About Web Joist Northwest Corporation
L.E. (Vern) Sweet founded Web Joist Corporation in 1976 with Rags Glaze, Bob Powell and Bruce Howard. Together they developed and patented a “Bridging Clip” that provides greater stability and structural strength to the inner connection between the web joist and the bridge, and to the overall structure. The Web Joist “Bridging Clip” patent along with the purchased Birkemeier patent for an “Improved Truss Joist” utilizing knurled pins and a heel bearing connection are the foundation of Web Joist Open Web product line.
Our first location in a 2500 square foot building located in Ontario, California was quickly outgrown and within two years the company relocated to Cucamonga, California where it continued to operate until 1990.
As the engineered wood products industry evolved and grew, so did Web Joist. In 1981 Web Joist Northwest Corp. was established and a manufacturing facility in Chehalis, Washington opened. When a commercial I-Joist was developed to add to our product line, the need for a larger facility was identified. The new facility would need to house all of Web Joist’s operations from R&D to Administration. Construction of this new facility and the equipment needed to produce I-Joists began in 1988. In 1990 the new facility began to produce its Web-i® product and by 1997 all of Web Joist Northwest’s operations were at the same location.
Web Joist’s product lines include our Light (2×4), Wide (2×6) and Heavy (laminated 3×4) Open Web Joists as well as our Parallel and Tapered Web-i® Joists. Our products can be found in Olive Garden, Golden Corral, and McDonald’s restaurants; hotels, multi family dwellings, office buildings, residences, retail sales buildings and schools throughout the nation.
With almost forty years in business we have found that being small isn’t a bad thing. Web Joist has been able to expand and contract with multiple manufacturing plants, various types of sales outlets and engineering departments in order to meet the needs of our customers. We have been able to survive in the lean times by operating extremely efficiently, keep our long term employees and fulfill our mission of providing quality products at economical prices thereby supporting our local community.
Looking to the future our focus will continue to be developing and adding new products to meet our customers building needs.