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Component Manufacturing dverti$ dverti $ er
Don’t Forget! You Saw it in the
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October 2022 #14279 Page #10
The Development of the Truss Plate, Part III: The Ingenuity of Carol Sanford and Cal Jureit By Joe Kannapell
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arol Sanford’s invention didn’t equal Cal Jureit’s, but he made up for it with his head start and his aggressive marketing. Sanford had filed for his patent in March 1954, two years ahead of Jureit’s September 1956 filing, and had a plate design that was relatively simple to mass produce. Though his plate required extensive hand nailing, it was the best wood connector available at the time and an instant hit. By July 1958, Sanford was operating a huge stamping plant and had developed extensive engineering manuals, declaring on their covers that his company was “The World Leader in Roof Truss Connectors.” This claim was undoubtedly true, as Sanford had no real competition until Jureit entered the scene. Cal Jureit engineered his own business startup with thoughtful aplomb. Before going to market with a product that he knew was better than Sanford’s, he spent a year of R&D perfecting it, drawing from his years running a testing lab. This involved “one-off” fabrication of multiple plate configurations and running dozens of tests. With the data collected, Jureit was able to determine optimal tooth size and arrangement, and the necessity of increasing the plate thickness from 16 gauge to 14 gauge. Finally, with design in hand, he was unable to find an existing stamping facility capable of producing it, as Miami lacked heavy industry. So, he invested further time and effort recruiting manufacturing talent and outfitting a suitable building. And by 1958, Jureit was ready to stake his claim in the truss plate market.
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