Philip E. Rollhaus, Jr. (1934-2001)
Philip E. Rollhaus, Jr., launched a revolution in passive highway-safety products in 1969 when he founded Energy Absorption Systems, originally a subsidiary of Quixote Corporation. Energy Absorption’s first product was a patented energy-absorbing bumper for vehicles. In an innovative twist, Rollhaus and his associates decided to reformat that technology and developed the first crash cushion to place in front of roadside hazards. With that decision, the highway crash cushion was born.
Following Rollhaus’s era, the company he created underwent several transitions. In 2010, Energy Absorption Systems and its related roadway-safety holdings were acquired by Trinity Highway Products. More than a decade later, in 2022, that business was rebranded as Valtir, LLC. Today, Valtir continues to manufacture and advance the crash-cushion technologies that began with Rollhaus’s original designs, while also supplying a broad suite of modern roadway-safety products used across North America and in over 100 international markets.
