Our story

Supplying
utilities since
1982.

Southern Switch & Contacts was founded in Palm Harbor, Florida in 1982 with a single focus: precision components for the electric utility industry. Forty-plus years later the focus is the same. The shop has grown, the operation that backs it has been rebuilt for what utilities need today, and the catalog has expanded to cover the OEMs nobody else still supports.

1982
Founded in Palm Harbor, FL

The shop started making switch contacts and machined components for utilities in the Tampa Bay area. Word spread — the lead times were shorter, the parts were accurate, and the people running the work understood what utilities actually needed. Over the decades the customer base grew from local co-ops and municipal utilities to large multi-state investor-owned utilities.

In 2017 the company added the Field Services division after customers kept asking who would install the parts the shop was machining. The answer became a team of experienced substation technicians.

In 2019 Southern Switch & Contacts changed hands. The new chapter has been about investment. The shop floor, the institutional knowledge of which OEM contacts have which wear patterns, the relationships with utility procurement teams — all preserved. Added since: a formalized Breaker Rebuild division that closes the loop on full breaker remanufacture, contractor-safety prequalification on the ISN and Avetta platforms utilities procure through, and a catalog of nearly 350 individual part pages so buyers can find the exact OEM model they need.

Forty-plus years of utility component manufacturing in Palm Harbor. Same shop. Same OEM coverage. New ownership chapter, with the modernized operation utilities buy through today.

What we do
Three divisions,
one partner.

From a single replacement switch contact to a full substation build to a complete breaker remanufacture, Southern Switch & Contacts covers the parts, the people, and the rebuild. Most jobs touch more than one side of the business — we machine the component, our crews put it in service, and when a breaker needs a full teardown we do that too.

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When a job calls for capabilities outside what we run in-house — NETA-accredited testing, specialized power-systems engineering — we bring in known partners. Our primary engineering partner is Sigma C Power Services, NETA-accredited and led by a current NETA board member with 35+ years in the testing and maintenance industry.

What makes us different
Utility-focused.
Every decision.
Made in USA · Palm Harbor, FL Buy American Act Compliant U.S. Patent Holder — UGOR
Purpose-built for utilities

We don't serve general manufacturing. Our materials, documentation, and lead time commitments are built around how utilities actually procure components.

Short lead times, always

Utilities can't wait weeks. We're known for fast turnaround — including emergency same-day machining for unplanned outage situations.

Parts + field, one call

Call us for the component and the crew to install it. One partner, one call, full accountability across Machine Shop, Field Services, and Breaker Rebuild.

Customer-centric focus

Communication, budgeting, and quality workmanship — that's how customers describe working with us. We earn repeat business by delivering on our promises.

1982
Founded in Palm Harbor
2017
Field Services division
2019
New ownership chapter
3
Divisions today
Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA)
Memberships & Credentials
FMEA Member & Approved Vendor
Southern Switch & Contacts is a member of the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) and listed on its approved vendor list — serving Florida's municipal and public power utilities. Our field division is also an approved vendor for multiple utilities in ISN (ISNetworld) and Avetta.
Quality & documentation
Built to spec.
Documented.

Utilities can't install a part they can't trust. Every component we manufacture is machined to OEM dimensional specifications from the correct alloys. When a part has been discontinued by the original manufacturer, we reverse-engineer it from a sample or a drawing.

  • Machined to OEM dimensional specifications
  • Material certification available on request
  • Reverse engineering of obsolete parts
  • Short lead times, including emergency turnaround
Stay connected
Follow the work.

We post field projects and shop work on LinkedIn twice a week — current jobs in progress, completed projects, and equipment you won’t find documented elsewhere. Fastest way to see what we’re working on.

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Let's talk about your next job.

Parts, field work, or both — tell us your model number or scope and we'll respond within one business day.

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