What James Instruments does

James Instruments Inc. is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of non-destructive testing (NDT) equipment for concrete and other coarse-grained construction materials, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The company designs and sells a broad instrument portfolio organized into four functional categories: strength testing (Windsor Probe and Pin Systems, Digital and Manual Rebound Hammers, Bond Test, Pullqit Anchor Test), rebar location (Rebarscope, Mini R-Meter), ultrasonic and resonant-frequency testing (V-Meter MK IV, Vu-Con impact echo, Emodumeter), and corrosion, permeability and moisture analysis (Gecor 8, Cor-Map II, Ohmcorr, Porosiscope, Chlorimeter, Aggrameter, Cementometer, Aquaprobe, Aquameter). Each instrument is paired with a proprietary companion software package (e.g., Windsorlinx, Rebarlinx, Veelinx) for PC-based data handling. Products conform to ASTM, EN, and BS standards and are NIST traceable.

The company's products are based on established physical measurement principles — spring-loaded probe penetration, ultrasonic pulse velocity, impact echo, microwave moisture sensing, half-cell potential, and modulation confinement corrosion analysis — rather than on software or AI. Hardware systems typically sell in the $1,000–$15,000 range, with premium configurations (e.g., Gecor 8 sensor suite) reaching $23,157. Revenue is generated through four streams: hardware equipment sales, factory calibration and repair services ($145–$1,750 per service), consumables and replacement parts ($8–$800), and proprietary software licenses.

Distribution is primarily direct via the ndtjames.com e-commerce site, supplemented by US equipment rentals and a network of country-specific international distributors serving 45+ countries. Marketing relies on multilingual websites (English, German, Spanish, Italian), email newsletters, and organic social media. End customers include construction professionals, government transportation and housing authorities (e.g., New York DOT, Hong Kong Housing Authority), and educational institutions (e.g., Universities of Texas and North Dakota).

Name

James Instruments

Legal name

James Instruments Inc.

Website

https://ndtjames.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

James Instruments Inc. is a privately held Chicago-based manufacturer of non-destructive testing equipment for concrete and construction materials, selling instruments, calibration services, consumables, and proprietary software to construction professionals, government agencies, and universities in 45+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Destructive Testing Equipment

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

NDT/NDE Inspection Equipment (Ultrasonic, eddy current, radiography, thermography) (IMAGAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corrosion Inspection & Coating/CP Surveys (CUI, CP, DCVG/ACVG) (EUAEAHAF)

Keywords

• Non-destructive testing equipment
• Concrete testing instruments
• Rebar detection systems
• Ultrasonic testing devices
• Corrosion measurement systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Equipment Sales: Primary revenue from selling non-destructive testing instruments including Windsor Probe systems, rebar locators, ultrasonic testers, corrosion meters, and moisture meters. Products range from $50 to $23,000+ with typical system prices between $1,000-$15,000.
2. Calibration and Repair Services: Factory calibration and repair services for all products including disassembly, cleaning, lubrication and NIST traceable calibration certificates. Calibration charges range from $145-$1,750 depending on instrument complexity. Repair evaluation is free with 90-day warranty on repairs.
3. Consumables and Replacement Parts: Ongoing revenue from consumables (probes, discs, electrodes, calibration liquids, coupling agents), replacement parts (sensor prongs, cables, carrying cases), and accessories. Consumable prices range from $8-$800.
4. Software Licenses: Proprietary software products (Windsorlinx, Rebarlinx, Veelinx, Emodulinx, VuConlinx, CorMaplinx, Chloridelinx, Aggralinx, Cementolinx) available as free downloads or with purchase of hardware systems. Software enables PC control, data handling and analysis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

James Instruments manufactures and sells non-destructive testing (NDT) instruments for concrete and other construction materials, including strength testing systems (Windsor Probe, Rebound Hammers, Bond/Pullqit testers), rebar locators, ultrasonic pulse velocity and impact echo systems, corrosion rate and half-cell potential meters, chloride and permeability testers, and microwave moisture meters. Each instrument is supported by NIST-traceable factory calibration and companion PC software for data handling, with the company also offering factory repair services, US equipment rentals, and consumables/replacement parts.

