As the oldest U.S. manufacturer of lay-flat hose, Snap-tite has had a profound impact on the rubber hose market. With nearly 50 years of experience, we know what it takes to develop a quality product that transcends the test of time.
The Snap-tite corporation entered the market in the mid-seventies as a joint venture with the German manufacturer, F.A. Parsch. In 1980, we bought out Parsch and brought Snap-tite Hose to the U.S.
After extensive research and development, we perfected the manufacturing process behind our extruded thru-the-weave hose. When a hose is extruded thru-the-weave, the material is forced through the jacket, which creates a permanent bond between the warp and weft yarn and eliminates the need for adhesive – a groundbreaking technological discovery. This process became known as the “Parsch Process,” from which Snap-tite’s UTX and ATX were born.
In 1988, Snap-tite introduced the next big thing to the market: the large diameter hose. Because this new hose was so revolutionary in design, we dedicated our own resources to educate the fire service industry on the evolution of fire hose. The benefits of laying one of our LDH hoses over the outdated method of laying multiple smaller lines? Priceless. Countless lives were saved.
Snap-tite purchased PONN Fire Hose the following year, in 1989. With this purchase, we added both single- and double-jacket fire hose to our already extensive repertoire. A few years later, National Fire Hose was also purchased – adding single- and double-jacket industrial hose to our catalog as well.
Even though Snap-tite was busy shaping the municipal hose market, that didn’t slow down the progress they were making in other markets. By 1991, we had developed a hose assault system for the TE and TM hose lines, which was instrumental in the successful transfer of fuel and water during the Gulf War.
That same technology would again be used during the tragic events of 9/11. When firefighters struggled to get enough water to Manhattan, miles of our lay-flat hose were used to help many brave first responders quell the flames.
Snap-tite Hose has, unquestionably, shaped the history of hose. And we’re going to continue to do so because we’re here to stay. That’s the Snap-tite Promise.
