Utility Supply Management Alliance

What Utility Supply Management Alliance does

The Utility Supply Management Alliance (USMA) is a non-profit professional association founded in 1995 that organizes an annual two-and-a-half-day educational conference and networking program for the North American utility supply chain community. Its primary product is the USMA Annual Conference, which features 17+ hours of educational programming, 40+ speakers across panels and town halls, and 20+ breakout sessions, supplemented by a 70+ exhibitor Table Top Networking Session, a charity golf tournament (Frank Bennett Challenge, capped at 124 players at $195/person), a 5K Fun Run/Walk ($50/person), a tiered Spouse/Guest Program ($249-$329/person), and a Monday Night Event. Revenue is generated almost entirely from attendee registration fees and a multi-tiered sponsor ecosystem (Premier, Gold, Silver, Charity, Barista) anchored by WESCO as Premier sponsor and a deep roster of Gold sponsors including Eaton, GEP, Hubbell, Prysmian, Southwire, Border States, Irby Utilities, MacLean Power Systems, S&C Electric, CME Wire and Cable, and OneSource Supply Solutions.

USMA serves two distinct customer segments that meet at the annual event: (1) electric, gas, and water utilities — represented on the board by senior supply chain executives from PG&E, Southern Company, Duke Energy, PSE&G, CenterPoint Energy, Oncor, AEP, ConEd, LADWP, OGE Energy, Entergy, SMUD, Salt River Project, Alliant Energy, and others — and (2) utility suppliers and manufacturers spanning wire and cable, transformers, distribution, power management, EPC construction, and procurement services. Distribution is exclusively in-person at rotating U.S. resort venues (Nashville 2025, Port Charlotte, FL 2026, Scottsdale, AZ 2027), with marketing conducted through the website, email, and word-of-mouth within the utility industry community. The 2025 and 2026 conferences both sold out, and the organization positions conference entry as "the hottest commodity in the electric utility purchasing sector."

USMA does not operate a proprietary technology platform. Its technology footprint is limited to a WordPress-based website (usma.com), email communications, and Cvent-based registration. There is no mobile application beyond conference materials acknowledgment, no disclosed API or integrations, no AI/ML capabilities, and no data product. The association is governed by a board of elected utility and supplier executives serving rotating officer terms, with current President Ron Burchfield (2025-2026) and First VP Dusty Nimmo of OGE Energy.

Name

Utility Supply Management Alliance

Legal name

Utility Supply Management Alliance

Website

https://usma.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Utility Supply Management Alliance (USMA) is a non-profit association, founded in 1995, that operates an annual educational conference and networking events serving electric, gas, and water utility procurement professionals and their suppliers across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Conferences

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Training, Enablement & Talent Development Summits (THAHAMAH), Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM)

Keywords

• Utility supply chain
• Professional association
• Industry conferences
• Utility procurement
• Supplier networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Argyle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration Fees: USMA generates revenue through annual conference registration fees, golf tournament fees, spouse/guest program fees, and related event activities. The organization is a non-profit professional association established in 1995.
2. Supplier Networking Sessions: Revenue from supplier networking table display sessions at annual conferences, with exhibitor sponsorship benefits including website listing, mobile app acknowledgment, and conference materials recognition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

USMA organizes an annual two-and-a-half-day educational conference that brings together electric, gas, and water utility supply chain professionals and supplier partners for 17+ hours of programming, 40+ speakers, panels, town halls, and 20+ breakout sessions, plus a table-top networking exhibition with 70+ exhibitors and ancillary events such as a charity golf tournament, 5K fun run, spouse/guest program, and Monday night event. Revenue is generated through attendee registration fees, supplier sponsorship packages (Premier, Gold, Silver, Charity, Barista), and ancillary event fees.