Product overview

James Instruments is a leading manufacturer of non-destructive test (NDT) equipment for concrete and construction materials. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of specialized instruments organized into five main categories: Strength Testing (Windsor Probe System, Windsor Pin System, Digital and Manual Rebound Hammers, James Bond Test System, Pullqit Anchor Test System), Rebar Locators (Rebarscope, Mini R-Meter), Ultrasonic Testing (V-Meter MK IV, Vu-Con System, Emodumeter, Transducers), Corrosion Testing (Gecor 8, Cor-Map II, Cor-Map, Ohmcorr, Porosiscope, Chlorimeter, ASR-Detect, Carbo Detect, James Air Meters), and Moisture Testing (Aggrameter, Cementometer, Aquaprobe, Aquameter). Each product line includes proprietary companion software (such as Windsorlinx, Rebarlinx, Veelinx, VuConlinx, Emodulinx, CorMaplinx, Chloridelinx, Aggralinx, Cementolinx) for PC-based data management and control. The products are designed for field use and conform to various international standards including ASTM, EN, and BS specifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• James Instruments: Non-destructive test equipment for concrete and construction materials

Products and services

• Windsor Probe System Non-destructive test system for concrete compressive strength testing in the field, using spring-loaded probe penetration depth analysis. Conforms to ASTM C-803. Designed for engineers, contractors and inspectors working with standard and high-performance concrete.
• Windsor Pin System System for measuring pin penetration depth to assess concrete strength properties. Used by construction professionals for non-destructive concrete strength evaluation.
• Digital Rebound Hammer Digital test hammer for concrete compressive strength analysis in the field and material hardness testing. Conforms to ASTM C-805.
• Manual Rebound Hammer Economical manual test hammer for strength testing of hardened concrete and hardness testing of materials. Conforms to ASTM C-805.
• James Bond Test System System for testing tensile strength of overlays and the bonding strength between two layers of existing materials. Determines adhesion strength of shotcrete, epoxies, paint, asphalt and other repair materials.
• Pullqit Anchor Test System System for testing tensile strength of fixing, fasteners and anchors embedded in concrete and other construction materials.
• Rebarscope Advanced electromagnetic system for locating rebar, post-tension cables, copper and conduit in concrete, brick, masonry and other non-metallic construction materials, estimating depth and bar diameter with Cover Map feature and datalogging.
• Mini R-Meter Economic handheld unit for finding the location and estimating the depth or size of reinforced rebar, post-tension cables, copper and conduit.
• V-Meter MK IV Ultrasonic pulse velocity testing system for concrete, wood, ceramic and other coarse-grained materials. Locates cracks, voids, rot and other areas of inhomogeneity. Conforms to ASTM C-597, EN12504-4, BS 1881 Part 203.
• Vu-Con Impact Echo System Impact echo system for field evaluation of concrete structures. Measures thickness, determines quality, and locates honeycombing, voids and delaminations in concrete. Conforms to ASTM C-1383.
• Emodumeter Resonant frequency test equipment for determining Young's modulus of elasticity and Poisson's ratio of concrete, rock, ceramic, carbon and other materials. Conforms to ASTM C-215 and ASTM C-666.
• Gecor 8 Advanced rebar corrosion rate determination system using a modulation confinement technique for precise analysis, with rapid mapping of structure rebar corrosion rate and methodology for wet or submerged structures.
• Cor-Map II Advanced half-cell potential system for locating areas of rebar corrosion, with digital mapping feature and corrosion potential data acquisition and analysis. Conforms to ASTM C-876.
• Cor-Map Basic half-cell potential system for locating areas of rebar corrosion. Simple and economical method to identify probable rebar corrosion. Conforms to ASTM C-876.
• Ohmcorr Test System Resistivity meter for assessing corrosion currents in concrete. Economic and easy to use, with direct digital readout of resistivity.
• Porosiscope Field test system for air and water permeability of concrete using the Figg technique. Measures permeability at the concrete surface as well as within the concrete mass.
• Chlorimeter Chloride field test system for determining chloride ion concentration in wet or dry concrete and other construction materials, with a wide chloride range from 0.002 to 2% by weight.
• ASR-Detect and Carbo Detect Indicators Colored dye indicator systems: ASR-Detect identifies Alkali Silica Reactive Gel in hardened concrete, and Carbo Detect identifies carbonation on concrete samples.
• James Air Meters Air meters for fresh concrete including Type A pressure meter, Type B pressure meter and Volumetric air meter for determining air content in concrete.
• Aggrameter Hand-held microwave moisture meter for instantaneous determination of moisture content in sand, fine aggregate and coarse aggregate.
• Cementometer Hand-held microwave moisture meter for determining water/cement content ratio in fresh concrete.
• Aquaprobe Advanced microwave soil moisture meter for rapid determination of moisture content in different types of soil.
• Aquameter Moisture meter for measuring moisture content in concrete, brick, masonry, wood and other construction materials.
• Ultrasonic Transducers Frequency-specific ultrasonic transducers (54 KHz, 24 KHz, 150 KHz, 180 KHz, 500 KHz, 85 KHz) for use with V-Meter and other ultrasonic testing systems. Includes shear wave, exponential and underwater transducer variants.
• Factory Calibration and Repair Services Factory calibration and repair services for all James Instruments products, including disassembly, cleaning, lubrication and NIST-traceable calibration certificates. Published calibration charges range from $145 to $1,750 depending on instrument complexity; repair evaluation is free with a 90-day warranty on repairs. Pricing available in USD and EUR.
• US Equipment Rentals Short-term rental of James Instruments testing equipment within the United States for project-based or temporary non-destructive testing needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Non-destructive methods enable testing of unlimited locations compared to limited destructive test points
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• American Concrete Institute (ACI)minorOthersIndustry membership organization. James Instruments is a member of ACI, which provides standards development and industry guidance for concrete testing and construction practices.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Tinius Olsen: Tinius Olsen is an established manufacturer of materials testing equipment including compression machines and impact testers used by the same construction materials testing labs that buy James Instruments' strength and ultrasonic equipment.
• Fluke Corporation: Fluke is a broad incumbent in electronic test and measurement instrumentation; while its core focus is electrical diagnostics, it competes indirectly for the same industrial field-testing budgets and offers some handheld measurement devices relevant to the construction quality-control buyer.
• Olympus (now Evident) Industrial NDT: Olympus/Evident is a broad incumbent in ultrasonic and eddy current NDT equipment across aerospace, energy, and industrial markets. While primarily focused on metals and welds, it competes for the same NDT professional buyer and is expanding into concrete applications.

