Our Founder
Marvin Bevins attended Oklahoma A & M – now OSU – at the age of sixteen and managed to earn one of the highest GPAs in the history of the institution at that time. In 1931, he earned the coveted Eta Kappa Nu Award from the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers). He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, in 1933, and began working for PSO shortly after.
The 1930’s were the beginning of our modern use of electric power, and the shocking truth is that one in every two linemen died on the job. Many electricians still didn’t fully understand the risks of working with electric power and would use “fuzz tubes” with a light bulb to test the line. They would “fuzz the line” with a monkey wrench on a wood stick tube, a highly dangerous prospect.
In 1943, after a death involving a member of his crew, Marvin Bevins worked for three weeks, day and night, to invent the Analog Phasing Tester. The original testers in ’43 until ’61 were made out of phenolic wood. Today we make them of a much safer insulated epoxyglass stick.
Building a Legacy
From that moment on, the Bevins family has made linemen safety our mission and have continued to produce the standard in tools that keep linemen protected and efficient in the field.
“The Bevins Original Phasing Set was the only tester available in the 60s, when my father – Richard Cradduck Bevins – was building them. In 1961, he graduated from Tulsa University with a BS in Mathematics – minoring in logic, took the tools his father had created, and developed many more, building a strong business foundation that continues today.” – Rich Bevins
Keeping Awareness Alive
From the Original Phasing Set to the Multi-Range Voltage Indicator – the first Voltage Indicator to use Bluetooth® technology to allow linemen to have a backup to their analysis of the situation from their own smart device – our daily efforts revolve around producing tools that raise the standard of safety and efficiency.
Everywhere we go, we try to express how deeply we value the dedication of power linemen – America’s last cowboys, risking their lives daily, so we don’t have to live in the dark. At Bevins Co., we will continue to push for greater safety and awareness for the men and women who work everyday to make our world a brighter place.
Strength & Honor,