As we celebrate SBCA/WTCA’s forty years, let’s also recognize the entrepreneurs behind them, especially these twelve who made outstanding contributions. While each of them added something unique, their work was interrelated, and formed the foundation for today’s truss industry. Although all but two have left us, their combined legacies remain.
Carol Sanford developed his roller plate in Cal Jureit’s testing lab, and surely Jureit learned from Sanford’s work. Walter Moehlenpah and Jack Schmitt discovered the business via component manufacturers. Bill McAlpine and Charlie Harnden started in engineering and sales for Sanford, just as George Eberle did at Hydro-Air and Bill Turnbull did at Truswal. Bill Black sold his first business to MiTek and his second to Simpson. Tom Whatley spent two decades as a component plant owner and operator, but three decades as a full-service supplier. And Gene Toombs got a lot done in 25 years, but built MiTek on Jureit’s, Moehlenpah’s, Mort’s, Black’s, and Turnbull’s great work.
And the evidence of their inventiveness is still all around us. Sanford’s most widely used invention, the Roll-A-Master, is still rolling trusses in plants in Maryland and Virginia. Cal Jureit’s long-toothed plate innovation is gone, but his 1975 Mark 4 gantry is still running at Builders FirstSource in Culpeper, VA, while Walter Moehlenpah’s 1966 Mono-Press powers much of Joe Hikel’s Shelter Systems plant in Westminster, MD.
This is not to understate the software, engineering, and expertise lent to CMs by these entrepreneurs, most of whom devoted their entire careers to the truss business. Nor do we discount the special contributions of the lesser known plate suppliers that will be lauded in articles to follow. But on this 40th anniversary of the industry’s association, all suppliers and component manufacturers should be aware and celebrate 70 years of success serving the building industry.