Sutphen Corporation: Firefighting innovations that make a difference, save lives.

Everyone is familiar with the symbols of the fire protection industry – those marvelous fire trucks, the iconic fireman’s helmet and the firehouse on the corner. But most folks never see the innovative technologies developed for the fire service by a relatively small group of highly skilled manufacturers.

TRIAD’s client, the Sutphen Corporation, is one of those manufacturers. A family-owned company located in Dublin, Ohio, they build phenomenal fire trucks that have set the industry standard since 1890.

Throughout its history, Sutphen has created product innovations that make a demonstrable difference. They pioneered the use of Alcoa Corporation’s patented HuckBolt® fastening systems in fire truck manufacturing. HuckBolt® fasteners are vibration-resistant and provide structural integrity and long term durability far superior to traditional seam-and-joint welding.

Another first was Sutphen’s 4-sided box-boom design which delivers maximum rigidity compared to the 3-sided open channel design common to many brands. Together the box-boom and HuckBolt® technologies allow Sutphen to offer lighter, taller aerial platforms with the highest water flow rate at full extension in the industry.

Sutphen’s newest design innovation, the SL100 Aerial Ladder, was introduced at the 2009 Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis. The SL 100 combines a new 5-section aerial ladder design, short wheelbase and shorter overall length. Together these features provide an extremely stable 100’ ladder along with superior maneuverability and handling. With a 750 lb tip load, it is the strongest 100’ aerial ladder on the market.

The fire protection industry doesn’t blow its own horn too loudly. They’d rather focus on the work and let results speak for themselves. In Sutphen’s case, the results shout.