About Us
PEARL History
1996
The first meeting of reconditioned equipment suppliers takes place in Laughlin, Nevada to discuss the development of an industry organization. A team is put together to begin creating the first reconditioning standard.
1997
PEARL is incorporated and hosts its first annual membership conference.
1998
PEARL speaks at the first Remanufacturing Industry Symposium in Washington DC, presenting before industry leaders and politicians, including the President’s Executive Director for Environmental Affairs.
1999
Industry-wide launch of PEARL quality seals.
2000
PEARL publishes and releases its first Reconditioning Standard. They also introduce the PEARL Quality Stamp.
2006
The annual membership conference is renamed the Electrical Safety, Reliability and Sustainability Conference & Exhibition to be more inclusive of the entire industry, its external markets and end-users.
2007
PEARL attends and exhibits at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Illuminations Conference.
2008
Representatives from NEMA and UL speak at the PEARL Conference with a focus on the growing concern about counterfeit electrical equipment.
2011
PEARL Committees are formed to develop strategies for Technician Certification and ANSI accreditation.
2012
PEARL delegation attends ANSI training course in New York City.
2014
PEARL becomes a member of the NEMA task force, a subcommittee of the NEMA Codes and Standards Committee. This group is tasked to propose a first ever NEMA position statement on reconditioned electrical equipment. Task was completed in 2016. PEARL launches its Technician Certification Program.
2016
PEARL provides Technician Certification Testing at its Annual Conference and submits National Electrical Code (NEC) change proposals, entering refurbished, reconditioned, and remanufactured electrical equipment into the code.
2017
PEARL’s proposed code change is adopted and becomes part of the National Electrical Code, 2017 Edition. PEARL changes its name to the Professional Electrical Apparatus Reconditioning League.
2018
Recognizing there was no nationally acknowledged standard specifically addressing shop reconditioning electrical equipment for reuse, PEARL developed the ANSI-accredited PEARL Reconditioning Standard.
2019
PEARL launched its online certification platform to streamline the process of getting certified for level I and II technicians.
In 1996, in the town of Laughlin, Nevada, 20 reconditioned electrical equipment supplier companies convened to discuss the pressing issues of their industry. These companies were passionate about addressing urgent concerns and problems that revolved around electrical equipment failure. The meeting’s agenda was focused on trust and reliability within the reconditioned electrical apparatus field. It was vital to them that problems of failure be solved with safe, top-quality electrical equipment. The outcome of this initial meeting was deciding that it was necessary for them to work together as a unified group to affect any industry changes and solutions.
Following the initial meeting in Laughlin, a second gathering was assembled in Denver, Colorado, with the purpose of formulating an action plan, as well as creating a set of goals and objectives, to create a professional association focused on reconditioned electrical equipment.
It was agreed from the start that the organization would be a standards-creating body. For these like-minded suppliers to work together, the founding group felt it necessary to create a Mission Statement and a code of business best-practices. They also needed to develop an educational program and produce a Reconditioning Standard. This standard was developed to ensure a better understanding of the important and committed role the association would play in creating a safer environment for businesses needing to extend the service life of their equipment. And, if necessary, to add to their existing stock similar equipment by acquiring it from known, credible sources.
This meeting in Denver created the inspiration from which the Professional Electrical Apparatus Recyclers League (PEARL) was launched. By 1997, the group had decided to introduce PEARL with a mission of creating awareness of and establishing integrity for this important aftermarket electrical apparatus industry.
Since its inception, PEARL has maintained its commitment to excellence by instituting technician training and certification programs; by working hand-in-hand with major OEMS, other electrical trade associations, and standards developers; by creating a standard and evolving beyond self-certification of this standard by becoming ANSI-accredited; and by connecting qualified member companies with customers in urgent need of reconditioned equipment.
Over the years, as the reconditioned electrical equipment industry has grown, PEARL has continued its commitment to those suppliers dedicated to improving the industry while solving immediate customer needs through technical expertise, historical product knowledge, dedication and cooperation.
In 2017, PEARL modified its brand to emphasize the ‘reconditioning’ purpose of the organization. They renamed themselves the Professional Electrical Apparatus Reconditioning League, while maintaining the identifiable PEARL acronym. As part of their rebrand, they introduced a refreshed logo that is modern and authoritative. PEARL’s mission statement was also updated to reflect their brand promise. The new mission statement pledges PEARL’s commitment to: “Developing, advancing and promoting safe reconditioning practices for electrical equipment.”