Direct peers

• Controls Group: Controls Group (formerly Wykeham-Farrance/Controls Testing Equipment) manufactures concrete, cement, and soil testing equipment with direct overlap in compressive strength, ultrasonic, and rebar detection categories targeted at the same construction testing professionals.
• Forney (ForneyVault): Forney is a long-standing manufacturer of concrete testing equipment and accessories, serving the same construction quality-control professionals and competing in compression, air content, and rebar detection categories.
• Humboldt Mfg. Co. Humboldt manufactures construction materials testing equipment for concrete, cement, and asphalt, directly overlapping with James Instruments' strength, moisture, and air-content testing categories used by the same quality-control professional buyers.
• Proceq (screening Eagle): Proceq, now part of Screening Eagle Technologies, is a direct competitor in non-destructive testing equipment for concrete and construction materials, including the industry-standard Schmidt rebound hammer and Pundit ultrasonic lines that overlap with James Instruments' V-Meter and Rebound Hammer portfolios.
• Matest: Matest produces a full range of concrete and construction materials testing equipment including ultrasonic and rebar location products, positioning it as a direct competitor to James Instruments' V-Meter, Vu-Con, and Rebarscope lines for global infrastructure buyers.
• ELE International: ELE International supplies concrete and construction materials testing equipment globally with a comparable product mix spanning compression machines, ultrasonic testers, and rebar locators, serving the same civil engineering and quality assurance customer base.

Emerging players

• Trans-Tek / ELE Calibration Services: Trans-Tek and similar calibration and repair specialists compete for the same NIST-traceable calibration and repair aftermarket revenue that supports James Instruments' recurring service business.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/NDTJames
• Facebookfacebook.com/ndtjames
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/james-instruments

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about James Instruments