News, PEARLSAFE November 2021

2019 & 2020 Member of Year Announcement

2019

Bill Schofield

Bill Schofield

2020

Casey Blevins

Casey LinkedIn

PEARL Board President, Dan Hook, announces the 2019 and 2020 Member of the Year Awards. Each year the Board President selects a member(s) to receive this prestigious award that recognizes the awardees outstanding efforts to promote and further the goodwill of PEARL and its mission. 

Dan commented on each of the awardees saying:

“Bill Schofield spent countless hours on the task group formed by NFPA on the topic of reconditioned electrical equipment and associated requirements in the National Electrical Code.  His dedication to the task group, and methodical logical approach resulted in solid recommendations to NFPA for updates to the code with clarifying language reflecting the reality in the industry.”

“Casey Blevins stepped up in a remarkable way on the board of directors during the trying times we experienced in 2020.  His leadership and motivation helped me tremendously to continue forward on the business of the association, all while being physically disconnected due to the pandemic.  His dedication to effective marketing is outstanding and has championed setting PEARL on a path for success moving into the future.  PEARL is in great hands with Casey as the incoming President.”

The 2019 and 2020 awards were delayed due to the pandemic. The 2021 award announcement will take place at the PEARL Annual Conference and Exhibition on April 22-23, 2022. 

Dan Hook looks on as Bill Schofield accepts the Member of the Year Award.
Casey Blevins accepts the Member of the Year Award from Dan Hook.
PEARLSAFE November 2021

BOD & Member Meeting

The first in-person Board and Member meeting was held on November 2 at the National Training Center at National Field Services in Lewisville, Texas. The Board of Directors meeting kicked off with the changeover of PEARL leadership from Dan Hook to Casey Blevins.

When asked, Dan Hook stated, “It has been my honor to serve as the PEARL Board President for the past two years. Helping to lead PEARL during the pandemic was certainly a unique and rewarding opportunity. I pass the baton to a leadership team that I know will do great things in the coming years.”

In-coming Board President, Casey Blevins, has participated with PEARL for the last 7 years including his Vice Presidency for the past two years. He let the members know that his key objectives are to:

  • ensure PEARL is a transparent and resilient organization
  • that PEARL industry standards are relevant and up-to-date
  • and to continue workforce development efforts

Each of the Committee Chairs brought the group up-to-date on what their committee had been working on.

  • Marketing Committee: Winston Krauss spoke about the important updates taking place on the website and announced the exciting marketing opportunities this work has created for members both on the website and the PEARL$AFE newsletter.
  • Technician Certification Committee: Don West let the group know that Level 1 and Level 2 test prep and exams will be available at the 2022 Conference.
  • Standards Committee: Dan Hook discussed the work they have been doing around the ANSI standards developer 5-year audit and the reaffirm/revisions for the EERS Standard by NLT 2023.
  • Conference Committee: Casey Blevins spoke about the exciting member focused workshops on Friday and the four facility tours that will take place on Saturday, April 23. He also spoke about some of the new and expanded sponsorship opportunities available this year at the conference.

It was a common theme amongst the Committee Chairs that they are excited to get back to business “as usual.” They would like to extend an invitation to all members to get involved and participate on one of the four committees.

The next Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 7, 2021, at 1:00 pm CDT.

News, PEARLSAFE November 2021

Electric Power Systems Acquires H.A.R.T. High Voltage Apparatus Repair and Testing Co.

YUBA CITY, Calif., Oct. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Electric Power Systems (EPS), one of the largest and fastest growing companies in the independent power system testing and engineering industry, has acquired H.A.R.T. High Voltage Apparatus Repair and Testing Co (HART). The official announcement was made today at the EPS St. Louis headquarters. This acquisition continues EPS’s year-long rapid expansion across the US which has included joining with North American Substation Services (NASS) in Orlando, FL, Energis High Voltage Resources in Green Bay, WI, and Krause Power Engineering in Chippewa Falls, WI.

Steve Reed, CEO of EPS shared during a recent briefing, “Partnering with Jim Wolfgram and his great team at HART provides EPS with an even stronger foothold throughout the West to enable us to grow with our customers as they invest in modernizing the electric grid. We are excited to welcome the HART team as we join together and continue to provide the safe, quality, and experienced service that customers have come to expect from both of our companies.”

The acquisition of HART fits into the EPS strategy of becoming the premier high-voltage electrical partner in guiding clients through the complex modernization of the electrical infrastructure, through vision, strategy, service, and support and delivering unwavering safety and reliability, now and into the future.

“EPS shares the HART values of exceptional service, innovative solutions, and client-first relationships. By joining forces with EPS we can now access more tools and resources to expand our expertise and available staff to support our clients. At HART we have always focused on understanding our customers’ needs and working diligently to fulfill those needs. Our team is excited for the opportunity to partner with EPS and NASS to continue to grow with our customers,” said Jim Wolfgram, General Manager of HART.

About HART High Voltage Apparatus Repair and Testing Co.

HART was started in Yuba City CA in December of 1991. Today, they provide services to customers throughout Californiaand Nevada including preventive maintenance, acceptance testing, transformer services, service contracts, and emergency maintenance with the mission to provide the ‘Next Generation of Service’ today.

About Electric Power Systems

EPS offers over 40 year’s industry experience, service throughout the US, 24-hour customer service, and technical expertise in field testing, engineering, electrical system troubleshooting, and maintenance of equipment up to 765kV for utility, industrial, and commercial clients. They are committed to providing a culture of safety and technical expertise as a way of ‘Setting the Standard of Excellence in the Power Industry.’ Their subsidiary Electric Power Systems International Inc (EPSII) is a full member of the International Electrical Testing Association (NETA).

SOURCE Electric Power Systems