A Milestone Worth Celebrating

Reaching a quarter‑century in business is no small feat. For PrimeTest® Automation, the last 25 years have been a journey marked by curiosity, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to helping manufacturers solve complex problems. As we reflect on the past 25 years, we're also looking ahead. The spirit that brought us to this point is the same one that drives us today. 

Two Visions Become One

“We had hoped it would last this long. We never had any thoughts that it would stop. There was never an option to just stop.” 

In 2001, Steve Benvenuto started Performance Automation. His small team built a general automation house, designing PLC‑based control panels, pick‑and‑place robots, custom assembly systems and other automated processes. Across town, Dan Press and his colleagues were doing something complementary at PrimeTest Corporation: developing end‑of‑line testing, PC‑based data acquisition and measurement, and LabVIEW software.

The two companies began collaborating on several projects. Steve’s background in automation systems and Dan’s experience in test systems proved to be a natural fit. In 2005, Performance Automation acquired PrimeTest Corporation, bringing the two companies together as PrimeTest Automation®. By combining their strengths, the company was able to offer customers a single source for automation system design, prototype development, testing, and deployment. 

The Early Days: Building and Learning

With the two companies now combined, PrimeTest Automation® was still a small team working on big projects. Everyone stayed hands-on, moving between design work, software, wiring, assembly, and testing as projects required. The work often meant long days and a lot of problem-solving, but it also helped shape the way the company approached each project: stay flexible, learn quickly, and focus on finding the right solution for the customer. 

Over the past 25 years, PrimeTest Automation has completed hundreds of successful projects, designing automation systems that kept pace with the latest manufacturing technology. To match the growth, the company relocated to a 14,000-square-foot facility in Fort Lauderdale with full in-house manufacturing capabilities. An additional 11,000 square feet of manufacturing space is scheduled to come online in late 2026. Moving into a larger facility isn’t about more square footage—it’s a commitment to controlling quality from start to finish.

Growing Up: Projects, People and Space

“We’ve been very, very fortunate. I feel very privileged that we’ve had some incredibly talented people join our team and help add to our success.” 

As the facility grew, so did the team. Today, PrimeTest Automation®

brings together machinists, technicians, mechanical engineers, software engineers, robotics engineers, and control engineers under one roof. Many employees have been with the company for more than 10 years, giving the team a level of experience and continuity that carries through each project. From the beginning, the goal wasn't simply to build machines. It was to understand what customers were trying to accomplish, work through the problem together, and develop the right solution. That collaborative approach continues to shape every project today.

Adapting to a Changing Industry

The automation landscape has transformed dramatically since the early 2000s. We’ve witnessed the rise of collaborative robots, machine vision, autonomous mobile robots, and now humanoid robotics. Keeping up with those changes has meant staying curious, learning new tools, and knowing when a new technology can actually help a customer. The focus has always been the same: use the right technology to make the customer’s process better.

What Hasn’t Changed

“For all the new technology, and for all the different ways of doing business, the principles have remained the same.” 

While technology keeps evolving, our core philosophy remains the same. We strive to ask the right questions, listen to our customers and design systems that solve today’s problems while anticipating tomorrow’s. Our team still gets excited when a new challenge comes across the table, and we still measure success by the long‑term value our systems provide. 

Looking Ahead

The next 25 years promise even more opportunity. Our expanded facility and diversified team have positioned us to take on larger, more complex projects. We’re exploring advances in AI‑driven machine vision, fully autonomous material handling and remote diagnostics. And we remain committed to mentoring the next generation of engineers who will carry PrimeTest’s legacy forward.

“This is not something you can do on your own. You need great partners, great people to invest in you, and customers willing to partner with you.”