Product overview

The Utility Supply Management Alliance (USMA) operates as a conference and networking organization rather than a software product company. Its primary offering is the annual Educational Conference—a two-and-a-half-day event for electric utilities and suppliers focused on supply chain management. The conference includes educational sessions with over 40 speakers, 20+ breakout sessions, and town halls. USMA also offers related events including a charity golf tournament (Frank Bennett Challenge), a 5K Fun Run/Walk, a Networking Suppliers Event with 70+ exhibitors, a Spouse/Guest Program, and Monday Night Events. These supplementary events are add-on activities tied to the main conference and are designed to provide networking opportunities, continuing education, and charitable giving within the utility industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• USMA Annual Educational Conference North America's leading supply chain conference for electric, gas, and water utilities and their providers, delivering 17+ hours of educational programming with 40+ speakers, panels and town halls, and 20+ breakout sessions over a two-and-a-half-day event.
• Networking Suppliers Event (Table Top Session) Table-top networking exhibition at the annual conference where suppliers reserve display tables to engage directly with utility buyers and procurement representatives, featuring 70+ exhibitors.
• Golf Tournament (Frank Bennett Challenge) Paid charity golf tournament associated with the annual USMA conference, including course fee, shared cart, driving range, breakfast, lunch, and prizes.
• Charity 5K Fun Run/Walk Paid charity 5K run/walk held in conjunction with the annual conference, supporting breast cancer awareness and research.
• Spouse/Guest Program Paid companion package for attendees' spouses/guests featuring welcome reception, Monday activities (kayak eco tours, painting classes), Monday night dinner event, Tuesday cabana access, and a spa discount.
• Monday Night Event Exclusive ticketed evening event featuring dinner, drinks, and entertainment at unique venues each year, held during the annual USMA conference.

Named customers27 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered premier sponsor, gold sponsor, silver sponsor, charity event sponsor, barista sponsor and core.

