Innovation and creativity are among the most important characteristics of P.I. and its employees - from the executive offices to the shop floor. Plastic Industries started a revolution in the furniture industry in 1956, when it began making furniture legs out of injected molded plastic. Millions of the P.I. "Through-bolt" legs have been sold around the world. Another breakthrough was the development of solid molded furniture parts. Chemical engineers in 1963 said it couldn't be done - they said polystyrene would collapse as it cooled if molded in thick sections. Fortunately, no one told this to the production employees at P.I. This innovation gave makers of medium priced upholstered furniture new styling options, allowing them to give consumers features once seen only on expensive pieces.
The Ralide saddle tree was as revolutionary to the horse tack business as molded legs had been to furniture. Before 1964, all Western saddles were made of leather stitched over a multi-part wooden frame. The technology used to make solid furniture parts allowed P.I. to make a solid, molded saddle tree which was stronger and less expensive than the wooden ones. Over 60% of all Western saddles are now built on Ralide trees. |
