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The History of AMR PEMCO

In 1975, Robert (Bob) Graf founded American Mine Research, Inc. (AMR) to support the U.S. coal mining industry’s need for enhanced safety and productivity by developing the pilotless ground check monitor. Located in Rocky Gap, VA, AMR has since sold over 50,000 circuits of the pilotless monitor throughout the world. Over the past 40+ years, AMR has continued to expand its product and service offerings to serve not only the U.S. coal mining industry but also the metal/nonmetal mining, tunneling, quarry/aggregates, oil and gas, water/wastewater, aquaculture, and general industries across the globe. Where required, AMR’s monitoring, control, and communications products are US and internationally approved, and always designed with the mindset of the ground monitor’s original charge: improve our customers’ operational safety, productivity, and efficiency.

Pictured from left to right: Richard Graf, Bob Graf, and David Graf

AMR PEMCO, CMS, and ERM
Employee Lunch

In November of 2016, AMR acquired the PEMCO Corporation, located in nearby Bluefield, VA. Founded in 1960 and a longtime customer of AMR, PEMCO began by manufacturing DC power supplies, rectifiers, and AC/DC products for the U.S. coal mining industry. PEMCO built a reputation of electrical excellence in the coal industry and, similar to AMR, diversified into the metal/nonmetal mining, oil and gas, utility, power generation, transit, and nuclear industries. Over the years, AMR and PEMCO developed a solid relationship, with AMR supplying its ground monitors, electronic circuit breakers, and remote racking systems for use in PEMCO’s mining power centers. Since its inception, PEMCO has been and continues to be known for its reliable, robust, and custom electrical solutions.

Collectively, AMR PEMCO now offers ground check/fault monitors, electronic circuit breakers, speed sensors, and tip switches, atmospheric (gas) monitoring, wireless communications, personnel/equipment tracking, and collision avoidance systems, power centers, substations, dry-type transformers, industrial control buildings, and power distribution/PLC panels. The combined strength of AMR PEMCO’s management, engineering, and sales teams provides our customers with an unparalleled experience by leveraging AMR’s global sales network and electronics expertise with PEMCO’s extensive electrical knowledge and high-quality craftsmanship.

AMR PEMCO has an extensive and established distribution network located throughout the United States. Internationally, our sales team is further augmented by local distributors and agents located in Canada, Mexico, Africa, South America, and India. AMR PEMCO operates two modern facilities: a 31,000 sq. ft. facility in Rocky Gap, VA, just off I-77, and a 120,000 sq. ft. facility in Bluefield, VA.

Further supporting AMR PEMCO, the Graf Family owns East River Metals, Inc. (ERM) and Custom Manufacturing, Inc. (CMS), located in Rocky Gap, VA, and Princeton, WV, respectively. CMS and ERM (www.cmserm.com) provide precision sheet metal fabrication and turnkey electro-mechanical assembly services to AMR PEMCO and to a wide variety of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM’s) across North America. Industries in which CMS/ERM’s customers operate include home and commercial appliance, power distribution, heating and cooling, mining, medical, oil and gas, fitness, and data centers. CMS and ERM operate from three facilities collectively totaling over 150,000 sq. ft. of office, manufacturing, and warehouse space.

Bob Graf (CEO) and his two sons, David (President, Pictured Right) and Richard (Production Manager for PEMCO, Pictured Left), are intimately involved in the day-to-day operations of the family’s four companies. We continue to focus on their growth and success and are most proud of the companies’ talented employees, our diversified and successful customer base, and the high quality products we manufacture. AMR PEMCO truly is your Proven Partner in Technology.

East River Metals

Founded in 1979, Mr. Graf established East River Metals to provide high-quality metal products to AMR at a time when quick response and delivery were needed to support product development. Using computer-controlled machinery with state-of-the-art processing and quality control, ERM continues to specialize in the design, fabrication, and assembly of precision sheet metal products yielding close tolerances and high cosmetic quality finishes for a variety of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

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Custom Manufacturing Services

Combining AMR and ERM’s system-level integration expertise, AMR and ERM’s management team founded Custom Manufacturing Services, Inc. (CMS) in 1995. Occupying 119,000 square feet of manufacturing space within two facilities in Princeton, West Virginia, CMS has the capability of turn-key manufacturing, including surface mount and through-hole assembly of circuit boards, cable and harness assemblies, electro-mechanical assembly, precision sheet metal fabrication, finishing (wet and powder paint) and silk-screening. Situated on over 18 acres, CMS provides safe, ergonomic, and environmentally-conscious work centers.

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Our Mission and Philosophy

Mission

AMR PEMCO is a leader in communications, monitoring, safety, electrical distribution, and control products for multiple industries. Our effective and affordable solutions enhance productivity while making the workplace safer.

Philosophy

Combining the latest technology with the growing needs of our customers, AMR PEMCO will deliver reliable and competitively-priced products that enhance safety and drastically reduce operating costs and downtime. Where required, our products and solutions will meet and exceed any applicable Intrinsically Safe (Explosion Proof) standards for the clients’ industry and/or country.