The Facility

The Washington County Fairgrounds spans 159 acres and hosts the county’s eight-day Agricultural Fair, which draws more than 70,000 visitors. Six of its buildings are rented year-round for dinners, exhibitions, receptions, and banquets.

The Problem

Rentals meant transforming buildings as often as three times a week, and hardwired outlets could not follow. Extension cords became standard, which in a building with heavy foot traffic means taping and covering runs constantly. Expanding electrical access was worse: the halls have cinderblock walls, so more outlets meant anchoring conduit and receptacles to masonry. For the fair itself, powering 2,400 exhibitors required two electricians working around the clock, hired a week early and brought back afterward to strip everything out, at a cost of thousands of dollars across two to three weeks.

The Busway System They Installed

Sixty amp Track Busway, installed overhead during construction of the new buildings in the early 2000s. Plug-in units are installed anywhere along the run, and can be added without powering down.

The Result

Power goes where the event needs it, placed by fairgrounds staff rather than contracted electricians, so the fair no longer needs round-the-clock electrical crews to set up and tear down. Board Secretary Wayne Hunnell described being able to do it himself as one of the main benefits, alongside lower cost and getting power to the point of use without extension cord hazards.