Sep 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Bustin Industrial Products is celebrating its 80th anniversary of supplying safety access equipment. Founded in 1928 by Polish immigrant Leopold Bustin in Bronx, New York, to address slips and falls within unsafe workplaces, the company has grown to be a leader in truck and trailer safety access solutions.

It now supplies a very broad range of products. These include various models and sizes of fixed and pullout steps, platforms, and ramp landings; safety ramps; deckplates; grab handles; and storage boxes.

Several things differentiate Bustin from competitors, company president Michael Williams said. One is that welders are certified to American Welding Society standards, and all products are manufactured in the USA.

Bustin also operates under strict quality controls, adhering to ANSI (American National Standards Institute) and OSHA standards where applicable for engineered safety in every step of its design process.

The beginning

“Recognizing that workplace safety was not what it should be, Leo began looking at friction as it related to walk surfaces in the workplace, and slip, fall, and trip injuries,” said Williams. “He started out developing gratings and then got involved in the trucking industry, coming up with gratings and bumpers, then steps, ladders, and platforms.

“Leo designed and developed more than 20 patents to address a lack of slip resistance.”

One of Bustin's first clients was Mack Trucks, which continues to use many of the company's high friction designs today.

Interestingly, Bustin's beginning in 1928 in the Bronx coincided with a moment in baseball history when Babe Ruth's Bustin' Babes team announced a barnstorming tour with Lou Gehrig's Larrupin' Lou's team. The tour was meant to provide a professional baseball game experience to people of small communities that may not have been able to afford a seat at a major league baseball stadium.

Moving forward

Leo Bustin died in 1985, but the company continued on, promoting industrial safety and ergonomics, and expanding product offerings.

In early 2005, Williams, then president of cargo control manufacturer M W Supply, bought Bustin and combined the two companies. The result, he said, “is that Bustin has emerged as a market leader in the manufacture of innovative, cost-effective, personnel safety products.

“We remain committed to improve continually our products and services that meet the expectations and quality requirements of our customers,” said Williams. “With the passion for safety that started with Leo Bustin in 1928, we plan to be around for many more years.”