Associated Research, a brand of Ikonix USA, is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2026, marking nine decades of evolution in electrical safety compliance testing. Founded in 1934 by engineer James Inman as the Chicago Meter & Repair Laboratory, the company was renamed Associated Research in 1936. Its defining early innovation, the 1939 Vibrotest insulation resistance tester, was adopted by the U.S. Navy as standard equipment during World War II.
Under Michael Braverman, leadership made the strategic choice to exit the utility testing business and focus exclusively on electrical safety compliance testing, positioning the company for growth in a rapidly expanding global market. Associated Research later helped lead the industry’s shift from analog to digital instrumentation and pioneered single box solution testers that became a benchmark for production line efficiency.
Today, operating under the Ikonix umbrella alongside sister brands SCI, EEC, and Huayi, Associated Research serves the medical device, electric vehicle, industrial automation, and semiconductor markets. As the company enters its tenth decade, leadership points to the green energy transition and the rise of artificial intelligence as key drivers of continued demand for safety testing equipment.