• WESCOpremier sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier sponsor of USMA conferences. WESCO works with utilities to deliver innovative and customized solutions including complex supply chain and project management solutions, sourcing, procurement, and materials management.
• CME Wire and Cablegold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor and board member participant. Leading manufacturer and distributor of electrical wire and cable solutions with four strategically located distribution centers across the US.
• Border Statesgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor. Sixth largest independent electrical distributor and one of the largest 100% employee-owned companies in the US. Provides products and value-added services to utility, construction, and industrial industries.
• Eatongold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor. Global power management company with approximately 95,000 employees serving customers in more than 175 countries with energy-efficient solutions.
• GEPgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor. Delivers transformative supply chain solutions helping global enterprises become more agile and resilient. Headquartered in Clark, New Jersey with operations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Americas.
• Irby Utilitiesgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor. Leading fulfillment and solutions provider for utility and utility contracting marketplaces with nearly 100 years of utility experience. Portfolio includes distribution, transmission, substation, generation, renewable energy, and EPC.
• Hubbell Power Systemsgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor and board member participant. Manufactures a wide variety of transmission, distribution, substation, OEM and telecommunications products used by utilities.
• MacLean Power Systemsgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor. Provides comprehensive engineered products including pole line hardware, insulators, arrestors, connectors, anchors, cross-arms with over 12,000 power system products.
• OneSource Supply Solutionsgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor. Supply chain solutions provider serving utility markets.
• Prysmian Groupgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor. Global cable solutions provider for power grids worldwide, with unmatched manufacturing and installation capabilities for high-voltage underground and submarine cable systems.
• S&C Electric Companygold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor and board member participant (Past President Gary Wetzel). Global provider of equipment and services for electric power systems, founded in 1911, dedicated to grid reliability and resiliency.
• Southwire Companygold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor and board member participant (Donna Ward, SVP Utility & Specialty Sales). Leading wire and cable manufacturer; nearly one in two new homes built in the US contains Southwire wire.
• Hitachi Energysilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor and board member participant (Mike Austell, VP Key Accounts). Global technology leader advancing sustainable energy future for all, serving utility, industry, and infrastructure sectors.
• Howard Industriessilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor and board member participant (Brian Shaw, Region Market & Sales Manager). Produces wide range of products for electric utilities including distribution transformers and substation transformers.
• Kiewit Power Construction Co.silver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor and board member participant (Alan Morris, Director of Business Development). One of North America's largest construction and engineering organizations with 2021 revenues of $12.1 billion and over 28,000 employees.
• ProcureAbilitysilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor and board member participant (Conrad Snover). Leading provider of procurement services offering advisory, managed services, digital, staffing, and recruiting solutions for over 25 years.
• Prolecsilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor. Designs and provides transformer solutions for generation, transmission and distribution of electrical energy. Market leader in the Americas with 8 manufacturing facilities in US, Mexico, and Brazil.
• TAPP Inc.charity event sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharity event sponsor for golf tournament. Certified minority company dedicated to manufacturing quality steel structures for the utility industry with 65 years of experience.
• UAI (Utility Agency & Import Inc.)charity event sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharity event sponsor for golf tournament and board member participant (Rick Morrison). Specializes in providing high-quality products and services to electric utility, EPC and OEM markets through strategic global sourcing.
• ABBcharity event sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharity event sponsor for Fun Run. Global leader in electrical products and solutions operating in more than 100 countries with over 200 manufacturing sites and 55,000+ employees.
• Techlinebarista sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBarista sponsor for 2026 conference and board member participant (Lewis Rhoden). Full-line stocking distributor committed to utility industry success for over 35 years with engineers and specialists for value-add services.
• GE VernovacoreOthersBoard member representation from Executive GM - Commercial GE Grid Solutions Andrew Goodman. Grid Solutions business providing power generation, transmission, and distribution equipment.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CIGRE: International Council on Large Electric Systems, an association-driven organization running global working groups, conferences, and exhibitions for power systems professionals. Closely mirrors USMA's association-led model but with global rather than North American scope.
• NAED (National Association of Electrical Distributors): Trade association serving electrical distributors and their supplier partners with annual conferences, education, and networking. Mirrors USMA's membership model and serves a directly overlapping distributor/supplier ecosystem (WESCO, Border States, Irby, Techline are members of both).
• EUCI (Electric Utility Consultants, Inc.): Runs conferences, workshops, and training programs for utility professionals across power generation, T&D, and emerging grid topics. Comparable event-driven business model serving overlapping utility buyer audiences, with a heavier training/certification emphasis.
• POWER-GEN International: PennWell/Clarion's annual power-generation industry conference drawing utility executives, OEMs, and EPCs. Highly comparable audience overlap with USMA's electric utility membership and similar annual in-person event format with major sponsor tiers.
• DistribuTECH: The flagship North American conference and exhibition for utility transmission, distribution, and smart-grid technology. Competes for the same utility buyer audience and supplier exhibitor dollars as USMA, with broader technology scope but less supply-chain specificity.
• IEEE PES T&D Conference and Exposition: The IEEE Power & Energy Society's flagship transmission and distribution event held biennially in North America. Targets overlapping utility engineering, planning, and procurement audiences with a stronger technical/standards orientation than USMA's supply-chain focus.

Broad incumbents

• American Public Power Association (APPA): Trade and service organization for the ~2,000 US public-power utilities (municipalities, districts, state authorities). Runs its own annual conference and is a comparable association model, but serves public-power utilities not yet heavily represented on USMA's board.
• Edison Electric Institute (EEI): The principal trade association for US investor-owned utilities, hosting its own annual convention and leadership events. Broader policy, regulatory, and CEO-level focus rather than the procurement/supply-chain specificity of USMA, with many shared member companies.
• AHR Expo (HVAC&R industry): The largest HVAC industry conference co-sponsored by AHRI and ASHRAE. Operates a similar sold-out, supplier-and-buyer-facing annual event model in a different but structurally comparable industrial vertical, illustrating both the opportunity and competitive ceiling USMA faces.

Regional players

• Enlit (formerly European Utility Week / POWERGEN Europe): The leading European utility conference covering generation, grid, and end-use sectors. Directly comparable event format and supplier ecosystem, but operates across European and EMEA geographies rather than North America, so primarily adjacent rather than head-to-head.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/USMAConference
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/utility-supply-management-alliance-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

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 Utility Supply Management Alliance