A Sheboygan Press article highlights Arch Solar founder Ed Zinthefer being honored as the 2024 Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Wisconsin Craft Professional of the Year, recognizing his decades of leadership, mentorship, and contributions to Wisconsin’s renewable energy industry. The award celebrates skilled professionals who demonstrate exceptional commitment to apprenticeship training, craftsmanship, and workforce development within the construction trades. Zinthefer’s recognition reflects not only his technical expertise as a master electrician, but also his role in helping shape Wisconsin’s modern solar industry.
The article explains that Zinthefer founded Arch Electric, now known as Arch Solar, in 2003 alongside his wife Mindy from the basement of their Plymouth farmhouse. Over the past two decades, the company has grown into one of Wisconsin’s leading solar energy firms, employing more than 100 professionals and completing projects ranging from residential rooftop systems to major commercial and utility-scale solar developments. Throughout that growth, Zinthefer remained deeply involved in employee training and apprenticeship development.
ABC Wisconsin’s Craft Professional of the Year award specifically recognizes individuals who go above and beyond in mentoring apprentices and promoting excellence in skilled trades. According to the article, Zinthefer has spent years training electricians and solar professionals while helping establish industry standards for renewable energy work in Wisconsin. He was also among the first NABCEP Board Certified PV Installation Professionals in the United States and contributed to solar education as a curriculum writer and instructor for the Midwest Renewable Energy Association.
Colleagues and industry leaders praised Zinthefer not only for his technical abilities, but also for his dedication to ethical business practices, safety, and community education. The article notes that many current solar professionals across Wisconsin either trained directly under Zinthefer or benefited from the systems and apprenticeship programs he helped create.
Overall, the article portrays the award as recognition of a career spent advancing both renewable energy and skilled workforce development in Wisconsin. Through Arch Solar, Zinthefer helped transform solar energy from a niche industry into a mainstream part of the state’s energy landscape while mentoring the next generation of electricians, installers, and clean energy professionals.
