By Tim Brewer, President, Circuit Breaker Sales Co., Inc
Kevin Brewer worked 21 years for an ARMCO steel plant that manufactured oil field equipment. In 1981, the oil field business went away, and Brewer and many others were laid off. Less than a year later, Brewer was talking to a friend who owned a machine shop. He told Brewer to call a new business that was looking to hire a machinist.
Finley Ledbetter told Brewer to bring in his resume and come talk to him. Impressed with Brewer, Ledbetter sent the applicant to Jack Reeves, the shop manager. Brewer was hired that day.
For the next 30 years, Brewer took on one challenge after another. Machining was his forte. Circuit breakers, on the other hand, were something new and different. Brewer quickly learned to work on low- and medium-voltage breakers.
From a faxed picture, Brewer developed, made, and built an AKF breaker. Then Brewer learned to design and build medium-voltage retrofit breakers and ground and test devices.
In 2001, Brewer spent some time working at the Arc Technology shop in Pacific Washington learning the art of retipping contacts.
The next challenge was the start-up of CBS ArcSafe. Brewer helped them design and build remote devices in the Circuit Breaker Sales shop in Gainesville. He later spent two years in the CBS ArcSafe shop in Denton. The next company startup was Vacuum Interrupters, Inc. Brewer helped them design and build one of their testing coils.
Now, after 30 years, Brewer will have to learn a new skill — how to stay retired.