Celebrating Our Partners: Simpson Strong-Tie Turns 70!
Some companies grow by chasing trends, others grow by solving problems so well that the entire industry shifts. As Fasteners Plus, we’re proud to celebrate our partner, Simpson Strong-Tie, on an incredible milestone: 70 years of helping people build safer, stronger homes and buildings.
The Doorbell that Changed Construction
The story starts on a Sunday evening in 1956. Barc Simpson was at home when the doorbell rang. A man he’d never met, Warner Odenthal, introduced himself and held out a small, angular piece of metal. Odenthal was a local builder, and he needed more than a sample. He needed thousands.
Odenthal explained that he and a business partner had developed a new roof system for commercial and industrial buildings. The system required thousands of steel components, structural connectors, to securely tie and hold framing members together. The request was big, and the timeline and budget were really tight.
At the time, producing structural connectors was a new direction for the Simpson Company. The quantity alone raised the stakes: could a small operation, with a hand-operated punch press and a modest crew, fabricate 25,000 connectors on time and within budget? Barc decided it was a risk worth taking.
From Risk to Results, One Connection at a Time
Before dawn, Barc drove to the East Oakland plant, handed the connector to his foreman, and asked for an honest take. The answer came back fast: they could produce 25,000 pieces at 10 cents each, a total of $2,500. Barc and his team went to work, retooled the punch press for automatic production, and filled the order on schedule and within budget. The invoice was paid. The job was a success.
That connector became the start of something much bigger. Barc branded the new metal connector, now commonly known as a joist hanger, as the Strong-Tie. This early development of a structural engineering product marked the first of many risk-taking innovations to follow.
One of our favorite lines from the founding story captures the mindset that still fuels the brand today: “Innovation and creativity are encouraged. Success is seldom achieved without taking risks.”
Engineering that Helped Shape the Modern Jobsite
Today, Simpson Strong-Tie is headquartered in Pleasanton, California and is recognized as a world leader in structural solutions: products and technology that help people design and build safer, stronger homes, buildings, and communities. Their structural systems research and rigorous testing enable code-listed, value-engineered solutions across wood, steel, and concrete structures. The company holds thousands of patents and trademarks and directly supports nearly all of the top US builders.
From our side of the counter at Fasteners Plus, that matters for a simple reason: our customers do not have time for uncertainty. When you’re framing, fastening, anchoring, or connecting, you want proven performance, predictable installation, and support you can count on when questions come up. That is exactly why this partnership works.
“Strong-Tie” Became More than a Product Name
The founding story makes it clear: Strong-Tie is not just a label. It has come to represent thousands of versatile, time-saving product applications and solutions, and it embodies a brand promise of exceptional quality and customer service.
That promise aligns with how we operate at Fasteners Plus. Our team is built around product and industry expertise. We pick up the phone. We answer questions fast. We help pros and DIYers make the right call on product, price, shipping, and special order needs. When you pair expert products with expert support, jobs go smoother and structures get safer.
The Values that Sustain 70 Years
Simpson Strong-Tie’s founding story highlights a set of core values that helped shape their culture, including a relentless customer focus, a long-range view, high-quality products, and risk-taking innovation, plus a belief that everybody matters.
You can see those values in the details: the testing, the engineering, the thoughtful product evolution, and the way their solutions are designed to work in the field, not just on paper.
What this Milestone Means for Fasteners Plus Customers
- Confidence in performance: Engineered, tested, and widely specified solutions you can build around.
- Time-saving installation: Products designed to reduce friction on the jobsite and keep crews moving.
- Safer outcomes: Structural connectors and fasteners that help protect what you’re building.
- Real support: When you need help choosing the right connector, fastener, or system, our team is here.
- Fast fulfillment: Thousands of in-stock items ready to ship, plus custom solutions when your project needs them.
Celebrate with Us
To the entire Simpson Strong-Tie team: congratulations on 70 years of innovation, engineering excellence, and industry impact. We’re proud to support your products and the builders who rely on them every day.
