SOSS® Invisible Hinges

For Immediate Release

Contact
Neil Marko President Universal Industrial Products (419) 737-2324 nmarko@soss.com	Tim Trainor Trainor Communications Public Relations (313) 965-4900 TrainorComm@cs.com

PIONEER, Ohio - During the past century, the Soss name has become the worldwide standard for invisible hinges, and it all began in 1903 when a young Rumanian immigrant tripped and fell over a cargo hatch during an ocean voyage.

By the time the ship sailed into New York harbor, Joe Soss had built a prototype for the world's first invisible hinge.

He soon obtained a patent for his invention and established SOSSŪ

Manufacturing in New York. To produce the hinges, Soss also developed the first die casting machine sold in North America.

Business boomed as Singer Sewing Machines, Otis Elevator, Burroughs Adding Machines, and Player Pianos became early customers. Henry Ford used the hinge on the glove boxes of his early cars.

The concealed hinge also became widely used on jewelry cases, humidors, bookshelves that swing open to reveal hidden rooms, and even cargo holds on ship decks.

Frank Lloyd Wright, America's greatest architect, liked the clean, uncluttered look of the SOSSŪ hinge, and specified it for doors on many of his most notable commercial and residential structures. Among these is Fallingwater in Mill Run, Pa., considered one of the finest private homes in America.

Doors on many of the world's most recognized landmarks are equipped with SOSS® Invisible Hinges, including the White House, Buckingham Palace, Disneyland, the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City, and Esplanade By The Bay in Singapore.

Government agencies favored the concealed hinge for security purposes. Most post offices and hundreds of courthouses throughout the U.S. are equipped with SOSSŪ hinges.

Commercial buildings and luxury homes have been core markets, with a wide range of hinge sizes and finishes sold through distributors to contractors and high-end hardware stores.

Designers specify the hinge in engineered plastics and other space age materials where flush fit, compact size and smooth operation are required. These include computers, corporate jets, copy machines and medical devices.

"Over the years, the company has stood solidly behind its products, and that includes the millions of hinges sold during the past century," said Neil Marko, great-grandson of the Joe Soss. Marko produces and distributes SOSSŪ Invisible Hinges through his company, Universal Industrial Products, Inc.

Note To Editors: A selection of high quality photographs is available by accessing www.soss.com/newsroom.