This month, Powerbrace Corp. a manufacturer of semi-trailer door securement products, is celebrating 50 years of business. The company can actually trace its roots back to 1913 when parent company, Miner Enterprises, developed and patented the first “lockrod” for use on rail cars.
According to Powerbrace, the lockrod remains the cornerstone of the company’s door securement product offerings today and has become an industry standard for semi-trailer door security. In addition to lockrods, Powerbrace designs and manufactures a broad range of products for swing door locking systems covering dry van; reefer; intermodal; horse; stock; utility and truck body applications; plus custom fabricated lockrods; lockrod assembly kits; steel, aluminum and polymer hinges; compression latches; mounting hardware options and a new array of theft deterrent products developed to provide maximum swing door protection.
The company’s patented Glide-Pro hinge concept is designed to reduce door closure problems by eliminating all metal-to-metal contact. It eliminates the need for washers and lubrication, and allows doors to swing easily with less driver effort, reducing the chance of strain injuries, it said. Powerbrace also recently partnered with trailer maker Wabash National to design and manufacture the TrustLock Plus System, a new lockrod incorporating features for advanced safety, ergonomics and freight security.