Pommer notes, every one of those items "pays for itself in uptime and safety."
Electrical Rooms & Culture of Care
One of Pommer's core points is cultural, not just technical: leadership decisions upstream ripple into safety outcomes downstream. Something as simple as building a dedicated electrical room might feel like an added cost, but it delivers decades of reduced downtime and cleaner environments for sensitive controls.
"An electrical room tells your team you plan to be here a while," says Pommer. Protecting panels from dust and water isn't just about compliance; it's about creating a system that supports predictable operations and keeps people out of harm's way.
Smart Controls, Grounding, and the Cost of Shortcuts
The conversation touches on the growing role of smart controls and variable frequency drives (VFDs)—technologies that allow dynamic control of fans, ventilation, and lighting. When designed properly, they cut energy costs and create more stable environments for the birds. When improperly designed, they become another point of failure. Avoiding those pitfalls, Pommer emphasizes, means paying attention to details such as:
- VFD-rated cable
- Grounding and bonding (especially in high-moisture settings)
- Voltage drop across long runs
"It's amazing how often the cheapest install becomes the most expensive one," he reflects. Each missed specification might save time today, but costs reliability tomorrow.
Resilience & Readiness
Beyond day-to-day efficiency, the episode explores resilience—the ability to recover from disruptions and adapt. Generator strategies that balance loads across buildings, as well as peak-shaving techniques to control demand charges, enable farms to continue operating when utility conditions fluctuate.
Even future expansions become easier when design accounts for flexibility. As Pommer puts it, "A well-planned site doesn't fight its own growth." That mindset—thinking years ahead—separates operations that limp from fix to fix from those that deliver consistent value.
From Reliable Power to Reliable Data
Looking ahead, the conversation connects reliable electrical infrastructure to reliable data. Artificial intelligence and advanced monitoring tools depend on clean, consistent signals. Noise or interference from poor grounding can compromise the precision of tools such as egg-counting systems, anomaly detection, or automated design software.
For mid-sized producers, accessible control systems now make it possible to unify ventilation, feeding, and lighting into a single, mobile-friendly platform. The result is actionable clarity—what used to be invisible inefficiency now becomes measurable and manageable.
The Leadership Takeaway
The episode closes with a simple but powerful message: the best defense against burnout—whether human or mechanical—is reliability built by design. A little foresight and preventive discipline doesn't just cut maintenance costs; it protects the health of teams, animals, and businesses.
Leaders who invest in robust electrical systems demonstrate care that extends far beyond the technology itself. They model a culture that values safety, precision, and long-term thinking—foundations of every resilient operation.
Listen to the full episode "Before the Burnout" on The Poultry Leadership Podcast, hosted by Brandon Mulnix and sponsored by Prism Controls.
Interested in seeing more of Interstates' poultry experience?
- Here's an article from the Center Fresh Group project in Sioux Center, IA.
- Here's the project experience sheet that highlights the key scope components.
- Here's more information on Interstates' experience in the food & beverage industry.