What We've Learned About Testing, Support, and What Actually Matters
After 20 years working with U.S. power utilities, one lesson stands out.
Most testing problems aren’t equipment problems. They’re support problems. Training problems. Application problems.
We founded ProgUSA in 2005 on a belief that still holds today: utilities deserve more than a box shipped to a dock. They deserve tools that are understood, applied correctly, and supported long after the purchase order closes.
Why ProgUSA Started
In the early 2000s, electrical test equipment was advancing quickly. Diagnostics delivered more data than ever. But in the field, crews were often left to interpret results on their own, during tight outage windows and under strict documentation requirements.
We saw good tools underused. We saw solid data misread. We saw important decisions made without enough context.
We started ProgUSA to close that gap. Not by competing on price or chasing volume, but by focusing on how equipment actually gets used in real utility environments.
Our goal was simple: help teams select the right tools, interpret results correctly, and stay supported when field conditions get difficult.
What the Field Teaches You
Twenty years teaches you things no product spec ever will.
You see tools purchased for one application and forced into another. You see crews rotate, taking institutional knowledge with them. You see test results questioned because no one documented how they were captured.
Utilities aren’t chasing perfection. They need clarity:
- Is this result reliable?
- Can I defend this data?
- What action should follow?
That’s where most supplier relationships fall short. The equipment works. The support ends too early.
Growth by Listening
We didn’t expand by adding products for variety. Growth followed utility needs.
As reliability programs matured, our portfolio moved into transformer testing, circuit breaker analysis, battery systems, SF₆ handling, power quality, EMF measurement, and thermal inspection. Each addition addressed a real field problem, not a sales target.
We built a U.S.-based service operation in Florida to support training, repair coordination, and calibration. Without service pathways, equipment leads to downtime and lost confidence.
Coverage expanded nationwide with one rule: stay close to where field work happens. When outages are measured in hours, proximity matters.
The Difference 20 Years Makes
After two decades, patterns become obvious.
Utilities rarely struggle because they lack tools. They struggle because they lack continuity. Staff turnover. Evolving standards. Growing data volumes. Without steady support, even quality equipment becomes harder to use over time.
We provide that continuity, not as a manufacturer proxy, but as a technical resource that understands U.S. utility standards, safety requirements, and field realities.
That means recommending against the wrong tool when necessary. Setting clear expectations about limitations. Staying involved after delivery, not disappearing.
What ProgUSA Is Not
We are not a transactional reseller.
We don’t exist to move inventory or hit quarterly targets. We exist to help utilities apply diagnostics correctly and make decisions they can defend.
That means longer conversations. Direct questions before recommendations. Relationships built on trust, not transaction volume.
The Throughline
Since 2005, the industry has shifted. Infrastructure has aged. Documentation expectations have tightened. Workforce turnover has accelerated.
We’ve adapted with broader capabilities, stronger service pathways, and deeper investment in training. But our core purpose remains the same: help customers select the right tools, apply them correctly, and stay supported when conditions complicate the work.
Consistency and adaptation together. That’s the throughline.
Looking Forward
The next chapter will bring new challenges. Aging assets are not going away. Diagnostic tools will continue to improve. Utilities will be asked to do more with fewer experienced hands.
The answer will not be more data alone. It will be better application, better understanding, and better support.
We enter our next 20 years grounded in field experience, shaped by long-term utility relationships, and focused on what has always mattered most. After 20 years, one question still drives our work:
When test results matter, is the support behind them strong enough?
That’s the question we were built to answer.